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JD ,have you ever heard of this great French Canadian hero name; LEO MAJOR ? If not you should because he liberate alone a city of about 50.000 people, very interesting !! They should make a movie on him !!
@@TheHistoryUnderground He is a real legitimate legend. Took Willy Pete to the face, damaged an eye, and refused evac and just wore an eye patch. Refused a medal because he thought Monty was incompetent. Not long before he liberated Zwolle by himself, he had his back broken when a vehicle he was in hit a mine. He was a sniper and forward reconnaissance for Le Régiment de la Chaudière. He once captured 90 Germans by himself. He also fought with distinction in Korea. Léo is one of only three Commonwealth soldiers awarded the DCM in two separate wars.
@The History Underground Loving the D-Day stuff! Have you ever thought of doing stuff on companies like the desert rats or any other companies that have found around the world?
@@kspeed419 I haven't looked but now that you mention it try The Canadian Film Board and I imagine that they will have extensive good documentaries on the war
As a Canadian, and the son of a Canadian WW2 veteran (RCEME), I appreciate your giving some recognition to your northern neighbours! I do get distressed, however, when I see comments from Americans who say they had no idea or little knowledge of Canada’s involvement in WW2. Canada had been fighting overseas in Europe and in Asia for 2 full years before the USA entered combat. Our navy had been escorting convoys, fighting in spitfires and hurricanes and lancasters, and they had been dying... for over two years. Hollywood loves to show American bravery in times of war, but rarely, if ever, presents a global view. Americans think U-571 is a historical illustration, but it is complete fiction. British seamen, aided by a Canadian warship, recovered the first Enigma machine more than 6 months before the USA entered... so I ask, please, educate your viewers that while the entire world does indeed owe the USA a debt of gratitude, other nations were involved to an enormous degree and should not be overshadowed in any nation’s historical telling of WW2
@@kduquett Yep - few people appreciate that Canadians were among the first Japanese POWS as well ... well before the USA entered the war. I will add that my father was a flight engineer in a Halifax and completed a full tour. He was retraining on a Lanc to go to Japan when the war in Japan ended.
@@kduquett This idea that the Canadians were scarified at Hong Kong doesn't line up with the evidence. The Canadian government could have turned down the request but didn't. I wrote my dissertation on the battle and have looked at this extensively.
Agree with you, Mel. The Americans made a fantastic contribution, but with both world wars, with Canada in from the very declaration of war... the USA was always late to the party and the first to claim overall victory. Maddening as it belittles the efforts of Brits, Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies, Pols, Czechs, French, etc. all of whom were certainly in WW2 long before the US officially set foot in the UK.
I`m a Brit but the Canadians have always punched above their weight in war, I might add the Aussies and Kiwis did too. It must be something in their genes, kind regards from Blighty and keep up the good work.
If you look at the eyewitness testimony, the Infantry assault was not supported for quite a while. The Navy vessels did not give fire support to The Landing troops and as a result there was more casualties than anticipated.
Not all Americans fall into that misconception. The D Day landings were, among other things, a marvel of international cooperation and collaboration. Our Canadian neighbors and brothers were a huge part of D Day and beyond, and they fought with incredible skill and courage.
I was born in 1964 in St Thomas Ontario Canada to imigrants from the Netherlands who were liberated by the Canadian Armed Fprces in Holland. In 1943 my grandfather was executed by the occupying force for his anger over food theft by the German occupying force in Kampen Holland. I thank all Canadian Veterans for their service . I am 60 years old and my parents have recently passed.
80 years already… My uncle who was dearest to me than my father was a lieutenant in the French Canadian Régiment de la Chaudière that landed at Juno Beach. He survived unscathed the whole liberation campaign into Holland, and he never said a word about his war experience. He passed away in 2010, and I miss him everyday. Thank you for this video which sheds a little light on what he had endured. Very enlightening 🇨🇦
I had 2 grandfathers land on Juno Beach, both of them well into their 40s. My cousin, Sgt. Harvey Dreaver of the Regina Rifles, is believed to be the first Indigenous soldier to land on Juno Beach. He later fell during the Battle of the Leopold Canal.
Much respect. I had a step-uncle who fought with the Black Devils, with Sgt. Tommy Prince. His son says that his father held Sgt Prince in the highest regard.
My Grandfather Pvt. Willam Wallace Barney hit the beach that day as well with The Regina Rifles. He managed to make it through the entire war without a scratch.
As a Canadian 🇨🇦 myself, I say thank you for highlighting our brave men. What a lot don't realize, is , we joined the war right at the very beginning. Think about that for one sec. YEARS before the Americans. AND we did NOT have conscription! Every one of our Armed Service men and women were and still are 100% volunteers! But, I guess Hollywood doesn't realize that it was more than the US and British that fought against the Nazis so not as many realized how significant our contribution, and that of all the other countries that are part of the British Sovereignty that took part was. Shout out too to the veterans and those who didn't come back from Australia too. Your brave aren't highlighted as much as they should either. Thanks and praise from Peterborough Ontario Canada 🇨🇦 ♥️
My father was in the first wave at Omaha Beach, and as a result, my attention has always been focused on that Beach. To hear of the extremely high level of casualties at Juno Beach gives me an even higher level of respect toward our neighbors to the north!
Ok...this is going to take me a moment to get past the appreciative lump in my throat. I cannot Express enough my gratitude for showing this and the absolute amazing awe I have that you took the time to talk about us. I was jaw dropped the whole way through and I actually had tears of utter appreciation. Thank you very much for including my country in your amazing history videos. If I have to represent Canada here in saying thank you then I will. From my heart and country...Canada thanks you 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Oui ça fait plaisir qu'ils aient pris le temps et ont pensé à parlé de nos courageux soldats Canadiens qui ont eux aussi combattu à leurs côtés durant cette autre terrible querre !! Nous aussi avons eu des héros durant cette 2 querre mondiale ,un héros qui vient à l'esprit parmi tant d'autres son nom LEO MAJOR !!
This is why i love this channel! Higlighting all sides and giving credit where credit is due. Massive thanx to all Canadians who fought here for our freedom!
