JUNO BEACH The Deadliest On D Day? | Normandy WW2

During the invasion of Fortress Europe the casualty figures sustained on Omaha beach were terrifying; approximately 2,500 US casualties were sustained of which around 800 were killed, depending on which source you use. The ratio was said to be 1 in 19 soldiers would become a casualty.
But it was at Juno beach where the fighting Canadians landed that the casualties were 1 in 18. The fighting on Juno beach resembled modern urban warfare - silencing fortified residential houses, clearing rooms and bunker busting. So was this the more deadly beach? This is the story, of Juno beach and the brave sons of Canada.
On June 6th, 1944, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 2nd Armoured Brigade were tasked with establishing a bridgehead on the beach codenamed “Juno”. This was an eight-kilometer long stretch of beach between Sword beach to the East and Gold beach to the West.
Come with me as we walk the beaches and take a look at what made this beach so well defended.
Let me know what you think in the comments below; I read and respond to every comment.
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[@billrosmus6734]

This and other videos like this are important for Canadian history. The archive building that contained much of the film and photos documenting Canadian WW2 activities, burned down in the late 1960s. So we lost a lot of our history. Videos like these help fill the holes.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

I’m so happy to read your comment. I’ve received some criticism as some people believe this is detracting from the US actions on D Day but that was not the point of this video.

[@maevethefox5912]

How the heck did I take military history courses at a Canadian university and never know this happened? (The fires, not Juno of course)

[@LtDan6969]

@@thehistoryexplorerYou aren’t at all. Honestly, most videos and documentaries about the world wars ignore Canada’s contributions to both the first and second world wars despite our vital role in both (especially WW1).

[@runningoutofnames3CS]

@@thehistoryexploreras an American, you aren’t, everyone knows what the Americans did but nobody knows what the Canadians did so imo it’s just as important to talk about them as well

[@manuelbermudez211]

No nation nor any persons contributions or experiences should be overlooked or disregarded by others. Just sayin …

[@Paratus7]

Us Brits know what the Canadians did and contributed. We will never forget. Hong Kong, Dieppe, Monte Casino,Juno, the Low Countries. Together then. Together always. 🇬🇧🇨🇦

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Absolutely, that’s why I wanted to cover the Canadians on this trip 👍

[@sv5813]

You forgot that glorious victory at Dieppe, oh never mind!

[@thehistoryexplorer]

@@sv5813 I’ve made a video on Dieppe

[@EliteExteriorPaintingCalgary]

Thanks Boss

[@maevethefox5912]

​@sv5813 I'm still convinced that Dieppe was a purposeful sacrifice that was intended to brutally fail. All the support the British pulled at the last minute... Think about it, if that raid is successful, the Germans rethink their defenses and are on higher alert. With it brutally failing, they become more convinced that Fortress Europe is unbreachable.

[@91Redmist]

Yank here. I visited the D-Day Ohio reenactment back a few years ago. The only D-Day vet I saw there was a Canadian. Sitting in his wheelchair, his legs covered in a blanket, I was in awe of this hero of a man. He was talking to a small gathering around him. I strained the best i could to hear him, as his kind is dying out very quickly. I salute with great respect all Canadian men and women who fought to defeat tyranny and preserve a free world for all.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

I wish I had met more veterans from WW2!

[@bengagnon6947]

I'm Canadian and reading this means the world!!! Thank you for sharing my brother from the south!!! 🇨🇦🇺🇸

[@badgermacleod5588]

Thank you for honoring our veterans. 🇨🇦🇺🇸.

[@geoffholmes7291]

I'm not crying you are😢

[@94jimmy5]

Hero's ALL!!!!!

[@phillipallen3259]

The Canadians are often overlooked or rather looked at as a sidenote when it comes to D-Day. Thank you for sharing this amazing story with us.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

And I use a $60 camera and old laptop 😂 next step is to buy a decent camera and editing laptop

[@mcvf7051]

You’re absolutely correct philli. Thank you.

[@pierreolsson588]

And not to forget; Dieppe…

[@larrythompson7069]

Here's Another Question Who The Most Battle Honors The Canadian,s Or TheU.S.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

@@larrythompson7069 I wouldn’t know the answer to that questions. It it’s also an unfair comparison. You can’t compare honours and awards between nations. For example- A US colonel I worked for had a chest full of ribbons, but we worked out if he had been in the British Army for the same time he would have 4 medals only. You can’t compare battle honours between different armies.

[@christinaeason2222]

My dear dad died on Juno beach three monts befor i was born He belonged to the Winnipeg Rifles hes also T Bene Sa Mere Cemetery i also knew at first he was laid to rest in a field but never knew where the field was and thanks to this video i now know where it is Thank you so much.Next year my son and i will visit him again and take his great grand son too so he will see hes still living in me two sons and a great granson Well meet one day and ill tell him how much i missed him in my life as i grew up ❤

[@thehistoryexplorer]

That is such a personal touch to this story. You can email me and I will send you the location of the temporary cemetery plot if you like? Very very brave Canadian soldiers

[@user-op2jk8ur9r]

صديقي انت رجل صالح ارجو ان تجد قبر والدك..

[@palmergriffiths1952]

Thank you for your Dad's service. I will think of him as I put down a flag on Remembrance Day this weekend. 🇨🇦🙏

[@thehistoryexplorer]

@@user-op2jk8ur9r sorry my friend I could not translate this message

[@christinaeason2222]

@@palmergriffiths1952 Thank you so mùch i really appreciate you thinking of him for me ive been lookinh for him all my life and found him three years ago a lady in Montreal found him for me,

[@Daniel-deMerrivale]

My Dad was one of three Juno Beach landing craft Coxwains flying the Royal Navy White Ensign and landing brave Canadian soldiers there. He said he tried his best to get as far into the beach as he could for the lads. He gave me the flag he flew on his LCI (landing craft infantry) many years ago (one of the very few items I have from him). The flag retains the halliards and is pretty much shot to pieces in places and when I look at it, I can easily wonder how anyone, including my Dad, survived there. The Canadians deservedly have a magnificent reputation for fighting men.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing your story. You must be very proud.

[@Daniel-deMerrivale]

@@thehistoryexplorer Thank you very much for your kind comment. I am very proud of my Dad, but he always reflected on all of the brave young men who were there, and of course, the other beaches. Thank you again.

[@grantpatterson2727]

Sounds like your dad was no slouch either. Much respect.

[@martinclail9290]

My father left southern Ireland and enlisted in the British army, served alongside Canadian and British Tommies. He said they were the bravest men he had ever served alongside.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Do you know where he served? And thank you for sharing 👍

[@pagedown4195]

We always hear of bloody Omaha. Didn´t know Juno beach was that bad. Respect to the Canadien soldiers.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Well said my friend. It was very well defended and in terms of percentage of troops deployed to those injured it was actually the worst in terms of fatalities. Obviously Omaha had far more fatalities but it also had far more troops land there

[@danmoyer4650]

He didn't mention in this video the fact that, in spite of Juno being the most heavily defended beach on D-Day and the fact that they suffered the highest casualty rates of all the Allied invaders, the Canadians advanced further inland than any other force.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

@@danmoyer4650 I cover that in a future video my friend. This was just about the defences on the beach. A video coming up is all about the Abbey Ardenne

[@Andrew-xq7ni]

​@@thehistoryexplorerthere were very heavy loses my unit the north shore was in the initial wave and by the time they reached carpicet airfield the unit was completely combat ineffective due to heavy loses

[@Schweini_1983]

Check out history underground video on Juno. Also other videos about what massacre by the 12th SS. The Canadians pushed further inland than the three US and Britain and went up against a well prepared fanatical enemy in the 12th SS.

[@krakengames197]

As a Canadian I appreciate this video, Canada is constantly overshadowed for there sacrifices in every single war they are in despite being some of the most formidable and reliable fighting force. Thanks for the amazing video

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You are most welcome my friend

[@kennetth1389]

My great uncle died on Juno. Thank you for making this for all our fallen.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You are most welcome. It was my pleasure to make this video

[@DJF1985]

Just did a tour of the Normandy Beaches and I just want to say how touched I am by the way the French People and Government have treated the area with such respect and tribute to American, British, and Canadian Military. And, one should never forget the French civilians that were killed during the invasion. There were many many killed during the naval and air bombardment and ensuing combat that continued throughout the breakout.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Well said. I couldn’t agree more

[@hartfischer5509]

I saw so many French, British, and Dutch and Belgian people, in Allied uniforms, driving around in totally restored Jeeps and Allied military vehicles, making the whole D-Day experience so real, and so remarkable. Thanks to all of them, for upholding the memory of what this was like in 1944. We must defend our Western European culture against the forces of totalitarianism, even today. Thanks to all who uphold the D-Day tradition.

[@peterrollinson-lorimer]

Very well done, thank you. My dad was one of the Canadian soldiers who landed at Juno beach.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Oh Peter you must be so very proud. Thank you for the kind feedback I really appreciate it

[@mcvf7051]

Bless your dad very brave man. 🙏 ❤🇨🇦

[@palmergriffiths1952]

Gets me choked up seeing this being a Canadian and like the Normandy Veterans My Grandfather was also a WWII veteran but he saw action in Italy and Southern France. Remerance Day is Just around the corner. Thanks to the Veterans. 🇨🇦 🇺🇲 🇬🇧 🙏

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you for your comment. I hope you enjoyed the video, I’ve got so many more to come including five more videos on the Canadian army. You must be so proud of your families legacy

[@palmergriffiths1952]

@@thehistoryexplorer Thanks. Well Remembrance Day is around the corner here in Canada. My own Grandfather like I said in the previous post wasn't in Normandy but he was in the Italian Campaign at Places like Anzio,Monte La Difensa, The Mussolini canal , The Gustav line etc. As a member of The First Special Service Force .

[@thehistoryexplorer]

@@palmergriffiths1952 Italy was anything but ‘the soft underbelly’. Winter in Italy was sheer hell. I’m actually going to do a series from Italy so I hope you’ll watch that too 👍

[@palmergriffiths1952]

@@thehistoryexplorer That would be great to see. I remember my Grandfather talking about his time over there when he was in The FSSF. He passed away in 2008.

[@ManCub25]

Both my grandfathers landed at Juno on D-Day. One was a tank driver for the Sherbrooke Fusiliers armoured regiment and the other was a Rifleman of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada. One told many stories about his time in service and the other couldn't bring himself to speak a word about it.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

People handle their experiences in different ways I guess. You must be very proud of their legacy

[@25svbn]

I'm a Canadian soldier and my Father in Law landed on Juno Beach with the Calgary Highlanders. This is all I have right now 😢❤🇨🇦🇬🇧🇺🇲

[@thehistoryexplorer]

I hope this video did justice to the events your father in law had to endure. I’ve got many more videos on the Canadians coming up including Abbey Ardenne, North Shore Regiment footage on D Day and the Worthington Force

[@25svbn]

It did thank you brother

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You are most welcome my friend

[@tsp141181]

Where are you posted, brother?

[@HaloFTW55]

I personally know people in the modern CalHighs, good people who are brave and capable. The modern CalHigh carry their predecessors’ legacy and do them proud.

[@johnmainer4582]

My wife and I were just there a few short weeks ago on a WW1+2 Canadian battlefield sites. After seeing both places where both my grandfather's were injured in 1916, we came to Juno Beach. My wife's dad landed here on D-day with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. My dad landed here on the 26 July, '44, proceeding east to Arromanches where his guns - 25pdr field guns - of the Cdn. 15th Field Regiment were landed utilizing the recently completed Winston Port. After the guns were cleaned and de-watered, they proceeded south assisting the Rifles and other units in the capture of Caen and the battle of the Falaise Gap, wirh many more to follow. After reading and studying all of their war records, to actually stand in the places where they fought and were injured was truly an emotional experience for both of us. And it's given us experiences we will cherish for the rest of our days. Lastly, I'm happy to say, all 4 of them survived their conflicts and we both grew up with them in our lives. If I had 1 regret in my own life, it would be not talking to each of them more about those experiences when they were still with us.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

What a comment! Brilliantly said. You must be so proud to be able to trace that journey. I’m a gunner myself. We were probably there around the same time my friend

[@romaineroberts5656]

Never knew Juno beach was so bad. Always showed Omaha beach in the movies. My uncle was in the army was in the Battle of the Buldge. I was just a teenager when he died. You are so fortunate that your men survived the war but I believe they never wanted to talk about the war. Too much heartache.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

@@romaineroberts5656 yea very true, some veterans just do not/did not want to talk about wha they experienced. It was only in their later years that many of them began to speak out

[@91Redmist]

​​@thehistoryexplorer I grew up around a lot of WW2 vets here in America. I think that we took them somewhat for granted and so were in no hurry to ask them about their experiences. But I had the awareness that combat was awful enough to make men not want to talk about such things, so I never pressed those that I knew who were in any of our wars. (WW2 through the Wars on Terror.)

[@christinaeason2222]

Wow my dad was in the Winnipeg Rifles was yours one of thr first to go in like my darling dad if so he might have met him,i always latch onto the hope thet someone knew him

[@chrissnape9537]

Thank You for this honoring "the brave sons of Canada."

[@user-ms8zo5qh5y]

God bless them all love the Canadians my old dad said 17 when he fought alongside them they are some of the best in the world love from 🇬🇧 never forgotten always in our hearts.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Wow, thank you for sharing. Appreciate it

[@doogieham]

Thanks for this video. As a Canadian, I found it very enlightening. So much has been made of the casualties on Omaha Beach but I didn’t realize that the casualty ratio was higher on Juno, nor did I know about the extent of the urban warfare that was needed to control this beach.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You are most welcome and I have lots of Canadian content coming! I hope you subscribe and come back for more

[@ToddSauve]

@@thehistoryexplorer I hope you can do a detailed episode on the Battle for Bretteville and Putot, which lasted from June 7 to 10, 1944. Won by the Regina Rifles and the Royal Winnipeg Rifles respectively against 12 SS and Panzer Lehr!

[@Kaytron10]

Yes i did not know we had one of the hardest parts of d-day

[@spitfire690]

Something worth mentioning is despite these heavy defenses and ferocious fighting, the Canadians (I think the Regina Rifles) were the first to capture their primary objective on D-Day, and by the end of the day had pushed the furthest into Nazi-occupied France.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

This is all very true buddy. I cover it in a future video when I cover the Abbey Ardenne

[@susanyu6507]

Just catching up to thank you for placing a marker at Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery. Having just come back from a WWI tour, we visited quite a few Canadian Memorials and sites maintained by the Canadian government. Fabulously well taken care of and knowledgeable docents from Canada giving tours. You are doing an amazing job with the videos and so heartened you have so many comments and touched so many people.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Susan! Thank you for the lovely comment. I hope you enjoyed your WW1 battlefield tour. The channel is going from strength to strength at the moment which is fantastic. Thank you for your support

[@intelprointelpro4452]

Une reconnaissance éternelle pour tous ces soldats alliés qui ont délivré la France et l'Europe des Nazis. Leur sacrifice n'a pas été inutile et certains ont sacrifié leur avenir pour sauver le nôtre. Vous resterez toujours dans nos cœurs et que votre exemple inspire la jeune génération. 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷👍👍👍💞💞💞

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Well said

[@badgermacleod5588]

Cheers from frozen hell 🇨🇦

[@quietcanadian5132]

I had two uncles who landed at Juno. Basil was a medic with “The Glens” out of Cornwall, and Frank a rifleman with the Scottish Essex. Basil came home. Frank died in Oct 44 during the battle of the Scheldt. Every Remembrance Day, I remember these d great men who sacrificed for Canada…

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you for sharing. You must be very proud

[@jasompinard4576]

My uncle Frank landed at Juno. Was wounded badly enough to take him out of the rest of the war. Lived a long happy life after.

