Seillans is the westernmost village in the Fayence region. It is a mountain commune that is neither strategic nor occupied on D-Day.
However, on the morning of August 15, approximately 170 paratroopers from the 3/517th PIR are dropped in the Seillans landscape, a good day's march from the DZ.
As the battalion begins to assemble and search for its equipment, three major groups emerge; the first group consists of the sticks dropped near Seillans, including most of Company I, Battalion Commander Major Melvin Zais, and a contingent of the Battalion Headquarters, totaling 170 paratroopers.
Maj. Melvin Zais sets up his temporary HQ outside a farmhouse while waiting to reunite with the bulk of his troops. At 08:00 with the majority of his battalion intact, it is decided to march back to the landing zones.
Several paratroopers who were seriously injured must remain in the households of the region, notably in Seillans, and will be retrieved on August 20 when the 517th PIR returns.
