June - August 1944

The Normandy Campaign

The Normandy Campaign was the beginning of the Allied liberation of Western Europe. Before the end of July, the Allies would land more than 1.5 million troops and 300,000 vehicles on the beaches of Normandy. The 3rd Division and the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade were joined by the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division and the 4th Canadian Armoured Division, organized as II Canadian Corps. Tens of thousands of Canadians saw action in Normandy. That month, the headquarters of First Canadian Army became operational; this powerful field formation included British and Polish forces in addition to the Canadians.

For the first month following the D-Day landings, a stalemate developed in Normandy during which the Germans skillfully sealed off the invasion area while the Allies built up their forces in a narrow but slowly growing bridgehead, the Americans to the west fighting at the neck of the Cotentin Peninsula and the British and Canadians amassing before Caen. The Germans occupied excellent defensive positions throughout the campaign and the fighting was fierce. It became a battle of attrition with Canadian positions subjected to constant artillery and mortar fire. This took its toll in June and July as hundreds of Canadian infantrymen suffering from “battle exhaustion” were pulled from the line, often returning to combat following a period of recovery. In the first week of fighting in Normandy, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division alone suffered nearly 3,000 casualties.

On 9-10 July, British and Canadian troops finally captured the city of Caen, an important transportation hub that was severely damaged by Allied bombers. The Canadians then took part in a series of difficult and costly offensives towards the town of Falaise, a scant 40 kilometres to the south-east. At this time, the bulk of German armoured forces were arrayed against the British and Canadian front which made progress agonizingly slow. The Germans defeated early assaults against Verrières Ridge, which was an important terrain feature south of Caen. On 25 July American forces broke out of their bridgehead and raced to the south and west. That same day Operation SPRING, a Canadian attempt to seize Verrières Ridge, ended in disaster, with Montreal’s Black Watch (The Royal Highland Regiment) being decimated, suffering 307 casualties.

A colour map showing the eastern flank of the Normandy bridgehead, including the Canadian landing beach Juno. — Eastern Flank of the Normandy Bridgehead

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The maps featured in C.P. Stacey's *Official History of the Second World War* show Canadian routes and how comprehensive the D-Day invasion and Normandy Campaign truly were.

This map shows the locations where the Canadian forces landed on D-Day. These locations are represented by four arrows on the northern coast at Graye-sur-Mer, Courseulles-sur-mer, Bernières-sur-Mer and St. Aubin-sur-Mer.

Moving southward, a solid red line stretching from the town of Arromanches to the Franceville Plage shows how far the Canadians pushed into Normandy by midnight on D-Day.

Two further lines, a dashed line stretching through the centre of the map and a dotted and dashed line at the bottom, show the locations of the Canadian Corps at midnight on the 12-13th and 20-21st respectively.

The location of individual divisions and key towns are also labelled.
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Three colour maps showing the Normandy Bridgeheads on 13 June, 24 July, and 13 August 1944. — Normandy Bridgehead

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This image, which also comes from C. P. Stacey’s *Official History of the Second World War*, shows three maps that track the advancement of Canadian, British, and American troops into Normandy by June 13, July 24, and August 13 respectively.

The June 13th map (upper left-hand corner of the image) shows the coastline surrounding the Bay of the Seine. A solid green line represents the movement of United States troops inland towards the towns of Carentan and Caumont. Just east of Caumont, the First Canadian Army (dotted red line) pushed inland and towards Caen.

The July 24th map (lower left corner of the image) shows the gradual advancement of the Allied troops from their initial positions on June 13th. The Americans expanded their southward advancement past Caretan to the west, but remained in roughly the same position near Caumont. The Canadians mostly maintained their positions but advanced southward past Caen.

The final August 13th map (right side of the image) shows much more movement. The United States forces pushed further south. Green arrows branching off at different points shows expansion in all directions. The First Canadian Army pushed southwards towards a German counter offensive (blue arrow) and were joined in northeastern sector by the Second British Army (solid red line).

The location of rivers and key towns are also labelled.
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A colour map showing the infamous Falaise Gap. — The Falaise Road and the Pocket

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The maps featured in C.P. Stacey's *Official History of the Second World War* show Canadian routes and how comprehensive the D-Day invasion and Normandy Campaign truly were.

This map shows the Allied approach to taking the town of Falaise, which is centrally located on this map; topographical elements are also shown to mark the rolling hills of the surrounding area. The First Canadian Army (solid red arrows) and Second British Army (dashed red arrows) move from the western side of the map towards Falaise and onto the eastern side. A dotted blue enclosure to the east indicates a German stronghold and blue arrows moving northward show a German breakout counter attack. Solid and dashed red arrows indicate that Canadian and British forces broke through this German stronghold. Canadian units, and the Polish Division serving alongside them, saw intense action in Falaise.