I am a Canadian Navy veteran, the son of two WWII veterans. Growing up, we were taught much more history than kids are today, but it was still lacking and you had to speak with veterans to get the real story (luckily, there were many around then). Thank you so much for all you are doing to bring Canadian history to light. I both applaud, and appreciate, you for it. I was lucky enough to be able to take my family to see Juno and surrounding areas in 2015 and it was a sobering trip to see what our soldiers had to fight through. The graveyards are testament to their sacrifice. I encourage every Canadian to try and see Juno Beach. As well, for those interested there is a great series of podcasts called Juno Beach and Beyond put on by the Juno Beach organization, that explores Canadian military history.
Once again, thanks to you and Paul for bringing us this presentation from the Canadian POV. We were allies and fought the tyranny of Genocide and Fascism along side one another. Lest we Forget what really happened in WWII and how it was allowed to get to the point it did, as it appears that the truth of this history seems to be waning from the memory / history of some in this modern time.
With events now playing out in CANADA, I couldn't be more proud to have you Canooks as our Northern friends and allies. In my case your my Eastern neighbor. From Anchorage Alaska all I can say is ......Oh CANADA! Bless you for your stand once again against tyranny!!!!! GOD will deliver you soon from this present danger. Today you lead the World again.
As an American, I tend to think about the American side of all of this. The band of Brothers, all of the other American heroes down the line. But I’m also moved by the fact that there were a great great many British and Canadian casualties. I really had no idea about the Canadian side of things, but I did know the British had suffered tremendous losses as well. So, they were all united in a common cause, to rid themselves the world of tyranny and usher freedom as you so eloquently said, into Europe beginning on these shores.
Canadians took the highest casualties on Juno because of the lack of artillery fire into the houses but still were the only allied troops to attain their objective that day.
Hi Jim. It is not well-known that Canada had been one of the earliest adopters of the concept of parachute regiments. Consequently, by the time the Allies were ready to attack 'Fortress Europe', there were a lot of highly trained Canadian airborne troops. In fact, there were quite a few Canadians that jumped with the Americans on D-Day.
@@derekbaker3279 Many of the Canadian parachutists were also part of pathfinder units whose job it was to conduct reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines.
Another great episode! When I was still flying in airlines, we flew to Canada often. I overnighted in Ottawa one night. The next morning I was having breakfast and saw many finely dressed people, some with pristine military uniforms walking past. I asked a couple next to me what was happening. That day was a day of remembrance for what they called, "Canada's version of the Bataan Death March". So often, as you've talked about, we Yanks are so obsessed with what our forefathers (my grandpa lost his leg fighting in N France) did, that we forget our allies and what they did for freedom as well! I love this series. And Paul sharing these facts is amazing.
Must have been for our Hong Kong veterans. Truly sad history. The documentary “a savage Christmas” done in the 80s is rather good. Bob Claytons account of Lieutenant Arthur Beresford Scott’s actions are truly heart breaking. I would suggest watching.
Thank you for the very well done Juno Beach visit. I took a day tour of the Canadian sector of the Normandy battle last time I visited. I am American by the way. Canadians took terrible losses during the campaign leading towards Caen. Many Canadian POWs were executed by order of the SS. And please don’t forget the Canadian solders were serving as volunteers.
My grandfather And 2 great uncles fought the 12th ss in Normandy, they did some things in retaliation that I won't write here but I wouldn't question them for a second, all 3 survived the war including the 4th brother who served in the RCN.
As a French Man i would like to pay tribute to the Canadians soldiers who fell at Juno Beach!!! On June 6 th 1944! !! May God keep their souls in his Heaven!! Denis from France...
I was born a few years after the war. All my days, I have known peaceful skies, quiet fields, freedom. Then this young man shows me the gouges made by a Sherman tank in a far off street, still there, a testament to the heroes that bought my privileged life. Thank you my friend for reminding me of my debt. Arohanui.
I and my wife are Canadian, we are both retired Air Force, my Dad was in the Royal Engineers, my oldest son is in the Canadian Army, a Combat Engineer. There are plenty of Canadians here expressing their thanks for this video, add ours as well. What really makes your video special and meaningful is that it has been researched and presented by an American, thank you and BZ.
I'm so glad you did this video. My dad was transporting troops that day. Actually he was transporting troops 3 days straight without any sleep. He said you could hear bullets whizzing by and clanking off the transport. After the initial waive things settled down he was then transporting equipment for weeks after that. In mid August on the way back from France the tanker he was on hit a floating mine. It's a good thing for him the tanker was on the way back after delivering fuel and not full. He wouldn't have been blown out of the water. Thanks for posting!!
Thank you so much for including the Canadian perspective. We kicked butt in both world wars and we are proud of our veterans. Greetings from Saskatoon Sk Canada.
Our government sure isn’t. After all, our veterans are “Asking for more than we can give right now” according to the Crime Minstrel… right before he promises a talentless hack of an American TV personality over $50M for reasons.
I'm not sure if you can ever know how much I appreciate your videos. As a proud Canadian who dabbles in trying to fully understand WWII, I'm thankful you made this video because we all faced terrible beaches that day. What I love about the 25 min mark is that the French could have fixed the tank damage to the curb, but instead left it as a reminder. I love that.
As a Canadian, I thank you for highlighting one of the many contributions Canadian men and women made to the effort in WW2. The defeat of the Nazi regime was a collaboration, and I am grateful to every person, from every country that took part in the fight against the Nazi's. I owe a debt to all those who fought, which I will never truly be able to repay. .
Thanks for putting this together. As a Canadian, I find this video has helped me gain a deeper and more detailed understanding of what happened on Juno Beach. One of my maternal great-uncles was in a Canadian artillery unit that was involved in the fighting on Juno Beach. His war diary, all four pages of it, recounts how the artillery units in his area of operations were lobbing 13,000 shells per hour at German-held positions, a clear indication of how intense the fighting was in the first few hours of the invasion. And for what it's worth, Jimmy Doohan, the man who played the part of engineer Montgomery Scott on the 1960s sci-fi TV series Star Trek, was also involved in the fighting on Juno Beach. He was a second lieutenant in a Canadian artillery regiment as well and was wounded in action not by German fire, but by a Canadian sentry who mistook him for an enemy soldier and shot him.
As a dual American/Canadian I can say both countries have amazing stories to tell. Like in the Great War the Canadians were often on the pointy end of the “British” advance. Canadian stories are often given short shrift as they get folded into the British Army. Great episode!
And it's funny, because it's not so much the British that folds the Canadian stories and victories with them. It's American historians. Then again, Canadian politics got highjacked by a WW2 general on an ego trip. Very popular guy in the 50s.
Six of seven Smith brothers served in WW2. Four served in Europe. My uncle, William Russell Smith died, October 16, 1944, liberating Antwerp, Belgium. He was 21. He had married on June 14th and left for Europe on June 25th.
My favourite uncle was in the 48th Highlanders of Toronto and later volunteered to become a part of the Canadian Parachute Brigade when it was formed. He air dropped into Europe and was killed in the Netherlands. He is buried in the Canadian cemetary at Nijmegen, Holland.
Every single man who took part in storming those beaches on D-Day is the definition of bravery and heroism. Every single one of us owes our freedom to them. God bless the Greatest Generation 🙏🏽
Though to my own disappointment I am watching this a year after its release, thank you very much for such a well made episode helping to cover Canadian involvement in the landings. My grandfathers older brother came ashore on Juno in a Sherman with the 1st Hussars and a cousin came ashore on the very landing craft shown at the 21:17 time stamp with the SD&G Highlanders. Sadly he would be killed in action just ten days later. I think I speak for many Canadians in saying thank you for helping tell our part in this important chapter of our military history, which we share with our allies proudly.
Three years ago at the annual D-Day re enactment in Conneaut, Ohio I had the rare chance to listen to a Canadian D-Day veteran give his version of events. He was talking to a few of us who recognized his service emblems. Suffice it to say I felt I was in the company of a giant. Sure Gave me goosebumps.
Really really enjoyed this along with all your videos. As a Canadian, thank you for showing this history. Organizationally the Canadian's are often included with the British and the contribution sometimes becomes lost as a result. It doesn't help that politically, our history was also downplayed by our government within Canada itself. The sacrifices and accomplishments of our solders deserves much better treatment. Thank you for doing your part to provide that. Three quick suggestions: 1. Closing the Falaise Gap, 2. David Currie, VC, 3. the Dieppe raid of 1942... a couple of hours east on the coastline )
@@TheHistoryUnderground And don't forget the Battle of the Scheldt in the Netherlands, and the Canadian contribution to not only liberating the Netherlands, but also opening the vital port of Antwerp.
That's because back then we were part of the British Empire even our flag was the Union Jack ,the flag we have now didn't exist until the Vietnam war (1965)don't they teach any of this in school anymore????
Brothers in arms across the 5 landings, they all did their bit but it is truly appreciated to see a special on the Canadians highlighted. 85% casualties on the first wave, think about that. The sea wall still looks a 100 ft high, imagine that morning, 80 yrs ago today my dad was there with the boys, bless them all. The greatest generation for many reasons. ❤🇨🇦🇬🇧🇺🇸 Lest we forget.
Great episode! It's so nice as a Canadian to hear our allies calling out Canadian heroism after all these years. Nice also to hear the recognition of Charlie Martin, who features in my dad's novel "When Yer Number's Up" as a central figure in the Normandy battles. What a warrior!
Thank you. As a Canadian I have been hard pressed to find anything about our war efforts. Even our history classes in high school barely touch on the impact of the Canadian military. I speak as the descendent of a North Shore Regiment veteran who landed at Juno and fought until V-E Day, and an RCAF veteran, who I unfortunately never got to hear any of his accounts. It is an absolute crime that Canada's war effort are not commonly known, even to Canadians. Even a war movie about a battle that was fought primarily by Canadians had little mention of us. Thank you for righting these wrongs. The more people like you in the world, the ones willing to read, research and report on the efforts of lesser known nations, the better. Once again, thank you.
If you haven't already, please do go to the Juno Beach Center and Museum right at the beach and bunkers. It is an incredible tribute to the Canadian D-Day and Normandy effort. Museum tour guides are Canadian and proudly volunteer their service to teach and guide the visitors.
You are right. It isn't being taught anymore. It isn't even being honored correctly anymore in Remembrance Day ceremonies in Canada. Just another effort to rewrite the past in order to fit a new narrative.
Nice to see recognition for the Canadians, the ones who met their goals first on D-Day. My grandfather died on D-Day at Juno and I went their 3 years ago and what an experience.
Thanks for posting, great video. I visited Juno beach in 2017. As a Canadian I felt a great sense of pride. For those interested , the Queens Own Rifle sergeant mentioned in this video, Charlie Martin ,wrote a book in 1994 called “Battle Diary “ . It is about his war experience from D Day ( age 24) to the wars end. A very good read.
My Dad landed on Juno Beach two days after his B-Day, he was just a teenager, as many were. I asked my Dad, why he volunteered to join, being underaged, and it wasn't your typical, "it was the right thing to do", it was, "to get three square meals a day". My Dad grew up very poor, as many had, they had just come out of the "dirty thirties". He survived the beach and was with his fellow Canadians who forged further inland than any unit. He drove supply truck, a target, obviously, since the Germans didn't want supplies to get through, the tarp on his truck riddled with bullet holes. Because my Dad spoke both English and French, he was often picked for missions to the front line throughout the war. He's going to be 97 this coming year, he plans to live to be 100. The stories he tells are fascinating.
That the people of that village left the chewed up curb made by a tracked vehicle for over 70 years shows that they honor those men, and Canadians especially, for liberating them.
A fellow and a number of his elderly colleagues went back to the airfield they flew out of in the UK. They were being driven through the base in a bus and suddenly a fellow started really laughing. They stopped the bus and got out and he walked back to a square painted on the roadway by the curb. Seems during the war, he and a number of others, were assigned the job of painting the curbs. He knocked over the paint can and rather leave it as it was, he painted a square to make it look better. All these years later, every time the curb was repainted, so was the square he made!
