.Amay, Belgium
The photographs on this page are furnished by the Leonard Family of Amay, Belgium and are used with their permission.  Special thanks to Roland Leonard (son of Albert and Elizabeth Leonard pictured below) for supplying the photographs and accompanying information about them.  Thanks also to Francis Pay for his assistance.
Amay 1:  A view looking east-southeast towards Germany.  The Meuse River is in the background at the foot of the hills.  The Leonard family home is the large half-timbered building just left of center.  The Leonard factory and shops are the large buildings in the near background to the left.  The company name was "ELFA" which stands for Enterprises Leonard Freres Amay Sprl.  The building with the smokestacks is the ceramic works..  The ELFA shops and warehouses were used by the 559th Heavy Tank Maintenance Company.  During the Battle of the Bulge, rows of damaged tanks and vehicles filled the nearby streets, and the local children played in the vehicles, making some gruesome discoveries in the process.  One child was killed by an uneploded grenade.  The buildings were also used to assemble M-29 "Weasels" which were shipped in by railroad.
Amay 2:  The Leonard Family home in Amay.  The building contained 36 rooms, and was occupied by the Leonard family until 1973.  There is now a Food Lion grocery store on the site of this magnificent building.
Amay 3:  An American jeep with what appears to be a British soldier in the driver's seat.  An American soldier is in the back along with some friendly local women.
Amay 4:  An unidentified American soldier poses beside a knocked-out German Panther tank.
Amay 5:  A young Belgian boy rides along on a 1-1/2-ton truck.  This photo was taken in the late morning or early afternoon of "Liberation Day,"  7 September 1944.  The truck is eastbound towards Liege on N65 Chausee de Liege.  The street was renamed to Chausee de Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1946.
Amay 6:  Captain Vistain of the 559th Heavy Tank Maintenance Company.  The captain was photographed in front of the Leonard business offices on rue dl'Industrie in Amay.
Amay 7:  A crowd celebrating the liberation on rue de l'Hopital (Hospital Street) in Amay.
Amay 8:  An M-7 self-propelled 105mm howitzer of the 3rd Armored Division moves through Amay, Belgium on Chausee de Liege.
Amay 9:  Celebrating in the center of Amay on the Chausee de Huy.
Monsieur Albert L. Leonard and Madame Elizabeth Leonard with an unidentified American First Sergeant - possibly "Big Bill" from Chicago.

Amay 3A:  The same jeep and the same American soldier shown in the photo above pose with a woman believed to be Madame Devaux, who, along with her husband, owned the cinema "le Variete" seen in the background..  The soldier appears to have a 1st Army patch on his left shoulder.
Amay 10: Celebrating in Amay with a Sherman tank and it's crew.
Amay 11:  The center of Amay on Chausee de Huy (now named Chausee FDR) in front of the Robelus Disc & Photo (record and photo store).
Amay 12:  American soldiers with their new friends in front of a halftrack.
Amay 13:  More clebrations with a Sherman tank and it's crew.
Amay 14:  Celebrations on a vehicle from D Company, 32nd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division.  The man with the tie is Francis Denis who became a mathematics professor.  The woman  is Miss Beduin who gave this photo to Roland Leonard and allowed its use on this website.
Amay 15:  Freight train passing through Amay with supplies and US Army personnel.  The train is heading west from France and headed towards Liege.
Amay 16:  Another M-7 "Priest" self-propelled howitzer.  This photo was probably taken in Liege on September 9, 1944 on Rue Leopold just before crossing a bridge on the Meuse River.
Amay 17:
Amay 18:  Unidentified GIs  (also appear in the photo above).
Amay 19:  Captain Gibson modifies his jeep with the addition of a plywood roof and sides.
Amay 20:  Another view of Captain Gibson and his handiwork.
Amay 21:  And yet another view, this one showing the wooden frame and a detail of the new door.