Donald E. AXON

Parents : George William & Sarah Beatrice (Hull) AXON

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  -- N°--

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

Donald Edward Axon was born February 1, 1923 in Lowell, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, son of George William and Sarah Beatrice “Sadie” (Hull) Axon.

His father, born in England, immigrated to the US in 1895. His mother was born in Canada and immigrated in 1917.

The family lived in Lowell, where his father was a laborer at a cotton mill. He had three brothers and two sisters. Donald graduated from high school. When he registered for the draft in June 1942 he was employed by the Daggett Chocolate Company in Cambridge, Middlesex county, Massachusetts.

On April 24, 1943 he enlisted in the Army at Ft. Devens, Massachusetts.

He was attached to the 487th Port Battalion, 282nd Port Co. The battalion left the United States for the United Kingdom on 20 August 1943 and trained in England until 1 June 1944. The Battalion was attached for the invasion of France to the 1st U. S. Army, who in turn attached it to the 5th Engineer Special Brigade.

Their mission was to supply personnel for the ship platoon working with Battalion Beach Groups for the unloading of cargo from ships, and to coordinate the activities of ship platoons to effect the most efficient and rapid unloading of assigned ships.