D-Day (Operation Overlord) June 6 1944 By James C. Retson Last Revised October 8 2020 This site is dedicated to all the Soldiers from the Kenora area who made the supreme sacrifice, their families and other victims of World War two. Links at the end of this monograph may show your relatives. I would be pleased to hear from any Relatives of Kenora Servicemen who they see if such videos. Contents D-Day (Operation Overlord) June 6 1944 .......................................................................................................... 1 Soldiers From Kenora Area who Fought in D-Day and aftermath ..................................................................... 1 Planning and Preparation for D-Day............................................................................................................... 2 Preparation for the invasion by individuals from Kenora had been ongoing for months. .................................. 2 D-Day .................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Ernest William "Bill" Bradley ........................................................................................................................ 3 Rifleman James Elder, H20664 ...................................................................................................................... 4 The Drive to Caen (Bridgehead Battle June 7-30 1944 ...................................................................................... 5 Road to Falaise (Operation Totalize) .................................................................................................................. 6 Soldiers (other than those listed in cemeteries below)........................................................................................ 6 Cemeteries........................................................................................................................................................... 6 Bayeux War Cemetery ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Kenora and Area Soldiers buried at Bayeux ................................................................................................... 6 Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery ......................................................................................................... 7 Kenora and Area Soldiers buried at Beny-sur-Mer ........................................................................................ 7 Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery ............................................................................................... 7 Kenora and Area Soldiers buried at Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery ..................................... 8 Sources ................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Videos Related to D Day .................................................................................................................................... 9 Soldiers From Kenora Area who Fought in D-Day and aftermath Rifleman Ernest William Bradley -Royal Winnipeg Rifles killed 8 Jun 1944 near Cain, France Private Grozik, Mark - Canadian Scottish Regiment Lance Corporal Lloyd Leslie Paulson -10 Armoured Regiment Fort Garry Horse Rifleman James Elder - Regina Rifle Regiment Gunner Victor James “Jim” Mackie - Canadian Artillery (Additional information from Relatives of those who fought from Kenora welcomed at [email protected]) Planning and Preparation for D-Day The dream of returning to North West Europe had begun as soon as the evacuation had finished in 1940. The planning began seriously in March 1943. With the appointment of the American general Dwight Eisenhower the planning took on a new sense of urgency. The Land armies would be led by General Bernard Montgomery until a beachhead was established to allow Eisenhower and Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) to cross the channel. Monty would command the 21 st Army Group consisting of British, Canadian, Polish, Free French and other national formations. In May1943 a decision was ma to land in Normandy between Orne and Vire estuaries with 5 divisions , 2 airborne, and three seaborne, One American and two British (including Canada). From east to west: Sword Beach: 2nd British army would land between Caen and Bayeux with 1 British Corps with 6th Airborne Division on the east bank of the Orne, 3rd British Division and 27th Armoured Brigade in the leading wave followed by the commandos of 1st Special Services Brigade , 51st (Highland) division and 4th Armoured Brigade Juno Beach: 3rd Canadian Division and 2nd Armoured Brigade in leading wave followed by 4th Special Service Brigade, Gold