JUNO BEACH: SIXTY YEARS LATER YV Introduction To supplement their air-reconnaissance • Concrete pillboxes, fortified houses, Focus photographs of the coast of France, deep trenches, and machine-gun This News in Re- Allied planners asked citizens to mail in emplacements would shoot down view story focuses on Canada’s contri- any postcards they had purchased while soldiers who made it to the beach. bution to the vacationing in France. They hoped that • Landmines, concrete barriers, and largest military the photographs of the coastal land- barbed wire placed all along the beach invasion in his- scape on these postcards would give would keep Allied troops on the tory—the Allied them a better idea of the terrain. beach, where they could be shot. assault on Nor- On the first day 30 000 postcards mandy. The dia- How to breach the walls of Fortress mond anniversary arrived. In the next few weeks, Europe? By blasting through it with so of this critical 10 million more came flooding through much firepower and so many attackers battle was recently the post. Everyone wanted to do some- that some soldiers would make it celebrated, in June thing—anything—to help their sons, 2004. through. D-Day would be the largest fathers, husbands, friends, and sweet- military invasion force in history. hearts succeed in what they were soon The Allies gathered together 156 000 Definition to face. fighting men to invade 80-kilometres of D-Day and H-Hour The big day that everyone dreaded— coast. Of these, 14 500 were Canadian are military terms D-Day—was coming soon. The Allied troops, in 14 battalions and regiments. that stand for the forces had been preparing for this day A further 27 000 Canadians took part as day and hour when for more than four years. On D-Day, members of the Royal Canadian Navy, a military campaign Canadian, British, and U.S. forces will begin. Troops Air Force, and Army, in support roles. would invade mainland Europe, a aren’t told the Thousands more participated as mem- exact time of the continent occupied by the Axis powers bers of Britain’s Royal Navy and Air attack until the last of Germany and Italy. First, they would Force. All these Canadians had been minute, and some- get a foothold on the beaches of times D-Day and training in England for this day since Normandy, France. Then they would they had first signed up at the beginning H-Hour change fight their way across the continent to drastically, as of the war. occurred in 1944. the heart of Nazi Germany. At Daybreak Fortress Europe On the morning of June 6, German YV Sections That first step—getting a foothold on soldiers peered out from their coastal marked with this the beaches of Normandy—would be symbol indicate bunkers to see a vast flotilla of 7 000 difficult. Hitler had turned Europe into ships and 4 000 landing craft emerge content suitable for a fortress. There were 210 000 German younger viewers. from the morning mist. There were so troops spread along the coast, and the many ships, the soldiers would say, that German army had barricaded the whole you could have lined them up end to Atlantic shoreline to prevent just such end and skipped back to England. But an attack from England. these ships carried men set on a deadly • Barricades and mines in the water mission: to attack Fortress Europe, to would prevent easy landings. create a foothold in Normandy, and to • Placements of 88-millimetre cannons fight for freedom. These young soldiers and naval guns would fire on ships 20 were frightened, they were seasick, and kilometres out to sea. many just wanted to go home. But they CBC News in Review • October 2004 • Page 44 stayed and did what had to be done. hours after H-Hour, Canadian troops The Combatants The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division had pushed 13 kilometres inland to the Allied countries: and the 2nd Canadian Armoured Bri- outer defences of the town of Caen. Australia, Canada, China, Great Brit- gade together were assigned a stretch of This action secured success in the ain, New Zealand, beach code-named Juno. British divi- British-Canadian sector. A beachhead South Africa, Soviet sions were assigned Sword and Gold had been secured, the Western Front Union, and United Beaches, and U.S. divisions were had been opened, and the battle for States assigned Utah and Omaha Beaches. Europe could begin. Countries occupied It was a long and bloody day. But 10 by the Axis powers that had resistance movements: Bel- To Consider gium, Czechoslova- 1. Put yourself in a soldier’s position. How would you feel as you travelled kia, France, Greece, across the channel and were informed that this was not an exercise but Luxembourg, the real thing? Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Yugoslavia Axis countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Man- 2. What defences did the Canadians have to face when they reached the churia, and Roma- coast of France? nia Did you know . The 2004 diamond anniversary (60 years) celebrations 3. How might the success of Canada’s soldiers on D-day affect Canadians’ of D-Day represent sense of national identity? probably the last major celebration of the June 6, 1944, landings? Most of the participants are either dead or in their late 70s and 4. What can young Canadians today do to ensure that the memory of this 80s. From now on, important event is never lost? it will be up to younger Canadians to keep alive the memories of that momentous day. CBC News in Review • October 2004 • Page 45 JUNO BEACH: SIXTY YEARS LATER YV Video Review Part I Complete the During the Second World War, Adolph Hitler and Germany attacked and occu- questions in Part I pied much of continental Europe, including France. The allies attacked France of this exercise while reviewing the on D-Day with the long-term goal of recapturing all of Europe from the Ger- video. Later you man armies. can attempt the second part of the 1. What did the Allies do on June 6, 1944? exercise. 2. This day is commonly known as _________________________________ 3. Juno Beach is located in ________________________________________ 4. Identify at least three ways the Germans tried to make it difficult to land on the beaches of France. 5. What was the name of the famous German general who was leading the German defence? ___________________________________________ 6. Which countries fought beside Canada that day? 7. How many Canadians were killed or wounded on that first day? _________ 8. How far inland did the Canadians reach on the first day? ________________ 9. How many Canadians were killed or wounded before they could fight their way beyond Normandy? _________________ 10. Why do the French still come out to applaud the actions of men from so many years ago? 11. According to Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, why did the Canadians invade Europe? 12. How old was Gérard Doré of Roberval, Quebec, when he died in Normandy?___________ CBC News in Review • October 2004 • Page 46 13. Why did the Queen say thank you? 14. One invitation to the celebrations was a controversial one. Who was the person invited and why was this so controversial? 15. How many Germans died in the Normandy campaign? ______________ 16. What is the purpose of the Juno Beach Centre? Part II – Crossword Complete this crossword on Juno Beach using the words at the bottom to help you answer the questions. Across 2. One of the two beaches where the British attacked 3. One of the two beaches where the U.S. attacked 4. Month when D-Day occurred 5. Country that was occupying France at the time 7. Name of the war in which D-Day occurred Down 1. Country where the Allies launched D-Day 2. Years that have passed since D-Day (at the time of filing) 3. Code name for the D-Day operation 4. The beach where the Canadians attacked 5. One of the two beaches where the British attacked 6. One of the two beaches where the U.S. attacked 1 2 3 4 5 Words to choose from: France 6 Germany Gold 7 June Juno Omaha Overlord Sixty Sword Utah World War Two CBC News in Review • October 2004 • Page 47 JUNO BEACH: SIXTY YEARS LATER YV Canadians in the Second World War Background to War that war could be avoided, it appeared Note: This very The Second World War began when that the violent regime in Germany could brief account focuses on the two nations began stretching their not be contained. European front in military muscle and started invading the Second World independent neighbouring countries. Canada Goes to War War. The war in the In Italy, Benito Mussolini ruled his In August 1939, Germany invaded Pacific is yet an- country with an iron fist. His Fascist Poland. Great Britain sided with Poland other story. regime embraced a totalitarian doctrine and signed a mutual protection treaty. that combined nationalistic and elitist After Germany attacked on August 30, ideas. He invaded Ethiopia in 1935, Britain and France declared war on ignoring world opinion. His success Germany, on September 3. encouraged the future aggression of Should Canada go to war? Canadians Adolf Hitler of Germany. well remember how many of their young Germany was humiliated after the men had died in Europe during the First First World War, when it was stripped World War, but they could not deny that of its colonies and had to compensate Hitler had to be stopped.