Thoroughly enjoyed this video and the story of Charlie Martin. The Canadian and British heroes of World War 2 don’t get the recognition they deserve so these stories you’re bringing are just wonderful
Yet another brilliant chapter in what we can all agree has and is continuing to be a fascinating series. D-day exemplified for me what can be achieved when allies fight together in a Co-ordinated fashion to achieve a common goal; Americans, British, Canadians, Indian, Poles, Czechs, Norwegians, Free French, Dutch, Australians, South Africans, New Zealanders, Belgians…..all playing their vital part in the overall liberation of Europe, Africa, the Far East and the wider World. Each Country contributing and sacrificing some of their finest to let the light shine through the darkness again. Each and every veteran, from wherever they came, deserve our gratitude, respect and memory of what they endured and why they gave their tomorrows. Whichever God you have faith in, I hope that God continues to bless them all.
Outstanding video! I had a chance to meet SGT Major Charlie Martin when I was a junior in high school in 1983. He had done a remembrance day talk to classes and was the father of one of our English teachers, when I met him. He then invited myself and another close friend over to his apartment to show us his "stuff". The man was so humble and so soft spoken I couldn't imagine that he was on D-Day. He told us that his entire company which was B Company QOR had like 120 men when they stormed ashore. He said there was more than 100 yards of open beach before they could get to that break wall. By the time his men got to the break wall he had like 80 men left and by the time they pushed inland that first night he had 60. He said their foxholes were spread out like 50 yards apart because there was so few men. I remember him telling us that story about stepping on a bouncing betty mine. He just laughed about it and said his ears rang for a while after that. He had quite an illustrious career in the Canadian army. He parachuted at least once into France to help the French underground before D-Day and while in Holland he was wounded by several rounds from a an MP40 when a Hitler Youth kid jumped up and shot at him. I will never forget him then showing us his scars and then the Canadian issue webley pistol and telling us how he fired all six shots at the kid dispatching him. This was around April 1945 when the Canadians were still clearing out parts of Holland from stiff German resistance. The next thing he tells us was he woke up in a hospital somewhere in the rear and a nurse told him that the war was over. I want to thank J.D. for doing this episode on the Canadian contribution. Canada gave up some 45,000 young men to help liberate Europe and the far east, including one of my uncles who is in a Canadian cemetery in Normandy outside Caen. Thanks again J.D. well done!
@@TheHistoryUnderground Thanks I have some Toronto Star newspaper clippings from the 80's about him very cool. Missed getting to the museum next time I am in Gettysburg I'll make a point about stopping in. Love to see all the stuff on Major Winters!
I can only echo the words of Claude in his appreciation of you and Paul's commentary on our contribution , many thanks. My uncle Leonard died on the drive to take Caen from the Germans by a sniper, he fought with the Essex Scottish Regiment.
Thank you for taking the time to share this story about our citizen soldiers. As a Canadian I can tell you that my wife and I have been fortunate enough to visit Juno Beach. We were touched I would also like to add the Juno Beach Centre that is on the west side of Juno Beach is well worth a visit.
I have seen the clip of the soldiers disembarking from the landing craft and the first two carrying a ladder and wondered why was a ladder so important to be carried first off the boat. Seeing that the whole beach has such a tall sea wall , it now makes sense. I served 8 years In the CDN army. I met many vets of WW2 attending Remembrance Day services. We hosted them after the parade in the Officers Mess. Most of them are now deceased. It was a great honour to have met them and have had the opportunity to thank them for their service and sacrifice “We shall remember”. 🇨🇦🇬🇧🇺🇸🇵🇱
Thank you so much. My old boss's dad was a Juno survivor. I thanked him every time he came in to see his son. Thank you for recognizing the Canadians who went there and did so well! Many heartfelt thanks from the mom of an Afghanistan survivor to all the families who lost loved ones at Juno, we cannot thank you enough. God Bless.
Wonderful to see this. My father and his brother were in the First Hussars and landed at Juno Beach, my Dad as trooper and my uncle as a part of a tank crew. Like many veterans he rarely spoke of his experiences. He also had another two brothers who served
Well about time ! As a Canadian I know our history very extensively for both wars , my grandfather and 4 of his brothers served in WW2 , my great uncle’s helmet 🪖 is in the national war museum in Ottawa, he took a snipers bullet that pierced the side of his helmet and grazed his head , thankfully he survived but when we asked about the sniper he would never answer us lol , my grandmother is a war bride fr the UK and also served for the RAF for the women’s signal corps. You should really look into Canada during WW1 and Sir Arthur Currie one of the most underrated greatest generals in Canadian history! Love you vids ! #ProudCanadian🇨🇦
No problem lol I could’ve written a essay but narrowed it down , the most important Canadian campaign was in Italy but was mostly overshadowed by D Day , they took heavy losses but won and gained very strategic battles during the Italy campaign, my hometown loss some young men during those battles, but we remember them everyday not just on Remembrance Day.
Kelly, I have been to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa and was thoroughly pleased with it. The museum even housed one of Adolf Hitler's cars I believe.
@@frenchfan3368 : on one of my visits to Ottawa to visit my family, my sister and I went to the National War Museum. I stood in front of that car remembering all the footage I have seen of Hitler riding in the streets during parades etc. It really brought the war to reality for me. Also, the exhibit of packages that food and other consumable stuff came in, as well as the rationing cards that my grandmother told me they had on the home front. Sacrifices were made all over to win the war. My grandmother said that, they had nighttime curfews, and couldn’t have lights on past a certain hour. The sacrifices we make today to fight the virus pales in comparison to what the greatest generation had to sacrifice. Stay safe, stay sane, be well
@@MRB_Rh_Neg My father served with the Calgary Tank Regiment in Italy starting with Liri Valley Adolf Hitler line, Gothic, Line, Lake Transimine, Gustav line, and then up to Belgium and Holland. He then volunteered for Japan but they surrendered before he had to go. 10% of all Canadians were in the military during the war and 90% of those volunteered.
I am Canadian, and I want to thank you for this doc. It's the best Juno beach piece I've seen in some time, learned a few things I don't recall hearing.
My father landed on Juno beach shortly after D-day with the Royal Canadian Engineers. I visited on the 70th anniversary and was overwhelmed with emotion by the reenactors and engagement of the locals. I was also struck by the beauty of the beach. Thank you for doing this. It's important.
Paul knows his stuff… impressive. What I like is the way France and/or the people if Normandy really honor the sacrifices of the Allie forces that helped liberate them.
