Friday, June 06, 2014

D-Day

One hundred yards.

That was the distance the 3rd Canadian Infantry and the 2nd Canadian Amoured Division had to clear on Juno Beach, divided into two sectors, Nan and Mike, after disembarking from landing craft tanks (LCT) in choppy seas on June 6th, 1944.

If the LCTs weren't taken out by weather, rocks, mortars or anti-tank guns, the first-wave of soldiers had to wade ashore, dodge mines and the fire of machine guns and 75 and 88 mm guns.

Yet that's what they did with a loss of three hundred and fifty-nine dead and five hundred and seventy-five wounded. The success of the Canadian drive inland marked the beginning of the end of the Nazi war machine (the Allies would have to wait nearly a year before Germany capitulated).

The Canadians, British and the Americans weren't the only ones who participated on D-Day. Poles, Norwegians, French and Australians, too, participated in what is still the largest amphibious invasion in military history.

And today, we remember them.

Ladies and gentlemen, Vera Lynn.





No comments: