D-day Beaches - Phil & Jill

Juno Beach

21.06.2019

Lunch was a good break before we continued on this continued journey. After all the day of 6th June, 1944 (75 years ago) was the largest combined operation in history by Allied armies and it all happened on these beaches we are visiting. It takes a lot of telling!! I keep trying to take my mind back to the actual conditions that these men had endured all in the name of service.

Juno sector included Saint-Aubin, Bernieres, Courseulles and Graye beaches and was assigned to the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division. 15,000 Canadians and 9,000 British soldiers reached the beach at 7.35am. They shared the same objective as the soldiers at Sword - capture Caen and the airport quickly. This area was defended by German machine guns hidden in casemates and by German soldiers with guns in the houses along the street. The beach was strewn with obstacles thanks to Rommel's plans to make landings as difficult as possible. They fought all day but later in the afternoon they liberated Langrune. The civilians were so happy but surprised when some of the Canadian soldiers spoke French. The civilians thought that it was British soldiers who were liberating them.

At Bernieres there is a statute of old bikes welded together. Phil thought it was very fitting as the Canadians had been smart, they brought bicycles with them. As Phil will tell you, smart men use bikes, so much better to get further quicker. Much better than walking. This was the same in 1944, the Canadians on their bikes pressed further inland. This area before D-day was a holiday house area serviced by a train line for wealthy Parisiennes to come for their summer holidays. The Germans used this same train line to carry provisions. One of the Canadian soldiers took out a sniper from one of these houses and today it is called Canada house and contains a small museum of war artefacts.