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GONNEVILLE-EN-AUGE
Calvados
- 8 km south-west of Cabourg
The Bomber Command missed the target
In
the night of 5-6 June 1944, the 9th Battalion under Lieutenant-colonel
Otway was assigned the task to capture the battery of Merville. The
operation was carefully prepared, before the parachutists attack there
was a preliminary air bombing of the target by the RAF. But the RAF
missed the battery and bombs were dropped on Gonneville-sur-Merville
southward. The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion crossed the town,
cleared of enemy, and moved towards its objective. Gonneville-sur-Merville
stayed in German lines until 17 August with the Operation Paddle.
The armoured vehicles of the Belgian Brigade Piron progressed with
difficulty, because the ground was churned up by explosions, they
reached Gonneville castle. The 12nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment
overflew a German strongpoint in the Calvary of Gonneville. In the
afternoon, the Ox and Bucks Battalion of the 6th Airlanding Brigade
entered Gonneville-sur-Merville, the town was a pile of rubble and
had been evacuated by the Germans.
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9th Parachute Battalion stele 
