Mounted on the wall to the right of the entrance door of the church.

A rectangular, metal, vertical-oriented plaque inscribed in English and French in raised lettering. On the center of the plaque is a relief of the 507^th PIR insignia. The plaque pays homage to the parachutists of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment. 

The 507th PIR first saw combat during the Normandy invasion - 6 June 1944. The 507th and the 508th PIRs were to be dropped near the west bank of the Merderet River. The objectives of both regiments were to establish defensive positions in those areas and prepare to attack westward sealing off the Cotentin Peninsula.

In the predawn hours of D-Day, the sporadic jump patterns of the 507th and 508th PIRs left troopers spread out over a twenty-mile area. Some who overshot the Drop Zone (DZ) dropped into the Merderet River and its adjoining marshes. Many troopers who jumped with heavy equipment were unable to swim free and drowned. Others roamed the countryside until they encountered other units and joined their effort. Even Colonel Millett, the commanding officer of the 507th was unable to muster his troops and was captured three days after the drop in the vicinity of Amfreville. Only the 2nd Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles J Timmes was able to function as a team and began digging in around Cauquigny on the west bank of the Merderet River.

On June 9, 1944, Company E of the 325^th GIR, commanded by Major Charles Murphy, supported by 507th PIR paratroopers stationed on the east bank of the Merderet and supported by Captain James M. Harney’s F Company, storms the ruins of Cauquigny despite heavy losses and obtains the surrender of several Germans. The Americans continue to the hamlet of Motey while several paratroopers of the 507th PIR commanded by Captain Robert D. Rae reinforce the front line. At the beginning of the evening, the latter retreats on order at Cauquigny to spend the night as a reserve unit.

On June 10, the 357th Infantry Regiment commanded by Colonel Philip H. Ginder and belonging to the 90th Infantry Division crossed the causeway and reinforced the troops in the Motey area, thereby removing the threat of losing once again the hamlet of Cauquigny.

Source of information: www.ww2-airborne.us, www.dday-overlord.com

Source of photo: www.normandywarguide.com

AMFREVILLE

EN HOMAGE

AUX PARACHUTISTES DU

507 ÈME PIR / 82 ÈME ABN

IN MEMORY OF

THE PARATROOPERS OF

507TH PIR / 82ND ABN

JUNE 9, 1944         JUNE 9, 2000