CRESTVIEW — When Okaloosa County residents visit the community’s French sister city in September 2017, they may see a piece of World War II memorabilia in action.
And if members of the Noirmoutier-based Atlantic Wall Memory Association — or AWM — get their wish, their Crestview friends can help restore the organization’s recently acquired 1940s General Electric searchlight.
The trailer-mounted light, used in anti-aircraft batteries, once lit up English skies and, after D-Day, those over liberated parts of continental Europe.
As attested by the “kills” — designated as aircraft silhouettes — on its barrel's side, the light was instrumental in downing at least three Luftwaffe, or German air force, bombers.
The AWM hopes American aid will once more come to the rescue, much as it did during and after World War II.
“For the repairs, we hope to have help of 500 euros,” or $550, association founding member Anthony Brochard said.
Brochard said his group found the searchlight through the Vintage Military Vehicles Collectors chapter in Vertou, a town near Nantes.
“We inspected it before, of course, and we know perfectly that it is in a good state of preservation,” Brochard said. “We have just to complete the light and repaint it.”
Donations will also help the AWM relocate the light to Noirmoutier, Brochard said, where it will be used in static displays of war-era equipment and in historical re-enactments.
The AWM, a spin-off of the Noirmoutier Classic Vehicles club, or NVA, was formed for collectors of World War II vehicles and equipment. The collection of accurately restored jeeps, troop trucks, wagons and equipment formerly was lumped in with the classic Peugeots and Citroëns that now are the NVA’s focus, Brochard said.
“Our association’s goal is to preserve the historic patrimony in a perfect state … and make World War II re-enactments with camps and military vehicles,” he said.
The AWM expects to relocate the searchlight to Noirmoutier by the end of January.
Any support from Noirmoutier’s sister city would reinforce the islanders' affection for Crestview and the U.S., Brochard said.
“American people are wonderful,” he said.
To help the Noirmoutier, France, Atlantic Wall Memory association restore a 1940s American GE anti-aircraft searchlight, send donations to the Crestview Area Sister City Program, 4693 Meadow Lake Drive, Crestview FL 32539-6376
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa residents' help sought to restore Noirmoutrin WWII artifact