Downed war pilot from Montana memorialized in French film

By HEIDI DESCH
Whitefish Pilot

WHITEFISH, Mont. (AP) — Air Force pilot Norbert Herriges was flying a mission over Pourrieres, France, on Aug. 12, 1944, when he was shot down by a German fighter pilot and killed. In spite of the Germans, the citizens of the town picked up his body and conducted a funeral. In a town with a population of about 1,000, a reported 3,000 were present, the Whitefish Pilot reports. Though seemingly well-known in the town of Pourrieres, France, the story of Herriges’ life and death was told only in fragmented pieces amongst his family. That was until last year, when a filmmaker from France reached out to bring his story and the connection with the town to the big screen.