Beach: On the Right wing XXX British Corps with 50 Northumbria) Division and 8th Armoured Brigade leading the first wave, followed by 7th armoured Division and 9th (West Riding) Division. Omaha Beach First US Army between Bayeux and the east of Cotentin peninsula -on the left flank, V Corp with 1st Infantry Division and elements of 29th Infantry Division in leading wave followed by the rest of 29th division and two ranger battalions on that beach and at Pointe du Hoc. Utah Beach - On the right flank, VII Corp with 4th Infantry Division in the leading wave followed by 9th Infantry Division , 90th Infantry Division and 79th Infantry Division. Two airborne divisions, 82nd and 101st Airborne were to set up a bridgehead in that sector. Preparation for the invasion by individuals from Kenora had been ongoing for months. Lance Corporal Lloyd Leslie Paulson, service number 26710, son of Peter Paulson and Ella May Day, was born 1 Jul 1918 at Kenora according to his attestation papers. He completed grade 10 in Kenora . He enlisted 17 Feb 1941 Winnipeg and transferred to 10 Armoured Regiment Fort Garry Horse on 1 Apr 1941 at Camp Bordon. On November 1 the regiment was moved from Camp Bordon to Debert, Nova Scotia in preparation for the move overseas and on the night of 9 Nov 1941 embarked on the Oronsay. After several days in the harbour, the Oronsay sailed on 13 Nov 1944 with a large collection of ships arriving in Liverpool England on 22 Nov, 1941. Over the next 2 ½ years training continued in Scotland and England. Training in combined operations and amphibious took place at Inverary, North Scotland. ‘B’ and ‘C’ Squadrons took special training in the use of “Duplex Drive” or DD swimming tanks. Paulson was located in troop 2 ‘A’ Squadrons. Through out this period the equipment improved. In 1941 training was carried on in Ram Cruisers, in 1942 Lee tanks, and towards the 2 end of 1943 Valentine tanks were employed and in mid April 1944 British Canadian Sherman DD tanks and shortly after a certain number of the new 17 Pounder Sherman Vc Firefly On 18 Mar 1944, he married Gloria Straussler at the Register’s office at Brighton and had a nine day leave to celebrate the wedding. On June 3 the crews moved their vehicles from Fort Gomer which they had occupied in 1943 44 to Bay Horse to be loaded on Landing Craft (Tank) III or LCT3. Squadron A vehicles were loaded on LCT 1510, 1511, 1512, 1513, 1522, 1523, 15552, and 1554. On Sunday June 4 the LCTs moved up the Solent to Southampton and marshalled into columns for the channel crossing. They were transported by an Armada of ships known as Force ‘J”. They were scheduled to cross on June 5th but weather delayed the start until the 6th. (See more below) D-Day The Royal Winnipeg Rifles landed in the sector called Mike Red by 0735 where defences had been left untouched by the prior bombardment by the guns of the Royal Navy. Despite heavy losses, one by one with the aid of aid of armoured vehicles strong points were eliminated. Graye-sur-mer, Sainte-Croix and Banville were taken and the Winnipeg Rifles were in position of Creully by 1700 on the afternoon of June 6th. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles and Regina Rifles claim credit for being the first Allied unit to reach their D-Day objectives. Rifleman Wilfred Joseph Nabish, H17749, Royal Winnipeg Rifles, son of Tom Nabish and Netty Que We Zence, was born on June 10 1922 in Kenora. He October 3 1941 and in April 1 1942 was remustered with Royal Winnipeg Rifles as a Rifleman. He embarked May 2 1942 over seas and disembarked May 12 1942 in the UK. He Landed in France on D-Day and was killed the same day. Ernest William "Bill" Bradley, H103409, son of Walter Bradley and Maude Coppard was born in Kenora on September 27 1922 in Kenora. His father had served in World War 1 and as a result of the war and work on the railway he lost his hearing and his job with the CPR. Bill enlisted Royal Winnipeg Rifles, R.C. I. C on 17 Nov 1942. He married Laura Martha McNabb 30 Jun 1943 and shortly after left Canada for England on 25 Aug 1943, arriving 2 Sept 1943. He embarked from UK 1 Jun 1944, disembarked in France 6 Jun 1944, D- Day On June 7th the Royal Winnipeg Rifles took Putot-en-Bassin. On the 8th two battalions of the 12th SS Panzer Division launched a series of attacks against the Royal Winnipeg Rifles and were overwhelmed. That evening 23 prisoners captured were executed by men of the 12th SS Panzer Division. Later similar atrocities were committed by this SS unit including the execution of Bradley. It is believed executed were conducted under the direction of Maj. Gen Kurt Meyer at the ancient Abbey of Ardennes at Mouen and