Normandy 1944

Normandy 1944 : Canada's soldiers from Juno Beach to Dieppe

Canada

June 6, 1944, the long awaited D-Day. In front of the communes of Graye, Courseulles, Bernières, and St Aubin-sur-Mer, Canadian units lead the assault on a beach whose name has been famous ever since : Juno. This marked the beginning of the Normandy Campaign which would bring these men all the way to Rouen and, in a veritable pilgrimage, back to Dieppe on September 1, 1944.

15,000 Canadians landed that day at Juno Beach

Along nearly eight kilometres of the Norman coastline, 15,000 Canadians and 9,000 Britons came ashore on one of the most famous days in history. Their task was to neutralise the beach defences and push deep inland, if possible, to take Caen...

Normandy, the crucible of battle

During the Normandy campaign, the Canadians would have to confront skilled and ruthless opposition, frequently made up of SS Panzer units. In twelve weeks of hard fighting, when every wall, every crossroads, every village had to be wrested from the enemy, more than 5,000 Canadians would be killed.

The remnants that tell the story

A collection of authentic objects, many published here for the first time, recalls the struggle for Liberty and Peace. Since the larger narrative is formed by the stories of the men who fought, the remnants of the Norman summer gathered within this book tell us of their commitment, their bravery, and at times, even of their sacrifice.