Négreville () is a commune in the department of

Manche Manche (, ; Norman language, Norman: ) is a coastal Departments of France, French ''département'' in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy on the English Channel, which is known as , literally "the sleeve", in French. Manche is bordered by ...

in the Normandy Region of north-western

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

History

In 12th century, this place was owned by the family Wake (or Wac), one of the Norman families who lost definitely their properties after the conquest of Normandy by

Philip II of France Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), also known as Philip Augustus (), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks (Latin: ''rex Francorum''), but from 1190 onward, Philip became the firs ...

in 1204. This area was close to the US landing beach

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, one of the Normandy beaches where the allies invaded France on

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

in June 1944. By the spring of the year, Négreville was occupied by the command post of the German ''Artillerie-Abteilung'' 456 (91 ''Infanterie-Division''). On 6 June 1944 an American Douglas C-47 airplane was hit by German artillery above the commune, leading the 19 paratroopers to immediately jump, some 12 kilometers short of their planned target; several were injured or killed. On 19 June 1944, the American 313th Infantry Regiment (79th Infantry Division) reached Négreville on its way north. In spring 2019, the mayors Normandy communes asked for U.S. participation in ceremonies during the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings and subsequent liberation. Arrangements were still being made in late April 2019.

History

See also