My Dad landed on Juno. Beach around 8.30am He was with the RAF as a forward signals unit. One of the few RAF personnel to land on day 1 in the morning. He took me back to show as a boy. German Pow’s we’re on the beach and the Canadians had laid out taped tracks for his lorries. He was held under the breakwater while they cleared inland MG positions.
I hiked Juno Beach in 2005 and it was truly a spiritual experience. I recommend it to all Canadians. Standing on the beach, you'll appreciate how deadly it was for our soldiers. The beach is so deep (long) to the channel at low tide or high tide, that there is NO cover. It was hell. The Juno Beach museum is not far from where they filmed this video it is run by Canadian veterans and they hire Canadian students from all over Canada to run it. Highly recommend it. You will truly appreciate the bravery, courage, and guile of our troops. The History Underground...thanks for making this video...I would love to see an in-depth video about the Raid on Dieppe. Hint...it wasn't to practice for DDay.
James "Scotty" Doohan made the landing there. Doohan served in the 14th Field Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. Crossing between command posts at 23:30 that night, Doohan was hit by six rounds fired from a Bren gun by a nervous Canadian sentry. four in his leg, one in the chest, and one through his right middle finger. The bullet to his chest was stopped by a silver cigarette case given to him by his brother. His right middle finger had to be amputated, something he would conceal on-screen during most of his career as an actor.
I added Mr. Doohan to my post and am pleased to read more of his posting and to be corrected on which hand he was injured. I was very fortunate to meet him in Alaska several decades ago. I may have been one of the only people to thank him for his service, but he did wax prolific on Star Trek! 🖖
@@marklittle8805 To be clear, sir, I only thanked him. He smiled, said some words of thanks and that was all I recall. He either before or after had given a impromptu talk and question and answer forum where it was all Star Trek.
Thank you for showing Juno Beach, much appreciated. Read about the Dalton Brothers, both were commanding troops of the Queen's Own Rifles, both were wounded. " Colonel Dalton led “B” Company on D-Day landing on the beaches of Bernieres-sur-Mer in front of a concrete strong point where his company underwent fierce machine gunfire. Almost half of B Company was lost in the initial dash across the beach. He suffered a severe head wound but continued to lead his men knocking out one of the pillboxes himself. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership and bravery. [His brother Colonel H.E. Dalton also commanded a Company on D-Day.]" Charles Dalton joined the Cadet Corps of the Queen’s Own when he was 15. He was a 34-year-old Major when he commanded B Company. A and B Companies made up the first wave which landed at 0812 hours. B Company was on the left, and A Company, commanded by his brother Elliot Dalton, was on the right. Major Dalton was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) for his leadership in the war and later served as Honorary Colonel of the QOR. Both were wounded and neither knew if the other was alive until they were in the same hospital in England. Imagine the sense of duty and sheer toughness to continue on with your job, even though you already have a head wound. This was not a unique occurrence, as many other Allied officers and men did the same. Honor them all, and remember what the real struggle for freedom is and was. It is almost as if we have forgotten what fighting for freedom is these days. Another story about the Dalton brothers: Mrs. Dalton was told that both her sons had been killed on D-Day, and she had a stroke. Both Charlie and dad were told each other had been killed on that day.. When Major Dalton made it back to England, they wheeled him into a bedroom in the hospital and stopped. There seems to be someone in your bed, Major Dalton. Major Dalton said to get him the heck out. They rolled the fellow over and it was his brother Charlie. The first moment either knew the other one was alive. They caused so much ruckus that after a week they were transferred to different hospitals."
I actually cried when I watched your program. Both my dad and mother were enlisted in the Canadian Army during WW II. I've always felt embarrassed by the Brits & Americans who know nothing about our war achievements. It's as if Canada didn't exist at all. But we did. At lease over 45,000 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives and another 55,000 wounded in WW II did. Funny, I feel obliged to thank the American (and Brit) for their interest.
Thanks for the video. There is a tendency for authors that write about Overload to focus on the American and British contributions. When it is finally time to cover Juno beach the basic form is to write oh yeah the Canadians landed at Juno and moved quickly inland. Leaving the impression that it was all fairly easy and not much to write about. Thanks for taking the time to go into the weeds about Juno. There are books which focus on Juno. Given the scope of Overlord all 5 beaches need their own volumes to record what happened, The movie the Longest Day did not even refer to Juno except to say there was a beach called Juno.
Wow, I’ve never seen anything on Juno Beach that’s gone this in depth, and made by someone who is not Canadian! It means a lot to me how much time and effort you put into this, so more people can see this often overlooked story of the Second World War. 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thank you for another great history lesson. We are Canadian and visited Juno and Omaha Beaches in 2017. My cousin was captured near Caen in July 1944. After carrying a wounded comrade all night on his back he finally surrendered to a German machine gunner who was asleep at his post. He gently tapped him on his shoulder as not to startle him and calmly surrendered. His wounded mate needed medical attention. He was a POW till the end of the war.
@@vivians9392 : Agreed. An old quote that I remember (forgot from whom) said... Soldiers don't just fight against who is in front of them, but rather, for those who are BESIDE them.
I know this is an older video and you probably don't get to read the current comments, but I just wanted to say that, in my opinion, you produce some of the finest videos on military history out there. You cover so many different eras, take us to so many different locations, and you look at things from so many different perspectives and you manage to do so with little bias and politics. Just the history, the sights, and the personal stories of those who were there. Commendable in today's world. Keep up the great work!
I visited all five beaches but had a hell of a time trying to find the famous Canadian House the Queens Own Rifles took from the Germans. I asked the first Frenchman I say and he knew right away. Over 100 Canadians died right there by the house. Well worth a visit if you go to Normandy.
Great video guys. Thank you for showing the huge contribution made by the Canadians. I was privileged to meet one of the veterans at the Juno beach museum in 2018. You could feel the underlying resentment whilst talking to him that there contributions has been overlooked . As you say they lost so many men both on D day and on the assault on Caen and throughout the Normandy battle. Will never tire of saying how brave these young men were . I don't think we will see there likes again .RIP.
