On the north side of DN7.

Monument

A roofed brick wall which 2 large panels are set into (1 on the front and 1 on the rear). The panels are written in French.

Operation Dragoon, the operation of the Allied Invasion of Provence, 15th August 1944. The first to land in the early hours were the airborne and glider troops.

The 1st Airborne Task Force landed in the River Argens valley, in the area of Le Muy, with the objective of stopping German reinforcements from reaching the landing beaches. The Airborne task force was mostly American, but a British landing codenamed Operation Rugby consisted of the 2nd Parachute Brigade. Bad visibility resulted in more than half of the paratroopers landing miles away from their objective, however, the remainder and some stragglers regrouped, then went on to take the villages of Le Mitan, La Motte, Clastron and Les Serres. Then moving on to take the Bridge over the River Naturby, thus securing the road to Le Muy. 

The Americans after heavy resistance finally took the town the following day, with the capture of around 700 prisoners. The Airborne Task Force was successful in stopping German reinforcements getting down to the coast.

Source of information: Chris Nye / flickr.com

Source of photos: Claude Dannau / www.aerosteles.net

The panel facing D27:

MEMORIAL

A LA GLOIRE DE LA

DIVISION AEROPORTEE

RUGBY FORCE

AIR-BORNE TASK FORCE

(Parachutists et Planeurs)

Qui, dés l'aube du 15 Aout 1944

aux alentours du MUY

arrétèrent les troupes ennemies,

se repliant des plages de débarquement

ou vernant en renfort de l'interieur.

SOUVENIR et RECONNAISSANCE

English translation:

MEMORIAL

TO THE GLORY OF THE

AIRBORNE DIVISION

RUGBY FORCE

AIR-BORNE TASK FORCE

(Parachutists and Gliders)

Who, at dawn on August 15, 1944

around Le MUY

stopped enemy troops

retreating from the landing beaches

or reinforcing from within.

REMEMBRANCE and RECOGNITION

Rear panel:

Souvenez vous ! 

" Un immense vrombissement couvre la ville.

La division aéroportée anglo - américaine

du Général Frédérick arrive d'Italie.

535 avions de transport et 410 planeurs

escortés par un essaim de chasseurs

jettent du ciel autour du MUY

à la MOTTE et ROQUEBRUNE ,

9700 fantassins, artilleurs et sapeurs de l'air

avec leurs 213 canons ou mortiers

et leurs 220 jeeps.

150 planeurs se brisèrent en prenant contact

avec le sol, mais la Division s'en tire sans

grand dommage et se met aussitot en mesure

de bloquer la vallée de l'Argens. "

( Extrait de l'Histoire de la 1ère Armée Française

du Maréchal DE LATTRE DE TASSIGNY )

Un Muyois , Claude JACQUEMET , fut parachuté

au cours de cette opération .

English translation:

Remember!

"An immense roar covers the city.

General Frederick's Anglo-American

Division arrived from Italy.

535 transport aircraft and 410 gliders

escorted by a swarm of fighters

from the skies around Le MUY

la MOTTE and ROQUEBRUNE ,

9,700 infantrymen, artillerymen and airborne engineers

with their 213 guns and mortars

and 220 jeeps.

150 gliders broke up on contact

with the ground, but the Division escaped

with little damage and immediately set about

blocking the Argens valley. "

( Extract from the History of the 1st French Army

by Marshal DE LATTRE DE TASSIGNY )

A Muyois, Claude JACQUEMET , was parachuted

during this operation.