[@jamesross1799]

The Canadians punched well above there weight for the " mother country" in both world wars. I used to know men (British) who landed on D day. Only just found your channel and its brilliant.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you! I appreciate that. Yes I think the Canadians pinched above their weight throughout the war.

[@camperp195]

As i get older,it’s difficult to not cry at this,and can only imagine the horror that both sides went through,and for what? ❤️🥺just makes me incredibly sad at the loss of life here,RIP guys,you are NOT FORGOTTEN 🌹

[@thehistoryexplorer]

I’m so glad you appreciated the video. I’m always humbled when I visit Normandy

[@christinaeason2222]

I have to keep comming back to your video so i can see where my dad died thank you so much

[@McLove17]

Never say “and for what?” Remember the “what”. Remember what they were fighting for. It was a terrible loss of life for all sides, but remember that our allies were the ones who died for justice, freedom….the side of humanity.

[@mcvf7051]

Our Canadian soldiers were fierce, brave ,intelligent, very well trained & skilled fighters. They knew what they had to do & got on with it. They never received the recognition they deserved in either WW1 or WW2. They were true heroes & without them the Allies could never have won either WW. God bless them all especially my Grandpa & Great Grandpa. THANK YOU.❤🇨🇦

[@thehistoryexplorer]

I have to agree with what you’ve written. I do not believe they got the recognition they deserved

[@iam62goinon63]

I still wear the canadain flag lapel badge that my dad allways wore on our trips to Normandy as his personal rembrance of the lads he landed with

[@thehistoryexplorer]

@@iam62goinon63 that’s fantastic. What a nice touch

[@duniagowes]

Storming Juno is the movie. A good one with actual footages and interview with the veterans.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

I’ve never seen that! Sounds right up my alley

[@duniagowes]

yeah. this video will be a great companion to the movie! To 'better understand the situation' , etc. The three rifle men who stormed the pilbox you mentioned at 8:25 is also depicted in the movie. Thanks for your reply and for this video.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

@@duniagowes you are very welcome and thank you for the recommendation. I’ll definitely try and find it. Have a great weekend

[@lib556]

It's a mixed effort. It is divided into 3 dramatic reenactments: 1. The Regina Rifles on the beach including Lt Grayson capturing a bunker full of Germans which is fairly well done. 2. One Canadian Para Bn members taking out a German mortar position including Cpl Dan Hartigen (author of the book A Rising of Courage which you must read). This portion is probably the best in terms of kit and attention to detail in the film. 3. First Hussars armoured regt hitting the beach in DD tanks. This one is the weakest of the three. you can see that different teams worked on the three stories. The First Hussars piece suffers from unconvincing actors wearing improper uniforms that they look uncomfortable in and various other inaccuracies.

[@Hew.Jarsol]

The Brits and Canadians were fighting most of the Heavy SS Panzer divisions from D-day onwards.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Many people don’t realise this. It wasn’t until operation Luttich that any real number of armoured formations were diverted away from south of Caen to attack the Americans towards Mortain

[@johnwhitney2431]

Yes, love the Canadians and Brits, you know what is better than a d day, not having to hold one

[@lib556]

Thanks for this. The Canadian contribution to WW2 is is typically glossed over and ignored. Case in point: the film The Longest Day. I often comment that, while Omaha experienced the highest overall casualties, Juno had just as high per capita. Every one always focuses on Omaha and ignores Juno. Here's an idea for a future video: do one about how C Company of the First Canadian Para Bn was the first Allied formed body to hit fortress France - approximately 30 mins before Maj Howard's glider company at Pegasus Bridge. Yet it's Howard that gets all the credit. Details are in Cpl (Ret'd) Dan Hartigen's book, A Rising of Courage. Finally, 'Regina' is pronounced with a long 'i'...'re - jine - ah'. I lived there for a time and was a member of that regt.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you for that! I did know about the pronunciation but absolutely spoofed it on the day. Doh!

[@lib556]

@@thehistoryexplorer Americans always do it. Canadians named most of the routes in southern Kandahar after our cities. I worked with an American Maj who pronounced it 'regeena'. I corrected him and he asked why I thought it was Canadian. I explained that we named the roads after our cities. He shot back with, "what about Route London? Ha ha, I got you!' I pointed out it was named for London, Ontario - a Canadian city.. So he embraced the proper pronunciation. First time at a large briefing that he used it, there were childish sniggers around the room. The yanks got all giggly because it sounded like, 'vagina'.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

😂

[@bullhead900]

Wah.

[@badgermacleod5588]

He's British, cut him some slack. He's paying homage to our troops & that's what's important.

[@flamingmoe1805]

My Grandfather arrived day 3. Fought in Caen and the Scheldt estuary. Distinguished service medal twice. Never spoke a word about it until he was terminal

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You must be very proud of his war record. He sounds as though he certainly distinguished himself!

[@flamingmoe1805]

@@thehistoryexplorer i am very proud. I grew up in a pretty dysfunctional family but thankfully my grandfather Walter was a pillar of strength and character as a guide. Thought you might like this story. Battle of the Schelt Walter Hanson (1ST Canadian army, 102nd anti tank) because they had been fighting in water for weeks developed trench foot. Asked his commanding officer to go to the rear for medical treatment. Officer reply "We're in the middle of a battle, you're not going anywhere". Walter dutifully put his boots back on and went to work. He asked a red cross member that he saw for fresh socks as he thought they might have to amputate his feet as they were that bad. Was told by the red cross he could have some but he would have to go to the rear to get them and that he would have to pay for them. Well, he wasnt allowed to leave so that was that. Thankfully, a member of the Salvation Army heard of Walter's plight. He left for the front, tracked down Walter and handed him 2 pairs of fresh socks and a thermos of fresh coffee. He handed 1 pair to his best friend. In the 70's when I was a little kid and went with my grandfather salmon fishing just north of Vancouver Canada he brought that same thermos. In the 80's after he got cancer he told us this story at Christmas with tears in his eyes. I beleive he felt it was the greatest kindness he'd recieved in his life (he was beaten very very badly by his father as a kid) . Now he is long gone but about 8 of us in our family give a box of fresh socks to the Salvation Army to hand out to homeless men in my grandfather's memory every christmas. I think we are up to about 6000 socks now. Maybe I should add a thermos

[@davidrobinson6353]

British and Canadian soldiers together make a Powerhouse fighting force the enemy dreaded coming up against. This is a well known fact still applying today. God Bless each and every one of them past and present.🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Well said!

[@gazzertrn]

Canadians helped us out in WW1 and WW2 , thankyou to the brave Canadians . So often overlooked , but always there .

[@thehistoryexplorer]

A very powerful military heritage

[@ajaxmaintenance5104]

Thank you for a very well-done effort which paid respect to the brave Canadians on D-day.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

It is my genuine pleasure and I hope you enjoyed the video

[@CamMacMastermusic]

Canadian war veterans live in the shadows of allied glory. Thank you for sharing this video about our true heroes. ❤️ 🇨🇦

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You are very welcome, it was my pleasure

[@mimicotom]

Been there. I was at Juno beach in 2015. It is a sacred place in Canadian history. Much respect for our troops. What irked me is that the Juno Beach Visitor Centre was paid for with private dollars, with the federal government not contributing to this. We would rather spend Canadian tax dollars to do studies to see how many times bears shit in the woods, but give nothing for our brave Canadians that kept us free 80 years ago. Get your priorities straight, Canada.

