Mounted on the left retaining wall as you enter the church ground.

Plaque

A rectangular black plaque written in French commemorating Brigadier General James E. Wharton who died on August 12, 1944. Brigadier General Wharton held key roles during was Chief of the Officer Branch in the Personnel Division when the U.S. entered the war. In 1942, he became Director of the Military Personnel Division in the Army Services of Supply and was promoted to brigadier general. By 1943, he served as Assistant Division Commander (ADC) of the 80th Infantry Division during its formation.

Wharton commanded the 1st Engineer Special Brigade during the D-Day landings on Utah Beach, overseeing equipment and personnel transfers. He later became ADC of the 9th Infantry Division in Normandy and then Commanding General of the 28th Infantry Division in August 1944. Tragically, on the same day that Wharton took command, he was visiting his front-line units to gain an understanding of their current situation. He was shot and killed by a German sniper while at the command post of the 112th Infantry Regiment near Sourdeval.

Source of information: en.wikipedia.org

Source of photo: ww.memorialgenweb.org

Hommage au

Brig. Gen.

J.E. WHARTON

tombé le 12/08/1944

English Translation:

Tribute to

Brigadier General

J.E. WHARTON

fell on 08/12/1944