Juno and inland...
Juno Beach merits several stops along its length. St-Aubin-sur-Mer sits at the eastern end of Juno. We'll see the remains of the German defences and discuss the difficulties faced by the attacking North Shore (New Brusnwick) Regiment and others.
A little further to the west is Bernières-sur-Mer. Here the Queens Own Rifles of Canada suffered significant losses before overwhelming the German defenders. We'll hear some of the stories of those involved and see the rather famous and instantly recognisable 'Canada House/Maison du Canada'.
Courseulles-sur-Mer is our next stop. Canadian forces landed either side of the River Seulles. We'll discuss the Regina Rifle Regiment, Royal Winnipeg Rifles and First Hussars. The Hussars' Duplex-Drive Sherman on display is a highlight. Courseulles is also home to the impressive Juno Centre. A stop here is optional (admission fee extra).
In the afternoon we'll head inland. The first stop is the Canadian Cemetery in Bény-sur-Mer. One of two predominantly Canadian CWGC cemeteries in Normandy, here we'll visit the graves and hear the stories of those who gave all in the fight against fascism. Stories of courage, fortitude and tragedy. The rather bucolic location is in marked contrast to events which caused the cemetery to come into being.
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If you have a relative buried here, or someone whose grave you'd like to visit, please let me know in advance if possible.
After the solemnity of the visit to the cemetery, we'll pick up the Canadian advance inland as they headed south. On the 7th of June, fierce resistance was met from the newly arrived 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend". We'll hear of the savage battles and disturbing path of events which followed. We'll stop at the appropriately named 'Hell's Corner' before heading to Authie. In and around this small village, the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and Sherbrooke Fusiliers met the tanks and grenadiers of the Hitlerjugend division head on.
From Authie we take the short drive to the imposing Abbaye-d'Ardenne. Founded in the 12th century, the abbey and its surrounding buildings had been taken over by the Germans. From the abbey's towers, great fields of observation were afforded and from here, the Germans watched the Canadians advance before launching their counter-attack. As the fighitng diminished on the evening of the 7th of June, various groups of prisoners were brought through the abbey grounds. Sadly several of these were subsequently murdered. We'll hear their stories and visit the small garden which has become a memorial to the victims.
To end the day we'll head briefly along the old RN13 road through la-Villeneuve-de-Rots to the town of Bretteville-l'Orgueilleuse. Here, out on a limb to some extent, men of the Regina Rifle Regiment stopped a German night attack aimed at eliminating this small Canadian salient. Panther tanks, supported by grenadiers, launched a ferocious but ultimately unsuccessful assault against the Canadian positions. An incredible story of heroism and fortitude and a fitting way to end the day following 3rd Canadian Infantry Division.
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*This engagement is the subject of my small guide book "A Very Hostile Night"