On the south side of the road.

Monument

A rough-cut stone pedestal with a rectangular plaque mounted on the surface. Featuring PFC Mister, the plaque also contains the history of the Battle of the Moulin des Rondelles and the list of PFC Mister’s fellow soldiers who died during the battle. The memorial was erected by the municipality in September 2009 to commemorate the hard battle fought nearby by the American army on June 13, 1944, to cross the Elle River. A ceremony of remembrance is held every year on June 13. In 2015, to mark the 71^st  anniversary of the D-Day landings, the Moulin des Rondelles Association raised €30,000 and brought from the United States the 26 descendants of six soldiers killed in Cerisy in 1944.

On June 12, 1944, the 2nd Infantry Division was ordered to cross the Elle River. As they reached the east bank, they faced strong German resistance, marking the end of the rapid advance that had started on June 7, 1944. Though the river was small and seemed easy to cross, the attempt was difficult, with the initial effort being stopped by machine guns and mortar fire from the west bank. 

On June 13, 1944, Company C of the 38th Infantry Regiment was instructed to cross the river at the same location. Recognizing the danger and the need to keep moving, PFC Theodore Mister moved among his fellow soldiers, urging them to continue advancing. PFC Mister took the initiative and ran forward through the front lines to the stream bed. Aware that his chances of survival were slim, he shouted, "Come on, follow me!" and charged up an embankment, heading straight for the enemy. He was mortally wounded in the process, but his fearless actions inspired the men of Company C to rally and push forward in his wake. Their first attempt in the morning failed, but they finally succeeded in the afternoon after launching a second offensive. The battle resulted in the deaths of ten men from Company C and left 23 others wounded. Over the two days of fighting, the 2nd Infantry Division suffered 540 casualties, including those killed, wounded, or missing in action. Despite these challenges, they managed to successfully clear the area.

Source of information: en.wikipedia.org, www.wikimanche.fr

Source of photos: www.memorialgenweb.org

LA BATAILLE DU MOULIN DES RONDELLES

THE BATTLE OF THE MOULIN DES RONDELLES

First Column:

L'assaut de la 2ème Division "Tête d'Indien"

The assault of the 2nd ''Indianhead" Division.

Le 12 Juin 1944 la 2ème Division d' Infanterie Amèricaine reçut l'ordre de traverser l'Elle. Quand

les troupes atteignirent la rive est, ils rencontrèrent une résistance ennemie, qui présageait la fin de

l'avancée rapide commencèe le 7 Juin. Malgrè le fait que l'Elle soit une petite rivière facilement

franchissable, sa traversèe fut durement disputèe, notamment ici au Moulin des Rondelles.

Le 12 Juin une première tentative de traverser l'Elle fut arrêtée dès le départ par un feu nourri de

mitrailleuses et de mortiers provenant de la rive ouest.

Le 13 juin les hommes de la Compagnie C du 38ème Régiment d'Infanterie reçurent l'ordre de traverser

la rivière à cet endroit. La première tentative dans la matinée échoua et ce n'est que dans l'après-midi

après la deuxième offensive qu'ils réussirent à atteindre l'autre rive.

La dureté des combats provoqua de nombreuses pertes. Ici même,

11 hommes de la Compagnie C furent tués et 22 autres

blessés. Au total, les pertes de la 2ème Division

durant ces deux jours de combat

s'élevèrent à 540 tués,

blessés ou disparus.

On June 12 1944 the 2nd Infantry Division was ordered

to cross the Elle. When the American troops reached the banks of

the river, they met a type of enemy resistance, which spelled the end of the rapid advance made since 7 June. Although the Elle was a small, fordable stream, its crossing involved a number of bitterly contested actions, notably here at the Moulin des Rondelles.

On June 12, a first attempt to cross the Elle was stopped practically at the line of departure by heavy machine-gun and mortar fire from the west bank. On June 13, at this location, Company C/38th Infantry Regiment was given the task of crossing the Elle. The first attempt in the morning failed and it was only after a second attack in the afternoon that they succeeded in reaching the other bank.

Losses reflected the heavy fighting. Here at, Moulin des Rondelles, 11 men from Company C were killed and 22 others were wounded. All in all the 2nd Division lost 540 men killed, wounded or missing during these two days of battle.

Second Column:

En mémoire des hommes de la Compagnie

C du 38ème Régiment d' Infanterie qui sont

morts ici le 13 juin 1944 :

In memory of the men of C/38th who lost their lives at

this location on 13 June 1944:

2/Lt. Alfred F. Py, Jr.

SSgt. Theo J. Master

SSgt. Lloyd I. Naugle, Jr.

Sgt. Robert W. Bogar

Pfc. Charles L. Barb

Pfc. Paul A. Brown

Pfc. James Facciolo

Pfc. Theodore K. Mister

Pfc. David C. Peterson

Pvt. Henry H. Milton

et de tous les hommes de la 2ème Division

qui ont sacrifié leur vie lors de la traversée

de l'Elle.

and all other personnel of the 2nd Infantry Division who

made the supreme sacrifice during the Elle River crossing.

Third Column:

"Allez, suivez-moi!"

''Come on, follow me !"

Pendant la deuxième attaque de la Compagnie C le 13 juin, les

hommes furent arrêtés par un feu nourri de mitrailleuses. Des

mortiers ennemis commencérent à ajuster leur tir sur les Gls.

Se rendant compte de la gravité de la situation et réalisant que

les obus de mortier allaient bientôt tomber sur eux, le soldat

de première classe Mister, incita les hommes à bouger et

continuer leur avance.

Il se précipita de sa propre initiative devant les hommes en

direction de la rivière. Sachant que ses chances de•survie

étaient maigres il cria. "Allez, suivez-moi!". Le soldat de

première classe Mister chargea droit vers l'ennemi situé en

haut de la pente, lorsqu'il fut mortellement touché. Inspirés

et encouragés par les actions du soldat de première classe

Mister, les hommes de la Compagnie C avancèrent.

Le Soldat Theodore K. Mister, agé de 22 ans et originaire de Baltimore dans le Maryland, avait célébré

son deuxième anniversaire de mariage le 7 juin 1944, seulement cinq jours avant sa mort. Il laissa une

épouse et une petite fille dé 3 mois en donnant sa vie pour sa patrie et la liberté.

During C Company's second attack on June 13, they were stopped by severe machine gun fire. Hostile mortars started

to adjust their rage on the halted Gls. Sensing the danger of the situation and realizing the mortar shells would soon be falling on them, Pfc. Theodore Mister moved among the men, urging them to move out and continue their advance.

''In an action that won him the Distinguished Service Cross, America's second highest military award, he ran forward on his own initiative through the leading troops to the stream bed. Knowing his chance for survival was small he shouted. “Come on, follow me!” Private Mister charged an embankment and dashed straight toward the enemy when he was mortally wounded. Inspired and given courage by the dynamic actions of Pfc. Mister, the men of Company C surged forward in response to his gallant example.

Theodore K. Mister, a 22 year-old Private First Class from Baltimore, Maryland, celebrated his second wedding

anniversary on 7 June 1944, just five days before his death. He left behind a wife and a 3 month-old daughter

laying down his life for his country and liberty.