Charles Eugene FAIRWEATHER

Parents : William & Anna Lou FAIRWEATHER

 Brothers : Carl, Charles, William & Wilson

Sister : Lela Mae

Source : brewerlunnen

 CEMETERY TEMPORARY of St André N°3572

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

Charles FAIRWEATHER was born on 4 April 1919 in Broughton, Illinois. He was the youngest of five children.

Enlisted on 25 November 1940 in the National Guard, he was assigned to the cavalry corps. At the outbreak of the war it was attached to the US Army and incorporated into the 17th Tank Battalion.

Later he will be changed unit to join the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, still within the 7th Armored Division...

He will be engaged re-assigned to his original battalion in Company D of it.

He thus participated at the end of the Normandy campaign with the "Lucky Seventh".

These being attached to the 3rd Army of Patton their end aoput objective was going to be Chartres and the south-west of Paris.

Source : Fold3

Thus on August 18 the 17th Tank Battalion approaches Rambouiller by the north flank.

It was described in the report of Cpt. Albert E. NEIL commanding Company D :

  "As we approched Rambouillet from the north we encountered tank and artillery fire and pulled off to the left of road. Advancing with two platoons abreast and the third platoon in reserve.

As we advanced through the woods we encoutered heavy sniper and anti-tank fire. In the course of the action Corporal Bob IDOL fired and destroyed a German tank* (french SOMUA tank). 2Lt. Charles Fairbrother dismounted from his tank and reconnoitered for position of anti-tank weapons. 

He was hit and killed by automatic weapons, probably machine gun. Either 2Lt. Wilson SCHARSCHMIDT or 2Lt. Vernon FILES reached Fairbrother on the ground and determinated that he was dead. Shortly thereafter we were ordered to return to the rest of the 17th TB. This was done without further incident. We left Fairbrother's body where he had fallen due to ennemy fire."

 In two letters of Albert E. NEIL and Vernon FILES respectively written in 1994 and 1984 both explain that the shots that killed the 2Lt. Fairweather probably came from a group of German soldiers hiding in a ditch near the reconnaissance area.

Proximity prevented them from recovering the body of their comrade at first.

 (Source : Françoise Winieska "Août 1944, libération de Rambouillet, France", SHARY)