Early Life

Robert was born on 12 Apr 1918 to George W. Britton, an engineer with Oil Cloth Works and Jennie Park, born in Ireland. He had seven siblings, Elizabeth, Gertrude, Veronica, Jane, Anna, George, and Thomas. Robert’s father died ten years before his own death at Normandy, France. He completed the 7th grade.

Military

Robert enlisted in the military at Ft. Dix, New Jersey on 11 May 1942 and was attached to the 507th PIR HQ 3rd Battalion and took training at Camp Croft, South Carolina before being shipped overseas to ready himself for 6 June 1944, D-Day. He did enjoy a furlough visiting his family on 6 Apr 1943

“In the predawn hours of D-Day the sporadic jump patterns of the 507th and 508th PIRs left troopers spread out over a twenty mile area. Some who overshot the Drop Zone (DZ) dropped into the Merderet River and its adjoining marshes. Many troopers who jumped with heavy equipment were unable to swim free and drowned. Others roamed the countryside until they encountered other units and joined their effort. Even Colonel Millett, the commanding officer of the 507th was unable to muster his troops and was captured three days after the drop in the vicinity of Amfreville. Only the 2nd Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles J Timmes (pictured left) was able to function as a team and began digging in around Cauquigny on the west bank of the Merderet River.

Upon verification of Colonel Millett's capture, General Ridgway transferred the command of the 507th to Colonel Edson Raff, a veteran of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion during Operation Torch. Colonel Raff received this command after fighting his way through to General Ridgway at Les Forges. Colonel Raff would lead the 507th, "Raff's Ruffians" as they would become known, until the end of World War II.

Throughout the confusion the indomitable spirit of the paratroopers in the days and weeks following D-Day enabled the 82nd Airborne to seize La Fiere bridge and push westward to cut off the Cotentin Penninsula. After 33 days of continuous combat the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions returned to England aboard LST’s.” courtesy 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment

Death

Pvt. Robert W. Britton was FOD (finding of death) meaning in absence of a recovered body) on 6 June 1944 at Normandy, France. D-Day.

Pvt. Robert W. Britton received the following citations:

Purple Heart Combat Infantry Badge Marksmanship Badge Parachutist Badge WWII Victory Medal Army Campaign Medal American Presidential Unit citation Army Good Conduct Medal Eastern-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

Burial

Pvt. Robert W. Britton is interred at Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France Plot E, Row 23. Grave 43.

Bibliography:

_Find A Grave - _https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56642671/robert-w-britton

_South Carolina History - _http://www.schistory.net/campcroft/

http://www.dvrbs.com/monuments/delawaretwp/CherryHill-WW2-RobertWBritton.htm

_507th PIR _https://www.ww2-airborne.us/units/507/507.html_ -_

_Honor States - _https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=86057

_American Battle Monuments Commission – _https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/britton%3Drobert

_The Fallen Heroes of Normandy - _http://fallenheroesofnormandy.org/Servicemen/Detail/39870

"This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story."

Airborne