In this colorized photo from the late 1930s or early 1940, we can see Paulette Remience. She’s a cheerful little girl in a blue dress, her hair done up in a bob, holding a basket of flowers. This portrait decorated the wall of her family home in Bastogne, on Rue Chanteraine. And in this picture, we see the happy, carefree spirit of a little girl before the horrors of war seeped into her life.
When the Second World War broke out in 1940, the Remience family, like many others, abandoned their house to take refuge elsewhere. The city of Bastogne suffered major air raids: roads, railroads, and many homes in the downtown area were completely destroyed. The Remience family’s house did not escape the disaster, and few objects survived the bombing. However, one thing remained hanging on the wall of the ruined house: the photo of the little girl in the blue dress.
Today Paulette Remience is 92 years old. She has decided to donate this photo, in the frame that was miraculously saved from the rubble, and her little blue dress to the Bastogne War Museum. With this gesture, Paulette wishes to pass on her story, a little girl who overcame the tragedy of war.
Do you have information about events experienced by your family during the world wars? By sharing your story, you will enrich our “Drawing inspiration from heroes” section.
