Memorial Meyer Sassoon Mortehan

There is a memorial plaque for Meyer SASSOON on a walking path in Mortehan:
"In Memoriam
Captain physician
MEYER SASSOON
Parachutist French S.A.S.
Fallen on the field of honor
Mortehan December 24, 1944"

Meyer Sassoon was born in 1915 in Alexandria (Egypt).After medical studies in Beirut, he started as an intern in a hospital in Jerusalem.
On June 28, 1941,he joined the 2nd Parachute Fighter Regiment of the FAFL (Free French Air Force) in Palestine.He was assigned to the Foreign Legion in Beirut before being transferred a few months later.
In September 1941,Second Lieutenant Sassoon was assigned as a doctor in the Lorraine Group in Rayak (the Lorraine Bombardment Group was a French air military unit of the Free French Air Forces, formed during the Second World War that distinguished itself in North Africa and Western Europe ).
In January 1942 he joined the Damascus air base.
In November 1942 he was assigned to the General Staff of the FAFL in Great Britain.After his training he joined the Command Company in June 1943 1st BIA (air infantry) as Battalion Medic.
Assigned to the HQ squadron of the 4th SAS (Special Air Service),Lieutenant Sassoon was dropped on the night of 9 to 10 June 1944 at the Samwest base in Brittany to care for the wounded from the fighting of 12 June.
On June 19,he arrived in the Dingson base area with Lt.Martin and his men.
After this phase he took part with his battalion in the operations for the liberation of Brittany.
In September,Lieutenant Sassoon was still accompanying the battalion on the banks of the Loire, in the Champagne region.
On December 24, the unit left Reims and took control of Belgium as part of the Franklin mission.Commander Puech Samson,Captain Deplante,Captain Sassoon and Gilbert Lolo were in the lead vehicle that reached the village of Mortehan at night.
Surprised,an American sentry opened fire.Seriously injured,Meyer Sassoon (29 years old) was evacuated to Verdun hospital,where he died on January 10,1945.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Marie-Christine Vinck