Footage of the Canadians Landing on D-Day | Juno Beach: Canada at D-Day | From Vimy to Juno: Canadians Through Two World Wars | From Vimy to Juno: Canadians Through Two World Wars

Despite the best efforts of the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit, very little footage of the Canadians landing on D-Day exists. This 4 minute video is a compilation of what was captured by three cameras that had been attached to landing crafts. Most cameras were lost or destroyed before the film could be collected. This footage would become much of the public’s first impression of the Normandy invasion, as it reached news outlets sooner than American or British footage. While there is some debate amongst historians, it’s generally agreed that at least some of this footage is of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment. A brief description of the footage is provided below.

Download the Video File (29.3 MB)

Video: 4 minutes, 44 seconds. (Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit.)

The video contains no audio and the transcription refers only to visuals on screen.

[START: 00:00]

Grainy, black and white footage of Canadian Soldiers landing on Juno Beach. The frame moves up and down with the movement of the landing craft (to which it is attached) on the waves. The backs of men are visible, they tightly hold on to ledges in the boat. Stretchers are stacked to the left. Over the door, the roofs of houses are visible. Men are wearing equipment, helmets, and military battle dress. They are crouched below the top of the door.

[TIME: 00:45]

The door of the landing craft open. The sandy beach and several beach obstacles can be seen – the boat is still several metres from shore. The men, hands full of weapons and equipment, jump into the water and move quickly towards the shore. The men orderly file off the boat.

[TIME: 01:20]

At the bottom of the image, an aged hand with a wedding ring pats the back of the man in front in a comforting way. The man in front turns around and his face can be seen momentarily.

[TIME: 01:23]

The film cuts to a view on a different boat. The scene is nearly identical to the beginning of the film. The door swings open after a push from someone at the front – this time, no houses or beach obstacles are visible, and the boat appears to be further from the shore. The men seem to have larger packs on their back. A man sits to the side of the door as others file off the boat, he looks back at the camera for a few seconds. He waves his comrades off, occasionally slapping their backs. He watches them go through a small viewing hole in the wall at the front of the boat. As the men file into the water, the boat appears to approach the sandy beach; the men can be seen walking onto the beach from knee-high water. As the boat sways, occasionally a house comes into the frame on the left.

[TIME: 02:45]

The scene cuts to a different boat again. Men are again filing off the boat through the front door into the water. Houses and beach obstacles are once again visible. As men continue to file off, their comrades can be seen running up the beach to reach the beach wall.

The video ends abruptly.

[END: 04:04]

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