I love your channel. WW2 reaches out and touches generations.My Grandfather passed away in his 40’s from “injuries received while serving in WW2. It created a situation that my father was not able to go to college ,he had to work to support his younger brother and sisters . He had some issues with alcohol after this time, which caused some relationship issues between him and I . We are very close now, he is a fantastic Grandfather to my kids. I am definitely not the only one with this type of story. I watch this channel with my kids , they ask me questions about my Grandfather
I'm Canadian and this is amazing history that a lot of people don't know about, including a lot of Canadians, since they don't teach this unfortunately. I really appreciate this content. You have a new subscriber!! Cheers from Calgary, Canada
Another excellent job of bringing to light some of the history we Americans haven’t been taught. You sir, should be awarded a national recognition as History Teacher of the Year. Your videos, and this series in particular, have enlightened, inspired, and informed more of us around the world than any classroom instruction ever could. Thank you for what you do.
A great wish of mine is to visit here. My husband's Dad was with the North Shore Regiment of New Brunswick and landed here the second wave. We would love to walk where he had been. I hope people will ALWAYS remember our boys and the absolute h*ll they went through...for us. Thank you for this!
JD & Paul another in depth video of the first landing beach I visited back in 2012 and where I began to find my deepest admiration for the Canadian Forces as a Brit I know how important in WW2 just how important our Canadian cousins were to the fight for not just our freedom but European freedom, they came across to the UK as volunteers to stand shoulder to shoulder with their British ancestry and ensure it's place in the world. This episode did bring me to tears for what their fighting represented, I remember being so emotionally charged when I first stood there and read the stories of the men who attacked this shore line. When you stand in front of Canada House you not only see it from the images, you feel the task that these guys had to face in those first waves. I am honored to know the story from a friend in Toronto who's grandfather and great uncle stormed these beaches on D-Day in the first waves one a medic and one an infantry man with the Toronto Scottish Regiment who's story I am researching and hoping to make a video such as this for my friend and his family in Toronto so they can get an idea of the footsteps their family member's took. I am very much at the beginning of this research so if anyone has any pointers for me or can assist me with this that would be great. I have set out a page in honor of Canadian Soldiers on my Flickr page if anyone wishes to visit feel free to share information relating to this regiment and the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corp attached to the 9th Infantry. One of the 2 brothers did not return and is buried in Normandy but the family brought back the ashes of his brother back to him a few years ago so they can be together. Again a great video if anyone reading this can help or guide me in the right direction all help would be appreciated. www.flickr.com/groups/canadian_soldiers/
Thank you for another amazing video. A late friend of mine Jim Stanner, was a Royal Marine commando who went ashore on Juno during D Day. Some years ago he told me of his story and how he survived that day. Once ashore they were being directed by an officer, a marine near to Jim, hit the officer and laid him out for some reason. The man was immediately put under close arrest and he had to escort him back to England. It took Jim, a few days before he returned back to France. He always believed that chap saved his life! on D Day.
My grandfather was a Captain with the North Shore Regiment from NB that landed here at WN 27, and to know he was one of the 15% to survive is miraculous. It is amazing to learn these details about his service all these years later. He would never speak of the war. He returned from the war physically unharmed (somehow) but with "shell shock". He worked up until his retirement in 1975 and passed at 90 years old. To be able to learn some of this mystery all of these years later is a true treasure for me. My parents have a copy of the book The Scarlet Dawn and I hope I will be able to borrow it and read greater details. Thank you for sharing this important history in honour of our loved ones and all those that fought and died, and those who survived. I am very grateful to watch this and imagine the footsteps he took there.
For my Dad ,my hero ,who enlisted in 39 and was in the Royal Canadian Artillery and Signals Corps during his four plus years overseas , I thank you for your thoughtful and very informative video .To all the brave young men .Well done eh .👍🏼
Some years ago I finally got a chance to visit Juno Beach. It was a beautiful day, a glorious low tide with lots of kids and families enjoying the day. As I was checking out one of the bunkers, a young couple was walking towards me from the west, holding guide books and excitedly pointing out various geographic features and they were clearly excited to be there. I discerned that they were speaking in Espanol and I asked them if they spoke English, which they did. They turned out to be a young couple on their honeymoon. They were both enthusiasts for Canadian military history. They were absolutely thrilled to be there and were very pleased to meet a descendant of Canadian military men (grandad in WWI, dad in WW2, great great grandfather Red River Rebellion). It was such a pleasant surprise to meet young Europeans who cared deeply about my country's and by extension, my family's history. I should have stayed in touch with them, they were a pleasure to meet.
At the time I type this, there are over 8,500 views, only 929 likes....come on people, this is great stuff! open your minds learn things, from great people! History that is not learned tends to repeat itself! Thank you JD and Paul for such a great History Lesson! Learning more and inspiring me to look up more as well. Thank you for taking the time to educate us!
Thank you once again JD! These are facts us Americans are unaware of, unless we really research. Or are fortunate to follow your channel. We must try to remember our Canadian and British brothers and sisters Heroes that fought with our American heroes. 💪🏻💞 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧
Thank you for going there and filming that!! We are often lumped in with the the Brits or Americans. In Canada its important to us to have our contribution uniquely remembered. 🇨🇦🇬🇧🇺🇸
JD AMAZING!!! Never really hear about the Canadian stories of WWII or WWI….Thank you for sharing this!! Really brings light into current events and proof that Canadians are not to be pushed around.
My father was on HMCS Lindsay K338 offshore during this attack. I thank God he never had to go ashore. Thankyou to all those brave young heroes. I know how much it moved my father when he visited decades later. My father and all his shipmates have now passed the bar. They fought so bravely and deserve so much. Unfortunately decades of politicians have given away what our brave armed forces fought for. So disrespectful. Thank you Dad and thank you to all our heroes at Juno Beach.
It needs to be said that it was the Canadians who advanced the greatest distance from the beaches on D-Day. (However, it should be noted that, after sunset, the forward-most units chose to retreat a short distance to a much better defensive position, because they expected strong counterattacks from the Germans that night). The Canadians' deep penetration into France on D-Day & D+1 made them the focus of German efforts to drive a wedge to the sea, between the British/Commonwealth forces & U.S.A. forces. In the weeks following the landings, the Canadians again suffered a large number of casualties in battles around the Carpiquet Airfield, then even more as they advanced towards the vital objective of Caen. In fact, the Canadians experienced fierce fighting every single day of the Normandy campaign, which reached its climax when Polish armour & Canadian units closed the Falaise Gap (with forces from Great Britain & the U.S.A. surrounding the Germans everywhere else). This sealed the fate of an entire German army trapped in the Falaise Pocket....a disasterous defeat for the Germans.