[@wombatwilly1002]

Or supplying our military with Pride berets..:(

[@iamconmasfra]

My great uncle landed at Juno in one of the later waves, he volunteered for the airborne but was rejected for his kidney scars so ended up in the infantry. I unfortunately never got to meet him before he passed but had a couple phone calls with him. Uncle Billy always said all that he needed was his peddle bike and a case of rye whiskey and he would have peddled all the way to Berlin. Proud to be able to call him family!

[@thehistoryexplorer]

What a man! You must be very proud

[@OTDMilitaryHistory]

Great video! Thank you for covering Juno Beach. I agree about the balance of useful of the area and the commemorations of the landings. My great uncle was buried in that temporary cemetery. He is buried at Beny now. The DDs at Courseulles made a major difference. The OC of the Regina Rifles said so himself. WN 29 is kinda of still there. Myself and Woody from WW2TV believe its part of the foundation for the restaurant there.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thanks Brad! I’m so glad you approve I was really worried I’d get it wrong, it’s one of the reasons I only did ‘wave tops’. You know, I did wonder about that building near WN29 as it just looks a bit odd. And when you stand at the side where I was you can picture it being on the right spot. I hope I did the Canadians proud 💪 🇨🇦

[@OTDMilitaryHistory]

@@thehistoryexplorer You did an excellent job! I’ll be doing the deep for my videos next year. I can’t speak for every Canadian but I believe many of them would enjoy this video.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

@@OTDMilitaryHistory thank you Brad it means a lot. I think we might be in Normandy at the same time for your visit. If so let’s meet up for a cidre!

[@OTDMilitaryHistory]

@@thehistoryexplorer No need to thank me. You do great work. That sounds like a great plan. I'm still not sure on the details for my trip. I need a few things to fall in place before I finalize everything.

[@ianmccleery7060]

My father volunteered when the war broke out and was trained at Ballykinler camp with the Royal Irish Fusiliers. On D-day he was attached to the Canadians destined for Juno beach as he was then with the Royal Signals. He didn't speak about it much but I know that he witnessed a lot of the horrors of that war including what he saw when Belsen was liberated. He was wounded on several occasions, once when a friend was blown up by a mine when they were checking Comms cables towards the front and my dad and the jeep they were in was blown yards away and he found out afterwards that all they found of his friend was a boot with his foot in it. But thankfully he survived the war and made it home. Found out a lot more over the years that would just leave you in complete awe of him, my mum and that generation, never again will we see their like. I always think to myself did I ever thank him or thank him enough for what he'd done. Both my mum and dad are still very much loved and missed!

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you for sharing your personal connection. Very much appreciated. I hope you enjoyed the video

[@ianmccleery7060]

Yeah, so little coverage and credit given to British, Canadian, and all other commonwealth forces in the participation of d-day when you look at any films, TV series or documentaries so thanks for giving some balance to the overall picture. Again, great work well done and thanks.👍

[@user-qf2op2oc6z]

visited the Juno beach Museum on June 7 this year. Was impressed by our commitment to the remembrance to this historic time. The French memorials to the allies in monuments and cemeteries was heartfelt. only saw the Mike green sector near the museum, but definitely need to pay respect and visit these other historic areas. The Canadian cemetery is truly a moving experience. Dennis from Vancouver, Canada

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you for the comment Dennis. I never got to go in the museum myself and had planned to cover the Mike sector too but ran out of time (and light). I hope to go back and cover Mike sector

[@Mrkaycee7]

I cannot say enough about this channel and how well done the videos are. Such care and attention to detail is not ignored by this Canadian. I so appreciate that you are providing a much desired and deserved spotlight on the Canadian involvement in WW2. So much is devoted to the British and American exploits, and deservedly so, but little is known about the great valour and achievements of the Canadian soldiers. D Day, Italy, doing the dirty work to get the port of Antwerp open having experienced the hell of the Scheldt Estuary, the liberation of the Netherlands, the breakthroughs of the Gothic and Hitler lines in Italy, the brutal battle of Ortona that had them face the best Germany had and prevailed. I could go on, but enough said!

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you for the very kind feedback it means the works to me.

[@Soniteq]

Amazing video! Professional production. Professional narration. And I learned several things! History Channel needs to pick this up!

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Wow, thank you!

[@graemer3657]

My grandfather landed on Juno beach with the 53rd Welsh division a few weeks after d day. His division fought as part of the Canadian army in Normandy. Politically it was important to have a Commonwealth army in command of British troops.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

I’d love to find more footage of the beaches after the landings to see how the defences looked then

[@georgecuyler7563]

I was told by WWII vets from Canada and the United States that we Canadians fulfilled our objective on day one, while the rest took up to three days to secure their beaches. I didn't know that this objective was the toughest one.. my foster dad was a Royal Canadian Regiment member during the second. They could never say enough about Sgt Tommy Prince, and loved telling his stories, their eyes would light up. I believe it was Otto Davenport USMC WWII vet that first told my brothers and I about him. I also heard about other Canadians. "The heroes died over there " that's what they said over and over

[@hbailie9115]

Thank you for this. My great uncle was 3rd wave at Juno & died about a month later. He & his brothers in battle deserve to be recognised.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you for sharing your personal story. I hope I did them proud

[@tedkrasicki3857]

A family with four children emigrated from Poland to Canada. The oldest of two children born in Canada went north to work as a mucker in the mine at Flin Flon. This very tough man enlists with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles (The Little Black Devils) and was nicknamed "Bull". Cpl Klos evened the score if a rifleman had lost a fist fight. As told to me by a former RWR that heard this (having landed later in the day than the first Coy on the beach). When the ramp of the LCI went down, Cpl. Klos was hit in the abdomen and yelled "I'm not having it". Holding his abdomen he ran for the beach. He was hit in the leg and again yelled "I'm not having it". From the RWR'S 2014 edition of "The Devil's Blast". Rfn Al Williams, the No. 1 on the Pl’s 2-inch mortar, was making his way ashore when his number 2, Rfn Thomas Bird, and his load of mortar bombs went spinning down into the water. Shortly later, Al was wounded in the left arm, causing him to drop his mortar. He struggled ashore and was hit a second time, this time in the foot, at the waterline, and fell, unable to walk, in full view of a MG, which was methodically sweeping the beach. Suddenly, to Williams’ relief, Cpl Walter Klos left the shelter of the sand dunes and ran to his rescue. “Bull” Klos was a large, powerful man, and he grabbed Al by his cross straps and dragged him to safety. At the time the Cpl was bleeding profusely from at least two wounds and was holding his intestines, which were protruding from a gash in his abdomen, in place with one hand. He propped Williams up against a sand dune, made him as comfortable as possible, and then struggled up the dune towards the nearest pill box. A short while later, Al was wounded a third time, this time by a German mortar bomb that landed literally between his legs, but buried itself in the soft sand before detonating. At this point he lost interest in the war and eventually was collected by the medics, treated on the beach and evacuated to England that same day, lucky to be alive and with his manhood intact. The horribly wounded Cpl Klos had disappeared from view after he struggled up the dunes towards a MG firing from a pillbox. CSM Charles Belton, who had come in with the Coy HQ carrier after the first wave had landed, was searching for missing LBD’s when he peered through one of the firing slits of a silenced pillbox and discovered Klos, weaponless and “dead but with his hands still gripped around the throat of a dead German who he had strangled, and two other dead Germans he’d also taken care of in the fortification.”

