Piaf
Registered user
Marchesieux
OHIO 83rd Infantry Division
"THUNDERBOLT"
Here hidden behind the hedgerows of Marchésieux bocage, SS of the 17th Panzer waited for the GI's obliged to progress openly in the mined swamps of the River Taute.
On June 22, 44 at 500 metres away from here, Lieutenant W. Rock died aboard his P47.
On July 19, 44 Colonel York of the 83rd DI lost 50 % of his young soldiers and did not take La Varde.
Finally, on July 28, 44 the 331th Infantry Regiment of the 83rd American Division broke through and freed Marchésieux.
Le Mesnilbus
Tribute to Robert Lee Duffy
of the 404th Fighter Group
A marvellous story.
On July 27 1944, an American fighter plane crashed in flames in a field belonging to the Laurent family, in the hamlet of Scellerie...
The battle was raging and the inhabitants of Le Mesnilbus had several days past received the order to evacuate.
Returning from the exodus, they found the wreckage of the war strewn across the countryside. But they had to pick up their lives, to repair the damage as best as they could... They had many worries !
A half century has quickly passed..., and now Michel Rainfroy, impassioned by the history of lost aircraft, has brought back from oblivion and the earth the American aircraft... a
Thunderbolt P-47. Thanks to records of the American Army, they found it was a plane from the 404th Fighter Group.
Then they discovered the name of the pilot and with the help of the "Poop Sheet" of former American pilots, they found our pilot alive and well and living in Colorado ! That was Robert Lee Duffy who had successfully parachuted near the village of Cambernon.
This Memorial, erected in his honour, will keep alive the memory of the sacrifices of all the Fighters and of this page of local history.
OHIO 83rd Infantry Division
"THUNDERBOLT"
Here hidden behind the hedgerows of Marchésieux bocage, SS of the 17th Panzer waited for the GI's obliged to progress openly in the mined swamps of the River Taute.
On June 22, 44 at 500 metres away from here, Lieutenant W. Rock died aboard his P47.
On July 19, 44 Colonel York of the 83rd DI lost 50 % of his young soldiers and did not take La Varde.
Finally, on July 28, 44 the 331th Infantry Regiment of the 83rd American Division broke through and freed Marchésieux.
Le Mesnilbus
Tribute to Robert Lee Duffy
of the 404th Fighter Group
A marvellous story.
On July 27 1944, an American fighter plane crashed in flames in a field belonging to the Laurent family, in the hamlet of Scellerie...
The battle was raging and the inhabitants of Le Mesnilbus had several days past received the order to evacuate.
Returning from the exodus, they found the wreckage of the war strewn across the countryside. But they had to pick up their lives, to repair the damage as best as they could... They had many worries !
A half century has quickly passed..., and now Michel Rainfroy, impassioned by the history of lost aircraft, has brought back from oblivion and the earth the American aircraft... a
Thunderbolt P-47. Thanks to records of the American Army, they found it was a plane from the 404th Fighter Group.
Then they discovered the name of the pilot and with the help of the "Poop Sheet" of former American pilots, they found our pilot alive and well and living in Colorado ! That was Robert Lee Duffy who had successfully parachuted near the village of Cambernon.
This Memorial, erected in his honour, will keep alive the memory of the sacrifices of all the Fighters and of this page of local history.