My Grandfather was a member of the Queens Own Rifles Of Canada and landed on Juno Beach.He was a medic-stretcher bearer-ambulance driver, needless to say he was very busy .I have never been to Juno as of yet but would like to someday.My grandpa passed away a few years ago and like many never really talked about his expieriences.Thank you JD for this video cheers from Canada.
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JD ,have you ever heard of this great French Canadian hero name; LEO MAJOR ? If not you should because he liberate alone a city of about 50.000 people, very interesting !! They should make a movie on him !!
@@stephaneeternelle-vie4664 - That sounds familiar. I’ll have to look that up.
@@TheHistoryUnderground He is a real legitimate legend. Took Willy Pete to the face, damaged an eye, and refused evac and just wore an eye patch. Refused a medal because he thought Monty was incompetent. Not long before he liberated Zwolle by himself, he had his back broken when a vehicle he was in hit a mine. He was a sniper and forward reconnaissance for Le Régiment de la Chaudière. He once captured 90 Germans by himself. He also fought with distinction in Korea. Léo is one of only three Commonwealth soldiers awarded the DCM in two separate wars.
@The History Underground
Loving the D-Day stuff! Have you ever thought of doing stuff on companies like the desert rats or any other companies that have found around the world?
@@shaunmcnamee9954 thanks. Yeah, I’ve given that some thought.
I never thought I would see an American production covering Canadian military history! Thank you!
Love the story of what those guys did.
I can't even find a video from a Canadian on this level tbh
Presented by an Englishman living in France!
@@martinlaird4738 SO?
@@kspeed419 I haven't looked but now that you mention it try The Canadian Film Board and I imagine that they will have extensive good documentaries on the war
As a Canadian, and the son of a Canadian WW2 veteran (RCEME), I appreciate your giving some recognition to your northern neighbours!
I do get distressed, however, when I see comments from Americans who say they had no idea or little knowledge of Canada’s involvement in WW2. Canada had been fighting overseas in Europe and in Asia for 2 full years before the USA entered combat. Our navy had been escorting convoys, fighting in spitfires and hurricanes and lancasters, and they had been dying... for over two years.
Hollywood loves to show American bravery in times of war, but rarely, if ever, presents a global view. Americans think U-571 is a historical illustration, but it is complete fiction. British seamen, aided by a Canadian warship, recovered the first Enigma machine more than 6 months before the USA entered... so I ask, please, educate your viewers that while the entire world does indeed owe the USA a debt of gratitude, other nations were involved to an enormous degree and should not be overshadowed in any nation’s historical telling of WW2
So true, the real sad part is how Brittan sacrificed the Canadians at Hong Kong, it's appalling to watched what happened there.
@@kduquett Yep - few people appreciate that Canadians were among the first Japanese POWS as well ... well before the USA entered the war. I will add that my father was a flight engineer in a Halifax and completed a full tour. He was retraining on a Lanc to go to Japan when the war in Japan ended.
Not every American is ignorant of Canada's contributions in both world wars
@@kduquett This idea that the Canadians were scarified at Hong Kong doesn't line up with the evidence. The Canadian government could have turned down the request but didn't. I wrote my dissertation on the battle and have looked at this extensively.
Agree with you, Mel. The Americans made a fantastic contribution, but with both world wars, with Canada in from the very declaration of war... the USA was always late to the party and the first to claim overall victory. Maddening as it belittles the efforts of Brits, Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies, Pols, Czechs, French, etc. all of whom were certainly in WW2 long before the US officially set foot in the UK.
I`m a Brit but the Canadians have always punched above their weight in war, I might add the Aussies and Kiwis did too. It must be something in their genes, kind regards from Blighty and keep up the good work.
in our case, it's the cold... lol
If you look at the eyewitness testimony, the Infantry assault was not supported for quite a while. The Navy vessels did not give fire support to The Landing troops and as a result there was more casualties than anticipated.
Not surprised with the Aussies they wrestle crocodiles for a living
Not all Americans fall into that misconception. The D Day landings were, among other things, a marvel of international cooperation and collaboration. Our Canadian neighbors and brothers were a huge part of D Day and beyond, and they fought with incredible skill and courage.
Pretty amazing what they all accomplished.
Dear Tarfu: As one of your Canadian neighbors l want to say a sincere thank you for your comments. Cheers
Thank you
I was born in 1964 in St Thomas Ontario Canada to imigrants from the Netherlands who were liberated by the Canadian Armed Fprces in Holland. In 1943 my grandfather was executed by the occupying force for his anger over food theft by the German occupying force in Kampen Holland. I thank all Canadian Veterans for their service . I am 60 years old and my parents have recently passed.
80 years already… My uncle who was dearest to me than my father was a lieutenant in the French Canadian Régiment de la Chaudière that landed at Juno Beach. He survived unscathed the whole liberation campaign into Holland, and he never said a word about his war experience. He passed away in 2010, and I miss him everyday. Thank you for this video which sheds a little light on what he had endured. Very enlightening 🇨🇦
Salute to your Uncle
I had 2 grandfathers land on Juno Beach, both of them well into their 40s. My cousin, Sgt. Harvey Dreaver of the Regina Rifles, is believed to be the first Indigenous soldier to land on Juno Beach. He later fell during the Battle of the Leopold Canal.
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God 🙏 bless
I had a great uncle on the beach. He was in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, sustained 2 broken femurs and died in August of the same year.
Much respect. I had a step-uncle who fought with the Black Devils, with Sgt. Tommy Prince. His son says that his father held Sgt Prince in the highest regard.
My Grandfather Pvt. Willam Wallace Barney hit the beach that day as well with The Regina Rifles. He managed to make it through the entire war without a scratch.
As a proud Canadian, thank you for sharing the story of our brave heroes.
Our pleasure! Thanks for watching.
Not sure if you watched “storming Juno” Canadian made (so there are French subtitles) and can still watch it for free on a couple channels.