[@thehistoryexplorer]

I’ve never read that before but it is horrific! We can’t begin to imagine what they went through. Thank you for sharing

[@daniellysohirka4258]

Hey my great grandfather also fought in WWII, and I'm from Flin Flon 4th generation now. My great grandfather met my great grandmother in Scotland wear he was stationed in 1943 in Scotland and had my grandfather, making him a Scottish birth. But, we got 3 generations of diamond drillers in the family since now living up here.

[@tedkrasicki3857]

@@daniellysohirka4258 Cpl. Klos MM was from Brandon, ( The Wheat City) Manitoba. The hard rock mines provided a job during the depression and it did turn him into a very strong individual.

[@daniellysohirka4258]

@@tedkrasicki3857 yeah that's great to hear. I grew up hanging around in the Legion here because my mom worked there before they disallowed kids because of the VLT's. So I met a few vets when I was younger in the Legion as well. There is also a picture of 16 soldiers by the Ukrainian church uptown here holding a sign saying "Look out Hitler, here comes Flin Flon!".

[@mikeohagan2206]

aint that a man. god bless his brave soul. this is the type of soldier who makes a difference. relentless and selfless.

[@hatuletoh]

Discussions about which invasion beach was the most lethal is sort of like debating whether getting kicked in the nuts or punched in the nuts is worse. Walking along Juno--and Omaha, and Pointe du Hoc, and everywhere else the first waves hit--and looking down on those places from the German positions, the wonder to me was that anyone got off the beaches alive. The fact that June 6th came off not only as a success, but with quite a bit fewer casualties than expected is a testament to both the allied planners, and to the men who actually did the job. It's a bit remarkable they were able to walk with the set of balls they were carrying around.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Well said, of course you are right

[@TheVigilant109]

Thank you. Great video. I learned a lot from it and the now and then images are excellent. Shows the defences the Canadians had to overcome and the bravery and courage to do so

[@thehistoryexplorer]

I’m so glad you enjoyed it

[@ronti2492]

Excellent video Sir! The YT algorhythm appears to be leading me backward through your current France series! Hats off to you- I can only guess how much work you put in to a 17 minute video. My guess is literally weeks. The storyline is well organised: like a good staff college essay, you start with an introduction, move straight to the main body of the story, and wrap it all up in a conclusion. Your maps are excellent- the viewer is kept in the loop with the situation at all times. Historical shots are well juxtaposed with your current footage, seemlessly. Honestly, you could join up your videos and run a staff ride just from them. Of course you wouldn't in real life, we have to give the DS something to do...and make sure they are not idle...but you see what I mean. Well done and thank you for your great effort. It has hit the centre of seen mass in my case....

[@christesta2521]

Thank you for this education and for the actual WW ll footage. My dad and uncles fought in the Pacific, Europe and North Africa. I enjoyed seeing the past and present pics. There will never be another greatest generation in my opinion. Its an honor to watch what all of the Western Allies went through. As an American its awesome seeing that the Canadians were not overlooked.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you so much, I’ve glad you enjoyed it. Also great to hear about your family connections to WW2. You must be so proud

[@ferociousfil5747]

Thank you for your highlight of the Juno landing, lest we forget!

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You are most welcome, it was my pleasure to share this story

[@alpha-male1959]

Extremely well done video Thank you from Canada 🇨🇦 Hope the deeds of this day are never forgotten

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you for your kind feedback. Really appreciate it

[@bettylaselli2048]

Great work! I really admire your creativity! Thanks for sharing ❤

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you so much for your support. It means the world to me

[@vanthdon666jj]

Yet another amazing bit of art you've made again, love watching these ❤🙂💯💯💯

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you so much my friend. That really means a lot

[@Prindad]

Thank you very much for this wonderful, and well-informed video. I am a Canadian veteran, which I humbly add because my service was with the NATO forces in West Germany, during peacetime. In my youth, in the town that I lived in, Remembrance Day (today for me) was celebrated by long lines of World War II veterans, marching towards our modest Cenotaph, with the school students dutifully marching behind them. Even then we had a sense of what they had done; perhaps even more then. My own service, as I suspect theirs was, was inspired by the sacrifices of my fellow countrymen and women (my father, sister and uncles served as well ... some during WWII and Korea). Anyway, this is about them; that great generation who inspired us and who so few are left of. I noticed today on Facebook the pictures and comments for friends who have posted pictures of loved ones, who served. I miss that generation very deeply, and your video has helped me to reach a greater understanding of the enormity of their task. Well done, sir! David p.s. you have me as a new, grateful subscriber, and shortly as a Patreon contributor. I hope your good work continues and I would like to support it p.p.s I don't intend this as a criticism (I've been challenged by the colourful names of English towns myself). Regina is pronounced, as ... hmm ... well ... Vagina. No disrespect to the great soldiers and citizenry of that wonderful Western city. I'm confident many of them have explained it in the same way. No issue, just a gentle advisory. Thanks again, and my apology for the correction, which comes from a good place.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Wow thank you Sir 🫡 I really appreciate your support and your feedback. I will definitely pronounce Regina correctly next time! I’ve got lots of videos coming up on the Canadians including Abbey Ardenne, a look at the original D Day footage of the North Shore Regiment and a video on the Worthington Force

[@AndyH2023.]

Another great video and a great tribute to those brave men

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you so very much. I’m glad you enjoyed it

[@napierlines6977]

Very good video Rob. This is one of your best

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you! Appreciate it

[@peterjeffery8495]

Thank you for this. Its refreshing to NOT HEAR the phrase "troops of the Commonwealth" that other historians on other channels use to talk when describing Canadian/Australian/NZ/Indian etc warriors.The Canadian troops were specialists in house to house urban warfare thanks to lessons learned here. No question that Juno was the deadliest beach, the numbers don't lie.

[@andreduguay1627]

Many of these film clips I'd never seen. From a 67-year-old Canadian patriot who thanks you very much for the tribute to our fallen.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you for your kind feedback, I’m so proud to have made a video people are appreciative of

[@zapper302]

Thank you. My great uncle never made the D-Day landings, he was a replacement stuck in England for a few days. He was later killed by a sniper at Caen. Highland Light Infantry of Canada.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

So sad to hear that but thank you for sharing

[@gizmo6746]

I went to Juno beach last week. It is scary to see how far soldiers had to run for cover . While the beach is relatively short, the grassy dunes (about 400 meters in length) behind it were a perfect spot for defending Germans. Not to mention the raised three lines behind those dunes. It must have been hell for the allied .

[@drmuller77]

Loved the video! Thank you for making my day!

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You are most welcome. Even if people mute my rambling they can see the locations today!

[@robmisener2786]

Another great video Rob!

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Glad you’re enjoying them! I have many more to come

[@Fantax92]

How many young men lost their lives in WW2 is staggering. We owe them so much, thank you for this mini-documentary remineing us of their sacrifice!

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Absolutely!

[@mikeohagan2206]

the greatest generation. by far, so we could live free.

[@misaelthegoat2393]

Great video! My great uncles all fought on Juno

[@thehistoryexplorer]

you must be so proud. Thank you for your kind feedback

[@kanadaka]

Thank you for making this.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

It was my pleasure buddy

[@rhondabare5630]

Thank you for the video. It is a wish to actually see this beach in person. My father was a 17 year old member of the US Navy, landing the Canadians and British troops on Juno beach. Their LST then came back to help triage injured soldiers and transport them to England. Like many men who experienced that, he didn’t talk often about what he saw and experienced but he spoke sometimes of the bravery of the “boys” who landed and fought that day.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You must be so proud of his legacy. I hope you do visit the beaches!

[@blancherose2707]

My farther was on LST 199 landing the Canadians and thier tanks .LST 199 was American built ,but was signed to the Royal Navy .He witnessed many casualties

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You must be so proud. I bet your father had some stories to tell!

