ST. CHARLES-DE-PERCY WAR CEMETERY
Calvados
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 48.92763, Longitude: -0.80225
Location Information
St. Charles de Percy is a village 44 kilometres south-west of Caen. Take the N175 south-westwards from Villers Bocage; after 5 kilometres take the left fork, the D577, towards Vire. After 15 kilometres, go through the little hamlet of La Ferroniere; turn left onto the D56 and right again after a few hundred metres. The War Cemetery will then be found on the left hand side.
History Information
The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944. St Charles de Percy War Cemetery is the southernmost of the Normandy cemeteries. The majority of those buried here died in late July and early August 1944 in the major thrust made from Caumont l'Evente towards Vire, to drive a wedge between the German 7th Army and Panzer Group West. The cemetery contains 809 Second World War burials.
Total Burials: 809.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 696, Canada 5, Australia 2. Total 703.
St. Charles de Percy is a village 44 kilometres south-west of Caen. Take the N175 south-westwards from Villers Bocage; after 5 kilometres take the left fork, the D577, towards Vire. After 15 kilometres, go through the little hamlet of La Ferroniere; turn left onto the D56 and right again after a few hundred metres. The War Cemetery will then be found on the left hand side.
History Information
The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944. St Charles de Percy War Cemetery is the southernmost of the Normandy cemeteries. The majority of those buried here died in late July and early August 1944 in the major thrust made from Caumont l'Evente towards Vire, to drive a wedge between the German 7th Army and Panzer Group West. The cemetery contains 809 Second World War burials.
Total Burials: 809.
Identified Casualties: United Kingdom 696, Canada 5, Australia 2. Total 703.
Images in the gallery below used with the permission of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
CDN/611 Lieutenant
Willard Caseley
Royal Canadian Infantry Corps attached to 1st Bn. King's Own Scottish Borderers
6th August 1944, aged 35.
Plot I. B. 7.
Son of Lyman W. and Mary J. Caseley, of Howlan, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man Lay Down His Life For His Friends"
Willard Caseley
Royal Canadian Infantry Corps attached to 1st Bn. King's Own Scottish Borderers
6th August 1944, aged 35.
Plot I. B. 7.
Son of Lyman W. and Mary J. Caseley, of Howlan, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man Lay Down His Life For His Friends"
413220 Pilot Officer
Donald William Mason
Royal Australian Air Force
18th June 1944, aged 25.
Plot II. B. 2.
Son of Norman Hector and Myra Mason; husband of Annie Sevester Mason, of Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia.
His headstone bears the inscription "He Gave His Tomorrows That We Shall Have Today. Remembered Lovingly By All His Family"
On 18 June 1944 Pilot Officer Mason was part of a flight of six Mk1A Hawker Typhoon Typhoon ground-attack fighters from No. 198 Squadron RAF on a search and destroy mission against German flak batteries near Caen. During that mission Pilot Officer Mason was shot down near the village of Boulon, and crashed in flames 800 metres from the house of M. Alexander Lemarois. The aircraft impacted at high speed and buried itself in the bank of a small creek. M. Lemarois's father had been killed the same day by allied aircraft. Although M. Lemarois reported the crash, Pilot Officer Mason's body remained undisturbed in the fuselage of his Typhoon until late 1992 when it was exhumed by the Museum of the Battle of Normandy. Pilot Officer Mason was buried with full Service honours in the St Charles de Percy Calvados War Cemetery, France, on 10 March 1993.
Donald William Mason
Royal Australian Air Force
18th June 1944, aged 25.
Plot II. B. 2.
Son of Norman Hector and Myra Mason; husband of Annie Sevester Mason, of Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia.
