This cut-off has a bloody history. On the night of 29-30 July, 1944, above St Denis le Gast, France (SW of St Lo), a 2nd Armored roadblock force was decimating retreating Germans from 'DR'. A machine-gunner named Michael Gainey was facing south with his machinegun, in the same direction the Germans were retreating. As they flowed past either side of his position, he'd wait for them to walk in front of a burning barn, then shoot the silhouetted figures from behind. He took quite a toll that night, melting the barrel of an air- cooled light machine-gun then switching to a water-cooled M1917 Browning. Eventually, an SS noncom (original owner of this eagle), saw what was happening, doubled back and rushed Gainey's position. Gainey cut him down, but not before the German hurled a concussion grenade, which blew Gainey out of his position. The SS Sgt was wounded and began screaming for help. When Sgt L.E. Williams went out to help him, the SS Sgt spun around on the ground and fired a pistol at him. Incensed, 'Chubby' Williams used a B.A.R. to riddle the SS Sgt with two 20 round magazines of 30-06 ammo. The next morning, Sgt Tucker of 2/41st Armored Infantry Regiment (AIR), cut this eagle from the noisy SS Sgt's arm. The holes were made by Chubby's B.A.R. rounds. This is among the stories in my 'Breakout at Normandy' book (MBI pub. 1999) now out of print.
.jpg){kind=link}