The destruction of Evrecy

Ten days after the landing, the risk of being thrown into the sea by the Germans still worries the Allies. As a result, they continued to bombard strategic positions, road intersections, communications nodes and railway tracks to delay any reinforcement of German troops. It was in Evrecy aera that the group of the 12e SS Panzer Division commanded by Kurt Meyer joined on June 7, the 21st Panzer with a mission to “sweep the enemy forces infiltrated west of the Orne”.

Between Caumont-L'Éventé and Caen, where German armoured troops have gathered, the village of Evrecy is part of the objectives of Bomber Command. On the night of 14 to 15 June, between 3.00 and 3.20 a.m., dozens of tons of bombs were dropped on the Norman village. One third of the village’s inhabitants died in their sleep : 130 were killed out of a population of 430.

The bombing maneuver was to protect the retreat of the 7th British Armoured Division, which had been badly engaged for two days after its failure at Villers-Bocage, and thus avoid any attempt at a German counter-attack.

During the Battle of Normandy, Evrecy is the commune of Normandy with the highest proportion of civilian casualties given its population. Destroyed 85% Evrecy will still wait a long time for his release, since the British will not arrive in the ruins of the village until August 4, 1944.

The monument of the two wars recalls in particular the tragedy of June 15. We can also see at the bedside of the church, the mass grave where the 130 civilian victims were buried.