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The aim of the Canadian offensive towards Falaise was to join an American advance from the southwest to encircle German forces in Normandy. On 8 August, II Canadian Corps launched Operation TOTALIZE which, while managing to occupy Verrières Ridge, could not maintain its momentum towards Falaise in the face of determined German resistance and heavy casualties. The Canadians tried again on 14 August with Operation TRACTABLE, finally capturing Falaise on 17 August. Unfortunately, they failed to link up with the Americans, who had stopped at Argentan, the inter-army boundary, 30 kilometres to the south. The famous Falaise “Gap” which developed between the two armies allowed tens of thousands of desperate German troops to flee eastward and avoid capture. Thousands of others were killed as a result of relentless attacks by Allied aircraft.

The Americans advanced north part of the way to Chambois while the 4th Canadian Armoured Division moved to close the “Gap.” On 19 August a depleted squadron of Sherman tanks of the South Alberta Regiment under the inspired leadership of Major David Currie reached the village of St. Lambert-sur-Dives through which passed the only available road out of the “pocket” for the Germans and their hundreds of vehicles and horse-drawn wagons. Currie’s tanks were supported by about 100 men from Hamilton’s Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, later reinforced by men of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. This small Canadian force became responsible for finally closing the Falaise “Gap.” Currie did not rest for 48 hours. He successfully organized the defence of St. Lambert and the Canadians killed or wounded 800 German troops and captured more than 2,000. For his efforts, Currie was awarded the Victoria Cross.

By 21 August, after non-stop fighting, the Germans had either retreated or been destroyed inside the Falaise "Pocket" between the Canadian-British and American pincers. The Allies pursued the Germans north out of France, into Belgium, the Netherlands, and eventually into Germany itself. Despite this hard-fought victory, the war would last until May 1945.

A yellowed two-column newspaper clipping. — Hitchhiking to Juno

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In the middle of summer 1944, Hugh Lamb and Wes Huff decided to hitchhike back to Juno Beach from their position further inland in Normandy. Both had landed on Juno Beach with the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, and the trip was meant to honour the friends they had lost on D-Day and afterwards. A newspaper article back home in Canada covered their journey. Please find a transcription below.
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Black and white photograph. With a typical French home in the background, two men walk behind a row of white crosses planted in the ground. The photo is washed out, but it is clear that there are names on every cross. — Visiting Graves

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As captioned by Hugh Lamb, *"These are some of the QOR Graves of the boys killed on the beach on D-Day."* Photo dated August 1944.
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Black and white photograph. Three Canadian men in casual military uniforms stand in front of a large building labelled "Bernieres." One holds his cap down over his eyes to shield the sun. — Bernières Station

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As captioned by Hugh Lamb: *"The station a few yards from our landing beach."* Photo dated August 1944.
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Black and white photograph. Two Canadian soldiers stand in front of the sea wall; there is a stone staircase to their left. A house is visible in the background, with a window blown out. They stand on a sandy beach. — At the Seawall

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As captioned by Hugh Lamb: *"Wes Huff and I at the exact spot I went over the wall on D-Day."* Photo dated August 1944.
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Black and white photograph. A nurse and a soldier stand in front of a military truck. The soldier’s right arm is in a sling, and both are examining it. Other trucks, nurses, and soldiers are visible in the background. — Wounded and Waiting

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Black and white photograph. A soldier (with medical arm band) bandages the ankle of a young boy while another young child watches. — Bandages

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Black and white photograph. A man climbs a tall tree with a thick wire strung over his shoulder. He looks upward. The wire goes from the bottom of the photo, over the man's shoulder, up to the top of the tree. — Stringing Wires

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Black and white photograph. Three soldiers crouch in thick bushes. Two position a gun in a narrow gap. The third soldier looks off to the side. Equipment, weapons, and ammunition are on the ground. — Machine Gunners

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Black and white photograph. Five very young German soldiers in varying styles of battle dress stand behind a thickly laid barbed wire. — German SS POWs

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Black and white photograph. Buildings on a city street show significant damage. A Sherman tank navigates the rubbled-filled street. — Tanks Into Caen

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Black and white photograph. A line of Canadian troops proceeds down a narrow street in Caen. The buildings on either side have a lot of visible damage. The streets are completely covered with large pieces of rubble. — Entering Caen

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Black and white photograph. A soldier stands on a large pile of rubble pointing a gun into a gaping hole in the front of a building. Another ruined building is visible behind him, and the street is entirely covered in rubble. — Searching the Rubble

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Black and white photograph. Nurses wear metal helmets in the back of a military vehicle near the Normandy beach head. — Nurses Landing in France

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Black and white photograph. Two men dig a narrow trench in the ground. Tarps and a military jeep are in the background, in front of a forested area. — Digging a Slit Trench

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German losses during the Normandy campaign were catastrophic: nearly 200,000 killed, wounded, or missing, and an equal number taken prisoner. The cost of victory was just as high: more than 200,000 total Allied casualties, the majority American. The ten-week Normandy Campaign cost Canada more than 18,000 casualties, including more than 5,000 killed. Most are buried in the two Canadian Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in Normandy at Bény-sur-Mer and Bretteville-sur-Laize.