Varaville Canadian Parachute Battalion Memorial

AUX ULTIMES MINUTES DU LUNDI 5 JUIN 1944
750 PARACHUTUSTES DU 9EME BATTALION DU
PARACHUTE REGIMENT, COMMANDES PAR LE
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL TERENCE OTWAY,
D.S.O, SONT LACHES DANS LA NUIT NOIRE DE
NORMANDIE. AVEC MISSION: CAPTURER OU
NEUTRALISER LA BATTERIE DE MERVILLE

POUR PROTEGER CETTE ACTION, LA 1ST CANADIAN
PARACHUTE BATTALION DEVRA FAIRE SAUTER LE
PONT DE VARAVILLE ET ENLEVER UN
EMPLACEMENT FORTIFIE QUI ETAIT SITUE SUR LE
LIEU MEME DE CETTE STELE. LE 6 JUIN, A DIX
HEURES, LES DEFENSEURS DU BLOCKHAUS ETAIENT
CAPTURES, LE POINT DETRUIT

AU COURS DE CES ACTIONS, LE 1ST CANADIAN,
PERORA A VARAVILLE: 19 TUES AU
COMBAT - 10 BLESSES - 84 PRISONNIERS
SEULEMENT - 75 HOMMES DU 9EME BATTALION
PARACHUTE REGIMENT REJOINDRONT LE POINT
DE RALLIEMENT.

N'OUBLIONS JAMAIS L'AMPLEUR DE SACRIFICE DE
CES HOMMES POUR QUE NOUS RETROUVIONS
NOTRE LIBERTE

This plaque is presented to the community of Varaville
by the veterans of the first Canadian Parachute Battalion
in memory of those who gave their lives for freedom.

June 1997

In the first hour of June 6, 1944, Soldiers of the 1st Canadian
Parachute Battalion, as part of 3rd Brigade, 6th British
Airborne Division, parachuted into Normandy, Battallion
members overwhelmed German defences around Varaville
objectives, destroying bridges, the communications centre, and
capturing strong points. The survivors, and Battalion members
coming from other objectives, met at Le Mesnil cross-roads,
and set up defensive positions. Here they turned back all
German attacks to deny the enemy the high ground overlooking
the invasion beaches. With general Allied breackout on
August 17, 1944 the Battalion advanced to the Seine,

In gratitude to the citizens of Varaville and area
for the rists they took to assist members of the Battalion