[@billg763]

Thank you for this video. My father signed up for the Royal Winnipeg Rifle Reserves in 1943 at age 15. I remember arguing with someone in Veteran Affairs when trying to get him hearing aids over that fact. He couldn't wouldn't believe that many young Canadians would sign up at that age. I told him while the Army typically wouldn't send you until age 18 (maybe 17) all it would have taken was for the Rifles to be wiped out on D-Day for the reserves to be called. While I know or thought I knew a lot of details this is the first time it has shown Tobruks connect to trenches and/or tunnels. Very deadly as we are seeing today in Ukraine. Thanks again.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Bill you are most welcome and I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you so much for sharing your father’s story; a different time! We don’t have VA in the UK but I gather they are not always as efficient as they could be. All the best, Rob

[@taunosuni390]

I’d like to express my gratitude for this wonderful video; it contributes even more to the already impressive collection of Canadian documentaries detailing our participation in WWII and various other global conflicts. To the best of my knowledge, none of my direct family members were involved in the D-Day invasions. However, my research into family records has uncovered a D-Day Dodger in my lineage who initially fought in Italy before being deployed to Europe to fight in Holland I believe. At the 4:48 timestamp, I observed a photograph capturing a downed American fighter on the beach. This image caught my attention as I haven’t come across it before, and I find it intriguing to possibly explore the potential backstory behind this crash. I wonder if the fighter was providing air support to the Canadian sector, if it was brought down by anti-aircraft fire, or if a German fighter was responsible. Additionally, I’m curious about the fate of the pilot-did they survive the incident? Thank you again and keep up the great work.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

I’m glad you commented! I have a video coming up where I cover the story of the downed fighter. Who the pilot was, how he crashed and his fate. I hope you’ll come back to check it out! Thank you so much for your comment

[@taunosuni390]

@@thehistoryexplorerThank You for your response. It’s remarkable how, even after 80 years, countless untold stories from World War II persist, ranging from the supply depots and the kitchen staff to the frontline troops. I appreciate your keen interest in the fighter aircraft, which appears to be a P-47 Thunderbolt? Upon examining Google Maps, I endeavoured to match the background, and it appears that the incident occurred near the Point de vue de St-Aubin-sur-Mer, in close proximity to the current Office de tourisme de Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer and the Fort Garry Horse D-Day Landing Memorial. Regrettably, Google Maps lacks a detailed street view in front of these specific buildings, except for a distant perspective from the beach. I eagerly anticipate watching your video and learning more about the circumstances surrounding its presence in that location. Thanks again and all the best

[@A14b19]

I worked with a man when I left school in an engineering shop . He was at Dunkirk,Italy Anzio Normandy. He told me when he hit the beach door went down out he ran . To his left right front and back they went down by time he reached the bank he was only one left .. h He told me he was glad he was wearing brown trousers, because his pants were full of shit . As an experienced soldier he still was frightened . Alfred was his name and this was 1979. And so many stories he told me . As so many other veterans told me ❤

[@thehistoryexplorer]

What an amazing account. Terribly sad

[@Janggut40]

Good afternoon from Marudi Sarawak.. I did watch the series Band Of Brothers and The Pacific. Previous dcoumentary and your video at Juno Beach are much appreciated. I feel that Im there

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Wow, thank you! That’s what I hope. I really appreciate your feedback. I have been to Mt Kinabalu and Sandakan

[@Janggut40]

Wow that awesome@@thehistoryexplorer ! Thank you for sharing

[@jean-sebastienroy6231]

I visited Juno Beach last November. My grandfather's brother was a member of Régiment de la Chaudière who also disembarked on Juno Beach. As Canadian, it made me so proud of what these young men have accomplished. Lest we Forget! Nous nous souviendrons d'eux!

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you for the kind comment. I hope you had a fantastic visit to Normandy 👍

[@dugwillis84]

My grandad lied about his age and signed up for the Canadian military at age 16. He was there at Juno, and also helped liberate the Netherlands.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Amazing. What a brave man

[@stephen4763]

From Texas here - I think we can all agree, ALL the lads that were crossing these beaches have our respect. Every inch of these sands is hallowed ground due to so much loss of life and injuries sustained. Suffice it to say, participation from all the countries involved were much needed against the Nazi forces.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Well said! Top comment, thank you for sharing

[@bellysize]

Indeed. We owe a debt of gratitude to every soldier who set foot on these Normandy beaches on D-Day.

[@royketcheson4423]

Thanks for the detailed tour of Juno beach. My father invaded with the RWRs.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Our pleasure! I hope you enjoyed it. And much respect to your father

[@Daniel_McGarry_Paolini]

Amazing video thanks a lot for making this.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Glad you liked it!

[@BradFalck-mn3pc]

I agree with you it shows in movies like a bridge too far which fails to even acknowledge that Canada exists let alone played a pivotal role in market garden

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Yes exactly!

[@michaelb9529]

The Second Canadian Army was by the time they had cleared the Scheldt Estuary, how they managed to do it was simply sheer stubbornness and fine soldering. By clearing the Schelt they liberated Antwerp a much needed port for the Allies to continue to supply their forces. At one point British XXX corps was attached to the Canadians. Gen Harry Crerar dispatched it south to draw the Germans away from Patton's Army thus allowing him to push back the Germans and take the Battle of the Bulge. By the last 6 months of the war the Second Canadian Army was considered to be unbeatable. Much the same as the WW1 Canadian Corps was during the Hundred Days. If the Germans knew the Canadian Corps was opposing them they would simply take defensive action. This proved to be the absolutely wrong thing to do. The Canadians were masters of the creeping barrage and were able to reach the German trenches before they could come of their protection only to run into Canadians who took very little mercy on the Germans. The Corps was made up of 4 divisions but annihilated almost 40 German divisions and some of them their very best. Vimy Ridge was assaulted for 2 years by British and French troops. The Canadians seized in one weekend.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Fantastic comment, thank you. I hope to visit the Scheldt. I hope you enjoyed the video

[@michaelb9529]

If you get the chance to go there check out the causeway. The Germans had flooded the land. The only way we could capture was to go across the causeway which basically had no protection. The Army was low on rations and ammunition and their water was so bad they were actually in pain from kidney issues. To this day I have no idea how they pulled it off. In WW1 in the last 2 years of the war they Canadian Corps were used as shock troops. They even managed to get their entire Corps across the Canal Du Nord (considered uncrossable) Gen Sir Arthur Currie devised a plan and had most his units across it in a single night. I cannot remember the date but it was during the famous Hundred Days when the Corps ran roughshod over the Germans. After the Battle of Amiens Ludendorff the Deputy Chief of Staff of German forces on the western from declared it the Black Day of the German Army. In WW2 The First Canadian Army (the famous D-Day Dodgers) fought up the spine of Italy against the cream of the German Army. @@thehistoryexplorer

[@ToddSauve]

