Battle of Graignes - 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment

507th Parachute Infantry Regiment

It is worth noting that the actions of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, played a part in the successful capture of Carentan and the Battle Of The Bloody Gulch. Had the miss-dropped Paratroopers of the 507th not stopped dead the advance of the 17th SS Panzer Grenadiers it is highly probable that this division would have made it to Carentan before the 101st Airborne Division. What's more, the 507th caused the Germans horrendous losses in the few days that they were holding Graignes and this undoubtedly took an effect on the battle at the Bloody Gulch. Had Carentan been in the hands of the 17th SS Panzer Grenadiers it's reasonable to believe that the 101st Airborne Division would not have found it so easy to complete the seizure of the town.

The 507th remained in the fight in Normandy until 15 July when it returned to England. The regiment then went on to fight in the Battle of the Bulge and was a part of Operation Varsity – the airborne assault across the Rhine River. In September 1945, the 507th returned to the United States and was disbanded. With the war over, the men who had survived Graignes went on to pursue careers and start families, but the village and the French civilians that helped them were not totally forgotten.