Acknowledgements

This book has been a pleasure to write, not least because of Canada’s outstandingly positive promotion of projects that serve to commemorate the deeds of Canadian soldiers. This attitude was reflected in the Canadian official and private organizations approached during my research, be they archives, newspapers, regimental museums or associations. It is a shame that similar equally worthy bodies in Britain have been forced, in many cases by under funding, to lower the standards of access and raise increasingly heavy charges for information. I would, however, single out one UK body for particular praise: the British National Archive, the holder of copies of Canadian war diaries, has continued to develop its access policies and is becoming increasingly user friendly. For all those organizations who have contributed to this book, thank you all for your help and encouragement.

I am also grateful to the Juno Beach veterans, both British and Canadian, for taking time to speak to me on a busy D Day anniversary weekend when, with the opening of the new museum at Courseulles, they were very much at the centre of the stage. As usual, the veterans’ accounts of their D Day battle on Juno Beach and their attitude to life stand as a source of inspiration for the historian and I have, hopefully, reflected their ethos and approach to battle in these pages.

Colonel CP Stacey

Anyone who studies the Canadians in the Second World War, must acknowledge the peerless work of Colonel CP Stacey, the Canadian official historian. Wherever a researcher looks, be it in war diaries in Canada or in the British National Archives or in the text of a personal interview or diary, Stacey’s familiar pencil marks can be found and the quote is faithfully reproduced in the volumous reports of the Canadian Historical Section.

This book completes the Battleground series covering the D Day landing beaches and I am most grateful to Pen & Sword for asking me to finish the D Day line up in time for the Sixtieth Anniversary. Finally, I would point out that even though this book is the last to be published, it is not a reflection of the subject matter or the importance of the part played by the Canadian and British troops who landed on Juno Beach early on 6 June 1944.

Introduction

‘When we came off the narrow sandy beach and I saw some Canadian-Scottish lying dead amongst the red poppies. I remembered a poem that we learned in school by Canadian Colonel McCrae: “In Flanders fields the poppies grow Between the crosses row on row”. It certainly struck me, seeing them laying dead amongst the poppies blowing in the wind.’

J.H. HAMILTON, ROYAL WINNIPEG RIFLES, CANADIAN 3RD DIVISION

It is not possible to calculate the full scale of the Canadian commitment in men and materials to D Day. Canada’s effort was spread across all three Services and not just confined to Juno Beach or indeed the immediate Normandy area. One should also not forget the thousands of excellent CANLOAN officers who were seconded to served with British fighting units. However, with a Canadian division landing in the first assault wave, Juno Beach was undoubtedly the focus of Canadian effort and remains the symbol of the price Canada paid for victory in Europe.

The Royal Canadian Air Force had been fighting in the battle to secure vital air superiority for the invasion force during the months prior to D Day. They had also taken part in the bombing of roads, bridges, and railways in France, Belgium and Holland to reduce the German’s ability to reinforce the invasion front. Amongst the first Canadians in action were the men of the Canadian Parachute Battalion who started to drop as a part of 6th Airborne Division before dawn. The Lancasters of Number 6 Bomber Group with their Canadian aircrews followed, dropping tons of explosives on German coastal defences, while above them Canadian fighter pilots scoured the skies for the Luftwaffe. Meanwhile, Canadian piloted fighter-bombers mounted interdiction sorties and struck enemy columns heading towards Normandy and its beaches.

The Royal Canadian Navy’s contribution to the invasion fleet consisted of 110 craft of various sizes, crewed by almost 10,000 seamen. Minesweepers led the force south across the English Channel. Canadian destroyers such as HMCS Algonquin and HMCS Sioux deluged the enemy coastal defences and batteries with fire. The Canadians also provided converted merchant ships such as HMCS Prince Henry and Prince David to act as troop ships for their fellow countrymen. RCN landing craft flotillas bore the assault force ashore and joined the process of drenching the German defences with fire.

Juno was very much a Canadian beach, with 3rd Canadian Division providing 15,000 of the 24,000 men who landed there during the assault phase and its immediate aftermath. The majority of the remainder were British soldiers, mainly from 79th Armoured Division and the logistic units of 103 Beach Group. Not included in the figure are the Scottish soldiers of 51st Highland Division, who started to land on Juno Beach during the afternoon of D Day. This book is as much about the deeds of the first British troops ashore, as it is about the main burden of fighting that fell on broad Canadian shoulders.

Finally, I wish to point out that I have used the marvellous colloquial names of the three Canadian armoured regiments e.g. The Fort Garry Horse, rather than their official number, 10th Armoured Regiment.

At home or on the ground, enjoy the tours.