It is interesting to note that as Montgomery drew up his plans for the Normandy campaign, the Canadians found themselves assigned to the toughest section of the Normandy front. Why was it the toughest? Because it was so wide open in so many places that it was regarded as by far the most favourable territory for tank warfare. So the very terrain of the Juno Beach regions was far and away recognized as the worst for infantry. Hedgerows were fewer or farther between, but the wide open access for the excellent German armoured divisions made it a terrible place to fight for the generally inferior Allied armour. In response to this, D-Day plans called for double the number of artillery pieces to be landed on Juno than on any other Allied beach and immediately put into action, coordinated with the forward-most Canadian infantry units-the Regina Rifles and the Winnipeg Rifles-both of whom had previously stormed the beach early on June 6. It was in precisely this sector of the Canadian front that the Germans planned to mass their armoured divisions and try to push the Canadians back into the sea, and then spread left and right to attack Gold and Sword beaches. This is what Montgomery realized when he drew up the plans for the Normandy campaign. The terrain literally dictated the Nazi’s strategy. During the lynch-pin Battle for Bretteville (June 7-10, 1944) this artillery support was vital and broke up numerous German infantry and 12 SS Panzer attacks. That and the sheer guts and unbelievable determination of the two aforementioned infantry regiments saved the day. These were some tough Canadian kids from the Prairies who took on the German SS Panzer divisions and beat them. The commander of the 12 SS Panzer division, Kurt Meyer, had smugly concluded that his men would sweep the Canadians back into the English Channel like so many “little fishes.” Needless to say, Meyer and his 12 SS Panzers were the ones licking their wounds and howling in misery when they finally fled from Bretteville-minus 43 dead, 99 wounded, 10 missing and 29 panzers destroyed including a good number of Panther Mark Vs. And other than the 29 lost panzers, that was just on the first night! The Winnipeg Rifles claimed 6 more panzers in nearby Putot. It was here and at nearby Abbey d’Ardenne that Kurt Meyer’s 12 SS and the Canadians began executing each other’s prisoners tit for tat, with no quarter given. The two sides really hated each other and this made for likely the bitterest fighting in Normandy. Here is a limited account of the terrible fighting at Bretteville: www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/brettevillelorgueilleuse.htm And here is an excellent and much more detailed scholarly account of the Battle of Bretteville in .pdf format: scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol16/iss4/2/ [Be prepared to meet Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott of the original Star Trek series fame, as he was actually right in the area, being a Canadian artillery officer who landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. I bet you didn’t know that! ;)] In fact, the Canadians made the greatest penetration of the German lines on D-Day, beating them back almost seven whole miles in the first 24 hours. Neither the Americans nor the British came anywhere close. Indeed, three Sherman tanks of the Canadian 1 Hussars actually reached their assigned D-Day objective-the Caen-Bayeux highway next to Carpiquet airfield-before having to pull back when they could not make radio contact with army HQ and request reinforcements. (And it was hard fighting with the Canadians losing 359 men killed landing on the first day alone-second only to Omaha for men KIA.) Perhaps the great progress was because the Canadian army was the only Allied army in Normandy that was entirely volunteer. (Originally Juno beach was to be called Jelly, but Churchill forbade it noting it was a sorely inappropriate name for a place where so many men were going to die.) And yes, the two British and one Canadian beaches faced the bulk of the German armour-something like 80% of all German armoured divisions in Normandy faced us around Caen. Indeed, German armour was lined up virtually cheek by jowl. Historians have carefully investigated the numbers involved and the Germans, Canadians and British had more tanks per square mile all around Caen than the Russians and Germans had at Kursk. Between Caen, Carpiquet and Bayeux alone, the Germans had eight panzer divisions supplemented by an additional battalion of more than 100 Mark V Panthers. They were Panzer Lehr, 2 Panzer, 9 Panzer, 116 Panzer, 1 SS Panzer, 9 SS Panzer, 12 SS Panzer and 21 Panzer. Though few people understand this, these were the heaviest, most concentrated tank battles of WW2. In his analysis of the fighting against the Canadians of the Regina Rifles Regiment at Bretteville (which contained a number of Sherman and Firefly tanks, as did virtually every Canadian and British regiment), Hubert Meyer, the commanding general of the 12 SS Panzer division (after Kurt Meyer had been captured in September 1944) wrote later in “The 12th SS: The History of the Hitler Youth Panzer Division, Volume 1” that: “The tactic of surprise, using mobile, fast infantry and Panzers even in small, numerically inferior Kampfgruppen, had often been practiced and proven in Russia. This tactic, however, had not resulted in the expected success here against a courageous and determined enemy, who was ready for defense and well equipped. Through good battle field observation, the enemy had recognized the outlines of the preparations for the attack and drawn his own conclusions. The deployment of D Company [of the Regina Rifles] to Cardonville had prevented a breakthrough by 2./26 [of the 12 SS] from the farm south of the rail line to Bretteville, only 1,000 meters away. The anti-tank defenses all around the village were strong enough to thwart all attempts by the Panzers to by-pass the town to the south and north. The surprising use of parachute flares with glaring magnesium light blinded the Panthers and clearly outlined them to the enemy Pak [anti-tank guns like 6 and 17 pounders]. This enemy was especially strong in the defense and could not be taken by surprise. He fought with determination and courage.” [pages 186-87] One is unlikely to find higher praise from the SS than 12 SS Panzer General Hubert Meyer had for the Regina Rifles Regiment of the Royal Canadian Army. And finally, let's look at the private sentiments of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. In a rarely noted statement from him, cited by esteemed British historian Andrew Roberts in his “History of the English-Speaking Peoples Since 1900,” 2007, on page 343, he points out a little-known quote from Eisenhower that “man-for-man the Canadians were the best soldiers in his army.” In hindsight, it is something of a feather in Montgomery’s hat that he beat his own estimate of 90 days for capturing Caen and destroying the German armies-by two full weeks minus one day-but who is counting when numbers are so great and the opposition so terrible? And finally, Montgomery (and all the Allied generals) had insights into overall German strategy and counterattack plans through the Ultra intercepts at Bletchley Park, England. On many occasions he chose to withdraw his forces a short distance in order to preserve them, when informed that much superior German armoured divisions were being moved up to recapture territory lost. This was only sensible. You do not throw away large masses of men and armour to be ground up by superior numbers of enemy armour simply to display your bravado. No, you withdraw and rebuild your own forces until you can overcome what you positively 100% know is a much stronger force facing you only a short distance away. Many have questioned Montgomery’s leadership, perhaps with some reason. But how many know that he had to preserve his forces (as much as he could anyway) when Ultra intelligence revealed that not doing so would only be a futile gesture and the deliberate squandering of many men’s lives? Moreover, London had already told him that infantry reserves were virtually nil (though armour was abundant) and he had better save as many of his men as possible. So let’s try to be a little bit fairer in our criticisms of him. My hat comes off to the many, many brave and excellent fighting men from the US and Britain. They fought as hard as anyone else but it was a team effort between the three great English speaking nations of the world that defeated Nazi Germany in Normandy, as well as the many brave French, Polish and other freedom loving European soldiers who fought alongside us. Bravo to all involved! PS I am not trying to glorify war here, just so anyone who might think this to be so can understand that I do not approve of war-for all the good this will do. Sources for German armoured strength in Normandy. - Bernages, Georges “Panzers and the Battle for Normandy” 2001. - Zetterling, Niklas “Normandy 1944: German Military Organization, Combat Power and Organizational Effectiveness” 2000.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Great comment, thank you. In future videos I look at the open nature of the terrain from Juno towards Caen, the Abbey Ardennes massacre, the Worthington force as they progressed begin Caen etc. I hope you enjoy them

[@ToddSauve]

@@thehistoryexplorer To truly understand what happened at Juno beach read Dr. Marc Milner's "Stopping the Panzers: The Untold Story of D Day." Marc scoured the freshly declassified material at the British archives at Kew and what he discovered made for the freshest new insight to D Day that has been published in the last 35 years or so. Unbelievably good and a truly revisionary book. Paul Woodadge on WW2TV has interviewed Marc a number of times and their programs together are stunningly impressive!

[@mikeohagan2206]

monty did no favour to the canadians, thats why canada never awarded him any honours. at one point he even apologized for the way he had used them throughout the war.

[@ToddSauve]

@@mikeohagan2206 Hi Mike. Can you point me to any quotes and sources for what you say? I know that many of the people who have studied Montgomery believe his favourite corps commander was Guy Simonds, the Canadian corp commanding general.

