Polish Greatness (Blog): REMEMBRANCE: D DAY

November 9, 2010

REMEMBRANCE: D DAY - CANADIANS AT JUNO BEACH

On D-Day, Canada's assault troops landed on Juno Beach and stormed ashore in the face of fierce opposition from German strongholds and mined beach obstacles. Over 14,000 were from the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. The soldiers raced across the wide-open beaches swept with machine gun fire, and stormed the gun positions. In fierce hand-to-hand fighting, they fought their way into the towns of Bernières, Courseulles and St. Aubin and then advanced inland, securing a critical bridgehead for the allied invasion. The victory was a turning point in World War II and led to the liberation of Europe and the defeat of Nazi Germany. John Keegan, eminent British historian who wrote Six Armies in Normandy, stated the following concerning the Canadian 3rd Division on D-Day:

" At the end of the day, its forward elements stood deeper into France than those of any other division. The opposition the Canadians faced was stronger than that of any other beach save Omaha. That was an accomplishment in which the whole nation could take considerable pride."

Bloody Normandy: Juno Beach and Beyond - Part 1 (00:10:01m)

" A German 88-mm gun camouflaged in a hay stack, began firing and destroying vehicles as they moved off the beach. Major Plows commanding officer for 'A' Company ordered Lieutenant Bernie Clarke's platoon to take out the dangerous gun emplacement. Clarke's classic reply was "Who? Me?", and he immediately set out to clear up the spot. They crawled up a knoll to within 75 yards of the position, nabbed several Germans, and then raced in. It turned out to be a gun emplacement encased in concrete with hay piled on its roof for camouflage. A door leading into the emplacement was pulled open and someone threw in a grenade. That did the trick. So quick and sudden was the Canadian action that about fifty German soldiers came out of their slit trenches - all surrendering..... "

HEROES REMEMBER D DAY (VIDEO)

HONOUR ROLL 364 CANADIAN SERVICEMEN

WHO DIED JUNE 6, 1944 ON JUNO BEACH

CANADIAN REGIMENTS ON D-DAY

QUEEN'S OWN RIFLES

NORTH SHORE REGIMENT

LE REGIMENT DE LA CHAUDIERE
LES FUSILIERS DE SHERBROOKE

REGINA RIFLES

WINNIPEG RIFLES

CANADIAN SCOTTISH REGIMENT

FORT GARRY HORSE

FIRST HUSSARS

7TH RECCE

CAMERON HIGHLANDERS OF OTTAWA

9TH BRIGADE

3RD CANADIAN INFANTRY DIVISION

1ST CANADIAN PARACHUTE DIVISION

ROYAL CANADIAN ARTILLERY
ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE SQUADRON

" Although only one Canadian unit reached its D-Day objective, the first line of German defences had been completely smashed. By evening, Canadian troops had progressed further inland than any of their Allies. It was a remarkable achievement but, despite casualties being less than expected, it was an expensive one, too. "The German dead were littered over the dunes, by the gun positions," a Canadian journalist reported. "By them, lay Canadians in bloodstained battledress, in the sand and in the grass, on the wire and by the concrete forts. . . .

THEY HAD LIVED A FEW MINUTES OF THE VICTORY THEY HAD MADE. THAT WAS ALL.

To ensure that D-Day would succeed, 364 Canadians had given their lives. Another 574 had been wounded
and 47 taken prisoner."