Graffigny-Chemin

Graffigny-Chemin is a commune in the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France.

Location

A small village of 232 inhabitants, 6 kilometres east of Bourmont, 6 kilometres west of the A31 Highway, 20 kilometres south of Neufchateau and 6 kilometres north of Chaumont-la-Ville. Historically, it is placed in the région of Lorraine, which gradually came under French sovereignty between 1737 and 1766.

During the First World War, soldiers of the Second American Infantry Division, headquartered in nearby Bourmont, were billeted here.

In World War II, Graffigny-Chemin saw little action due to its relative isolation. However, in the early hours of the night of July 23, 1944 a British Royal Air Force Stirling aircraft belonging to 190 squadron crashed there. The aircraft was heading for a drop zone close to Joinville (about 30 miles to the north east of Graffigny) but had become lost after passing through a severe electric storm in the Troyes area. Whilst trying to fix its position at low altitude and in very poor visibility, the aircraft hit the high ground known as la montagne close to Graffigny.