The Story
Pfc Walter Roach was killed in action on 14 June 1944, serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment. On this date, the 116th Infantry as a whole was engaged in consolidating its positions in Normandy, with the wider 29th Division shifting commands from V Corps to XIX Corps at noon. Regimental Troops would have shared in this pause, as the division used the day to rest men who had been fighting since the invasion. No specific actions by this element are recorded for the date, but the broader regiment was standing down from active offensive operations, allowing units to reorganize and recover after the intense fighting of the preceding days. Pfc Roach was killed in action that day; the report does not specify the individual circumstances.
Source: NARA