Canada’s Main Contributions The Battle of the Atlantic Hong Kong The Italian Campaign D-Day on Juno Beach Dieppe

June 6 – August 31, 1944

D-Day at Normandy June 6 – August 31, 1944 The Northern Coast of France is an area called Normandy Along this coast are a series of beaches that had all been code-named: –Omaha Beach (US) –Utah Beach (US) –Sword Beach (British) –Gold Beach (British) –Juno Beach (Canadians)

Juno Beach Code-name Juno beach was an area approximately 10km wide Coastal and fishing villages along this area had been secured and fortified by the Germans The plan of the Canadian Infantry Division was to secure those areas, cut off road access between the towns Caen and Bayeux, and seize the airport outside of Caen.

Casualties that first day were very severe It was felt that becoming a casualty in that first hour was almost 1 in 2. As the day went on, Canada was successful in either occupying German areas or pushing the Germans back. By the end of day 1, Canadians suffered 1,200 casualties out of 21,400 troops who landed at Juno That’s a ratio of 1:18

Wrecked and beached landing craft line the shore at Saint-Aubin, Juno Beach, on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Reserve troops of the Canadian 3rd Division coming ashore at Bernières, Nan sector, Juno Beach, on D-Day, June 6, 1944

Troops of the Régiment de la Chaudière, 8th Brigade, push inland from Juno Beach toward Bény-sur-Mer on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Canadian, British and American soldiers continued to fight in France for 2 long months. Gaining confidence in their ability to defeat the Germans, the Allies continued to close in on them. It was not without great loss, however.

On August 25, 1944, France was finally liberated by the Allies. The Allied forces continued to close in on Germany, liberating Holland, Luxembourg, Belgium, and other European countries. The Allies, including Russia, liberate many of the Jewish concentration and death camps. These liberations happen up until the end of the war, August 14, 1945