Lt. Col. Timmes was commander of the 2nd Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment which was dropped on Mission Boston, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy on the morning of 6 June 1944. The 2/507th was tasked with securing the western end of the La Fière bridge approximately 3km from Sainte-Mère-Église, however his battalion had been widely scattered during the drop landing in grassing swampland along the Merderet river, by the end of the day Timmes controlled a group of approximately 100 men in defensive positions in an orchard. On 8 June German forces launched 4 separate attacks on Timmes' position, all of which were repulsed. A request for support was sent to the 82nd Airborne Division headquarters and a battalion from the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment was sent as reinforcements and Timmes then launched attacks on the German positions and the La Fière causeway. On 9 June the 325th attacked German positions at Cauquigny but were beaten back and withdrew to the orchard which came under renewed attack by the Germans before they were relieved later that day. The site of the battle is now known at Timmes Orchard and monuments to the 507th, the 325th and the 508th have been erected nearby.