[@Mountain-Man-3000]

Visitng Dieppe, Juno Beach and the cemeteries around them as a young man really cemented in me the horrible cost of the war. I joined the forces to try and honour our fallen, and those who would never be the same. We will remember them.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Well said Mountain Man. I think every child should go as part of their school education although I know this is very difficult if your in the North America. In the UK we go on school trips to the WW1 battlefields but not the WW2 locations so much

[@andrewroberts8993]

My great uncle Bob Roberts was the second Canadian to step foot on the beach. Captured a bunker with his mate with a flame thrower. Then captures the tallest soldier in the German army. Continued on and made it 10 ft from Germany. He took a motor to the leg and that was the end of his war. After the war he stayed in England married his love Verra and started a family overseas. We are so proud of our uncle Bob and his brother Irnie who was kia in france. He has an interview where he talks around how he ran into his brother and chatted briefly before he was killed. He says his brother safed his life because they took up the front position to give them guys a break. He is our family hero. So proud to share his name.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You must be so proud! What a legacy. Thanks for sharing

[@whenboarsfly9749]

I hope you can go to the ceremony at Canada House hosted by the french locals. It's very moving the amount of gratitude and the effort they put into remembering the men who died liberating the town. This year a Canadian vice-admiral participated in his civvies

[@thehistoryexplorer]

I’d love to be there for the 80th but I’m not a huge fans of huge crowds and traffic in Normandy. I like to have it to myself 😂

[@bettylaselli2048]

Truly amazing picture ❤

[@thehistoryexplorer]

It’s brilliant isn’t it!

[@burnz0021]

My great uncle landed on Juno with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders

[@thehistoryexplorer]

God bless him. I can’t imagine the fear they felt

[@franceyneireland1633]

My cousin's father landed at Juno on June 6th, he was with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. From what I read on D Day they were assigned with 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. He survived D Day, but died Sep 11, 1944 at the 10 Canadian General Hospital in Arromanches, France, from wounds he received Sept 5 1944. Although I don't know which battle he was injured at. He was buried in Ryes War Cemetery. Sadly this left my cousin an orphan at about age 6 as her mother had died in 1942; but she was adopted by her mother's sister and husband.

[@painfulorwhat8872]

Juno was originally called “Jelly” because the UK and Commonwealth beaches were named after fish, hence “gold”, “jelly” and “sword”. The Canadians didn’t like it so had it changed. There was also a 6th beach in the planning which was called “band” which is also a fish.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Churchill changed it. He said he did not want soldiers being killed on something so silly as jelly beach

[@Spitnchicklets]

It took the same size balls (BIG ONES) to storm Omaha, Utah,Juno and the other beaches as it did to climb up Pt. Duhoc, no matter the man’s origin.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Couldn’t agree more my friend. This video isn’t today one was harder than the other- but more to highlight Juno beach which is often overlooked

[@eturfrey]

All that landed on those beaches deserve our never ending respect, wherever they were from.🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇮🇪

[@thehistoryexplorer]

💯

[@tyler3372]

My great grandfather survived juno beach. He told my dad some time before he died that he felt like he would live through the rest of the war after he survived his landing. He did and died sometime before i was born.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you for sharing

[@jamesdykes3379]

Brilliant!! Love and respect top all

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@sommebuddy]

Very good video...subscribed. I was wondering if you were going to mention James Doohan, aka Scotty from Star Trek. He landed at Juno as a young Lt. This is where he would be shot 6 times by a Canadian sentry with a Bren gun. He took 3 in the leg, one in the chest ,which stuck in a silver cig.case, and one blew off his middle finger...which he tries to hide in every Star Trek episode.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you my friend. I was going to work him into a video but as he was a forward observer just like me there’s still time! I tried to keep this video about Nan Sector only. I hope you enjoy the future videos

[@sommebuddy]

Without a doubt, longtime history enthusiast myself, your vids are right in my wheelhouse.@@thehistoryexplorer

[@thehistoryexplorer]

@@sommebuddyI’m so glad to hear that. My channel is new and I’m still learning but I really enjoy it

[@pablopeter3564]

EXCELLENT. Thanks ¡ Great video. Greetings from Mexico City.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You are welcome! Glad you enjoyed it

[@iam62goinon63]

My dad landed at courseulles in the same landingcraft as the Royal Winnipeg rifles. He was royal Berkshire regiment beach group . He said the germans had mined the gardens of the houses

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you so much for sharing! I’ve never read that but it wouldn’t surprise me. AP mines were everywhere there

[@iam62goinon63]

@thehistoryexplorer I am still in touch with a beach group veteran I sent him your film he said it was great . He was on the other side of the river on the graye sur mer side .

[@thehistoryexplorer]

@@iam62goinon63 I desperately wanted to go on that side but ran out of time - I spent too long looking around those 50mm emplacements!

[@iam62goinon63]

He says he recovered bodies but do not know where they were buried .

[@larrythompson7069]

Thanks For The Info.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

You are most welcome

[@localbod]

@thehistoryexplorer Thank you for an informative and interesting presentation. Grammar point: 6:26 "...well suited to being here."

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you my friend. I have about 30seconds at each location and no script. 😅 I learned a lot from this series

[@badgermacleod5588]

My grandfather was pulled out of Italy to land in Normandy. He fought through France & didn't stop until he was chewed up by an MG-42 in the Netherlands. He somehow survived & made it home. He never spoke about the war. He kept it all inside till the day he died.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

I’m so sorry to hear that but thank you for sharing. You grandfather certainly saw a lot of Europe!

[@gavinmclaren9416]

A couple of times, you mentioned the Regina Regiment. Please note that the i after the g is pronounced as a long i, like "Ree-jI-na", not as a long ee sound as you did. Both the regiment and the city (provincial capital of Saskatchewan) are pronounced as I described. No harm done, I just thought you would appreciate the correct pronunciation. I am very much enjoying your tour of the Normandy battlefield, please keep up the excellent work!

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you for correcting me and I do really appreciate it. I know how annoying it can be when someone gets a pronunciation wrong. My fault

[@cdubs9918]

I used to never think about what Canada did during WW2. Everything was about Germany, Russia, England and the United States. But over the years Ive read numerous accounts of what the Canadians did and it was absolutely amazing. Read the accounts about how the Canadians fought the 12th SS Panzer division. The SS were actually scared of these Canadian units. I no longer dismiss the Canadians actions during WW2. They were amazing.

[@thehistoryexplorer]

That’s great. I’m no Canadian but I would like to champion their efforts during WW2 and many people aren’t as well informed as you are and they don’t necessarily understand the Canadian contribulation

[@mabbrey]

great vid

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you. So glad you enjoyed it

[@johnkeenan9834]

Great job! Really appreciate the detail and attention you put into this video. If anyone is interested I highly recommend the book Scarlet Dawn by Major Myles Hickey, the NB North Shore Regiment Padre. Major Hickey provides an insiders history of the "North Shores" as he was with the Regiment from it's formation in 1940. He won the Military Medal for valor during the D-Day landings. CSM Charlie Martin wrote a book called From D-Day to the Zuider Zee, which chronicles the WW2 history of the Queen's Own Rifle's. Charlie's book is valuable as it provides a rfilemen's perspective of the battles, from the run in to the beach at Berniere Sur Mer through to the end of the War. Thanks Again! Lest We Forget!

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Thank you so much for your great comment. I really appreciate the feedback and book recommendations. I listen to an audio book a week during my commute and I’m always looking for more!

[@HaloFTW55]

Any plans to make a video on the forgotten fronts like Italy or Burma? Most people completely forget that the Allied Forces were still in Italy and Burma during the war

[@thehistoryexplorer]

Yes absolutely! I want to travel the world making videos of these actions. It I’ve only just started. Had to start with Normandy 👌