book 507TH PIR D-DAY UNIT HISTORY NORMANDY

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book 507TH PIR D-DAY UNIT HISTORY NORMANDY
book 507TH PIR D-DAY UNIT HISTORY NORMANDY
DOWN TO EARTH:
THE 507TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT
IN NORMANDY JUNE 6 - JULY 15, 1944
By Martin K.A. Morgan
304 Pages - Large Hardcover (11 inches - 29 cm tall)
Huge book - weighs almost 4 pounds!
Illustrations - Photos
CONDITION: NEW - LIST PRICE .95
In the early morning hours of D-Day, 2,004 paratroopers of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment jumped into Normandy as a part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. After a widely scattered drop, the regiment then struggled in the marshes and hedgerows of the Cotentin Peninsula in battles at places with names like Chef-du-Pont, Cauquigny, La Fière and Graignes. During the regiment's time in Normandy, the hardships were many and the casualties were high. Out of the 2,004 men that jumped on June 6th, only 700 returned to England thirty-five days later. Down To Earth tells the story of those thirty-five days. Drawing on extensive oral history interviews with veterans of the regiment, Down To Earth focuses on the experiences of those who fought for the 507th during its baptism of fire. Complimenting the text, Down To Earth also features over 350 black and white and 100 color photographs, as well as detailed maps.
The 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment was initially formed at Fort Benning, Georgia on 20 July 1942, under command of Colonel George V. Millett. It would participate in three operations during World War II: D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Varsity.
As part of the 2nd Airborne Brigade alongside a sister unit, the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the 507th PIR was assigned to the veteran 82nd "All American" Airborne Division, commanded Major General Matthew Ridgway, to replace the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which had suffered many casualties while serving, with distinction, in the fighting in Italy. The regiment arrived in the United Kingdom in late 1943, and began training and preparing for the invasion of Normandy, scheduled for the spring of 1944. Their D-Day objective during Mission Boston, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy, was to help secure the Merderet River crossings. Although their target was supposed to be in Drop Zone T, north of Amfreville, the confusion caused by clouds and flak resulted in a wide scattering of the unit. During this action, Private Joe Gandara earned the Medal of Honor for single-handedly attacking three German machine-gun emplacements. Elements of the 3rd Battalion were involved in the Battle of Graignes. Colonel Millett, the regimental commander, was captured in Amfreville a few days after being deployed. Colonel Edson Raff, who had recently led the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion, then took command of the regiment. The 507th PIR later became known as Raff's Ruffians. The 507th continued to fight in the Battle of Normandy, sustaining heavy casualties (losing almost 200 men in two days shortly before being withdrawn), before returning to England in July.
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