A rough stone monument with a rectangular plaque honoring F/O Robert J. Sarvis, whose Avro Lancaster PB 265 UL-V2 bomber  was hit by German anti-aircraft fire (flak) and crashed, resulting in his death on July 25, 1944. The monument was initiated by Jacques Torres, a resident of Carquebut, former director of the schools in Sainte-Mère-Église and Bricquebec, and former Chief of the reserve battalion of the Marine Troops. On April 13, 2021, Torres founded the association "Mémoire de Carquebut" to erect a stele incorporating a piece of the plane, along with a panoramic wall detailing the history, ensuring that future generations remember Robert J. Sarvis' heroic act. The monument, located in a picnic area in Carquebut named Square, also features a small cross marking the site of his death. It was inaugurated on July 25, 2022.

On the night of July 24-25, 1944, Robert J. Sarvis and his crew participated in a bombing operation against Stuttgart, Germany. Flying in a Lancaster bomber, they took off from Elsham Wolds, UK, as part of a larger force. Near Orléans, their plane was attacked by a German night fighter, and heavily damaged. Sarvis attempted to divert toward Allied-controlled Normandy, but the plane was mistakenly fired upon by American anti-aircraft batteries near Carentan, further damaging it. With the aircraft on fire, Sarvis ordered his crew to parachute, personally assisting the last member. While all the crew survived, Sarvis perished when the plane crashed in marshland near Carquebut. His remains were identified by fingerprints and buried in the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. In 1990, additional remains were discovered and reburied.

F/O Sarvis had previously served with the Royal Canadian Air Force and is also remembered on the Canadian Bomber Command Memorial in Canada.

Source of information: www.wikimanche.fr

Source of photos: www.wikimanche.fr, www.google.com/map

Le 25 juillet 1944, 

son bombardier Avro Lancaster PB 265 UL-V2 

ayant été trés gravement endommagé 

par les tirs d'un avion de chasse allemand 

puis par la D.C.A. américaine, 

le Flight Officer Robert J. SARVIS 27 ans,

 pilote américain de la Royal Air Force, 

aurait pu sautér en parachute avec son equipage. 

Cependant, il demeura aux commandes 

afin de contrôler son apparvil 

jusqu'à sa chute dans notre marais.

SOUVENONS-NOUS!

English Translation:

On July 25, 1944, 

when his Avro Lancaster PB 265 UL-V2 

bomber was badly damaged by 

German fighter fire and 

then by American D.C.A. fire, 

27-year-old Flight Officer Robert J. SARVIS, 

an American pilot in the Royal Air Force, 

could have parachuted out with his crew. 

However, he remained at the 

controls of his aircraft until 

it crashed into our marsh.

LET'S REMEMBER!