On December 9th, the DMHEF is honored to welcome Allan Andre, author of the book ‘Leopoldville: A Tragedy Too Long Secret”, one of the few books on the disaster. Allan tells the tragic story of the torpedoing & sinking in the English Channel of the troopship Leopoldville on Christmas Eve 1944. There were 763 soldiers of the 66th Infantry Division killed. The bodies of 493 soldiers were never found. Book uses survivor accounts, memories of widows and other family members, accounts of those who participated in the rescue effort, and National archive documents. Military censors concealed the sinking to keep the Axis from knowing that so many American soldiers would not be able to join the War against them.

 

In 2004 Allan was asked by the director of the then White House Commission on Remembrance to help coordinate a ceremony honoring those killed in the Leopoldville sinking. The ceremony was held on 11/15/2004 at the Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery.

 

In 2008 Allan was hired as the American historical consultant for a TV documentary on the Leopoldville sinking. He went to England & France with the TV Producer & film crew. The documentary aired on the National Geographic Channel in 02/2009. "Deep Wreck Mysteries...Sunk on Christmas Eve".

 

Allan served for 23 years with the NYC Transit Police Dept. His book is available on Amazon

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