page_title: Charles J. Timmes
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: Charles J. Timmes / Career / World War II
caption_attribution_description: English: Col. Trevor J. Bredenkamp commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, speaks to attendees during a ceremony held here June 4 commemorating Lt. Col. Charles J. Timmes, the commander of 2nd Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, during the invasion of Normandy who landed in an orchard during the invasion of Normandy and held his position for three days before being able to evade the enemy. The event was one of several commemorations of the 70th Anniversary of D-Day operations conducted by the Allies during WWII, June 6, 1944. Task Force Normandy, led by the 173rd Airborne Brigade out of Vicenza, Italy, has organized 650 personnel from twenty U.S. units and 6 nations, at the invitation of the French government, to participate in the events happening across the region of Normandy. For more information on the events and the history of the operations conducted here, go towww.eucom.mil/key-activities/featured-events/d-day-june-6....
context_page_description: Charles J Timmes was a United States Army Major General.
context_section_description: 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.
  The 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment was transferred to the 17th Airborne Division on its return to England in July 1944. Timmes again led the 2/507th in Operation Varsity in March 1945.
caption: Ceremony at Timmes' Orchard, June 2014
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