His headstone bears the inscription "He Gave His Tomorrows That We Shall Have Today. Remembered Lovingly By All His Family"
On 18 June 1944 Pilot Officer Mason was part of a flight of six Mk1A Hawker Typhoon Typhoon ground-attack fighters from No. 198 Squadron RAF on a search and destroy mission against German flak batteries near Caen. During that mission Pilot Officer Mason was shot down near the village of Boulon, and crashed in flames 800 metres from the house of M. Alexander Lemarois. The aircraft impacted at high speed and buried itself in the bank of a small creek. M. Lemarois's father had been killed the same day by allied aircraft. Although M. Lemarois reported the crash, Pilot Officer Mason's body remained undisturbed in the fuselage of his Typhoon until late 1992 when it was exhumed by the Museum of the Battle of Normandy. Pilot Officer Mason was buried with full Service honours in the St Charles de Percy Calvados War Cemetery, France, on 10 March 1993.
J/5144 Flight Lieutenant
Arthur Eugene Miron
245 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th August 1944, aged 25.
Plot II. B. 4.
Son of Alphonse Oliver and Marie Jeanne (nee Demers) Miron of Sudbury, Ontario. Brother of Rodolphe Rosario, Ernest Joseph, Gerald, Marie Jeannette, Irene and Therese.
1939-45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star and clasp, France & Germany Star and Clasp, General Service Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp.
He was awarded his Pilots Flying Badge on 18 April 1941 and was posthumously awarded the Operational Wings on 21 April 1947
His headstone bears the inscription "We Remember"
Eugene was chosen to represent the province of Ontario at the 1937 Coronation of King George VI.
In September 1989, an excavation at Autels-Saint-Bazile allowed the retrieval of the wreckage of the Typhoon belonging to Flight Lieutenant Miron, 245 Squadron, fallen on August 17, 1944. Only the four guns and one rocket were found.
In December 1989 his family, namely his brother Ernest, a veteran Lancaster bomber pilot himself, another brother and his sister, came from Canada to attend his internment at the cemetery Saint-Charles de Percy, the last cemetery open for burial of allied soldiers and airmen killed in Normandy.
Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Miron is also commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial in England.
Arthur Eugene Miron
245 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
17th August 1944, aged 25.
Plot II. B. 4.
Son of Alphonse Oliver and Marie Jeanne (nee Demers) Miron of Sudbury, Ontario. Brother of Rodolphe Rosario, Ernest Joseph, Gerald, Marie Jeannette, Irene and Therese.
1939-45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star and clasp, France & Germany Star and Clasp, General Service Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp.
He was awarded his Pilots Flying Badge on 18 April 1941 and was posthumously awarded the Operational Wings on 21 April 1947
His headstone bears the inscription "We Remember"
Eugene was chosen to represent the province of Ontario at the 1937 Coronation of King George VI.
In September 1989, an excavation at Autels-Saint-Bazile allowed the retrieval of the wreckage of the Typhoon belonging to Flight Lieutenant Miron, 245 Squadron, fallen on August 17, 1944. Only the four guns and one rocket were found.
In December 1989 his family, namely his brother Ernest, a veteran Lancaster bomber pilot himself, another brother and his sister, came from Canada to attend his internment at the cemetery Saint-Charles de Percy, the last cemetery open for burial of allied soldiers and airmen killed in Normandy.
Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Miron is also commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial in England.
R/71499 Warrant Officer Class I
William Charles Powers
403 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
20th July 1944, aged 23.
Plot VIII. B. 10.
Son of W.L. Powers and Jean Powers; husband of Joan Molly Powers.
William Charles Powers
403 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
20th July 1944, aged 23.
Plot VIII. B. 10.
Son of W.L. Powers and Jean Powers; husband of Joan Molly Powers.
J/5818 Flight Lieutenant
Hugh Russel
443 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
16th June 1944, aged 21.
Plot IV. D. 10.
Son of Blair and Mary Russel, of Westmount, Province of Quebec, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "Beloved Son Of Mary (Labatt) Russel And Blair Russel Of Montreal, Canada"
Hugh Russel
443 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force
16th June 1944, aged 21.
Plot IV. D. 10.
Son of Blair and Mary Russel, of Westmount, Province of Quebec, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "Beloved Son Of Mary (Labatt) Russel And Blair Russel Of Montreal, Canada"
Picture © John Byrd
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Picture © John Byrd
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Picture © John Byrd
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Picture © John Byrd
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