Yes, you got it just right
As a Canadian 🇨🇦 myself, I say thank you for highlighting our brave men. What a lot don't realize, is , we joined the war right at the very beginning. Think about that for one sec. YEARS before the Americans. AND we did NOT have conscription! Every one of our Armed Service men and women were and still are 100% volunteers! But, I guess Hollywood doesn't realize that it was more than the US and British that fought against the Nazis so not as many realized how significant our contribution, and that of all the other countries that are part of the British Sovereignty that took part was. Shout out too to the veterans and those who didn't come back from Australia too. Your brave aren't highlighted as much as they should either.
Thanks and praise from Peterborough Ontario Canada 🇨🇦 ♥️
As the son of man who landed there, thank you from a Canadian who rarely sees any coverage of what they did. Cheers
100% agree . I am a son as well of a juno survivor.
Ditto, my Dad was on Juno, Mike green.
My father was in the first wave at Omaha Beach, and as a result, my attention has always been focused on that Beach. To hear of the extremely high level of casualties at Juno Beach gives me an even higher level of respect toward our neighbors to the north!
Ok...this is going to take me a moment to get past the appreciative lump in my throat. I cannot Express enough my gratitude for showing this and the absolute amazing awe I have that you took the time to talk about us. I was jaw dropped the whole way through and I actually had tears of utter appreciation. Thank you very much for including my country in your amazing history videos. If I have to represent Canada here in saying thank you then I will. From my heart and country...Canada thanks you 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Oui ça fait plaisir qu'ils aient pris le temps et ont pensé à parlé de nos courageux soldats Canadiens qui ont eux aussi combattu à leurs côtés durant cette autre terrible querre !! Nous aussi avons eu des héros durant cette 2 querre mondiale ,un héros qui vient à l'esprit parmi tant d'autres son nom LEO MAJOR !!
This is why i love this channel! Higlighting all sides and giving credit where credit is due. Massive thanx to all Canadians who fought here for our freedom!
Thanks. I really do appreciate those kind word. Got a few more on the way from the Canadians. 🇨🇦
Thanks Claude I echo your sentiment. Very nice for our soldiers to be recognized with such detail and appreciation.
Amen, Brother!
I am a Canadian Navy veteran, the son of two WWII veterans. Growing up, we were taught much more history than kids are today, but it was still lacking and you had to speak with veterans to get the real story (luckily, there were many around then). Thank you so much for all you are doing to bring Canadian history to light. I both applaud, and appreciate, you for it. I was lucky enough to be able to take my family to see Juno and surrounding areas in 2015 and it was a sobering trip to see what our soldiers had to fight through. The graveyards are testament to their sacrifice. I encourage every Canadian to try and see Juno Beach. As well, for those interested there is a great series of podcasts called Juno Beach and Beyond put on by the Juno Beach organization, that explores Canadian military history.
As someone who’s originally from the UK, raised in Canada and had a Grandad in the RAF, I’m so grateful these stories are told. Lest we never forget.
Thanks!
Glad the Canadian effort on D Day gets some air time. The fighting on that beach was particularly hard.
Absolutely. Got a few more on the way.
Yes, but we Canadians got the better landing with no cliffs.
Once again, thanks to you and Paul for bringing us this presentation from the Canadian POV. We were allies and fought the tyranny of Genocide and Fascism along side one another. Lest we Forget what really happened in WWII and how it was allowed to get to the point it did, as it appears that the truth of this history seems to be waning from the memory / history of some in this modern time.
Well said. Thanks.
With events now playing out in CANADA, I couldn't be more proud to have you Canooks as our Northern friends and allies.
In my case your my Eastern neighbor. From Anchorage Alaska all I can say is ......Oh CANADA!
Bless you for your stand once again against tyranny!!!!!
GOD will deliver you soon from this present danger. Today you lead the World again.
As an American, I tend to think about the American side of all of this. The band of Brothers, all of the other American heroes down the line. But I’m also moved by the fact that there were a great great many British and Canadian casualties. I really had no idea about the Canadian side of things, but I did know the British had suffered tremendous losses as well. So, they were all united in a common cause, to rid themselves the world of tyranny and usher freedom as you so eloquently said, into Europe beginning on these shores.
I hear you. I'd love to see a series or movie that does justice to what those guys did.
Canadians took the highest casualties on Juno because of the lack of artillery fire into the houses but still were the only allied troops to attain their objective that day.
@@johnkidd1226 Quite a lot of British units attained their objectives too - 47 RM Commando, 56 Independent Brigade, 6 Commando etc
Hi Jim. It is not well-known that Canada had been one of the earliest adopters of the concept of parachute regiments. Consequently, by the time the Allies were ready to attack 'Fortress Europe', there were a lot of highly trained Canadian airborne troops. In fact, there were quite a few Canadians that jumped with the Americans on D-Day.
@@derekbaker3279 Many of the Canadian parachutists were also part of pathfinder units whose job it was to conduct reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines.
Another great episode! When I was still flying in airlines, we flew to Canada often. I overnighted in Ottawa one night. The next morning I was having breakfast and saw many finely dressed people, some with pristine military uniforms walking past. I asked a couple next to me what was happening. That day was a day of remembrance for what they called, "Canada's version of the Bataan Death March". So often, as you've talked about, we Yanks are so obsessed with what our forefathers (my grandpa lost his leg fighting in N France) did, that we forget our allies and what they did for freedom as well! I love this series. And Paul sharing these facts is amazing.
Must have been for our Hong Kong veterans. Truly sad history. The documentary “a savage Christmas” done in the 80s is rather good. Bob Claytons account of Lieutenant Arthur Beresford Scott’s actions are truly heart breaking. I would suggest watching.
@@andrewwebb-trezzi2422 thank you ill look that up!🙏👊
Wow. Thanks for sharing that. Those guys were something else.
Thank you for the very well done Juno Beach visit. I took a day tour of the Canadian sector of the Normandy battle last time I visited. I am American by the way. Canadians took terrible losses during the campaign leading towards Caen. Many Canadian POWs were executed by order of the SS. And please don’t forget the Canadian solders were serving as volunteers.
My grandfather And 2 great uncles fought the 12th ss in Normandy, they did some things in retaliation that I won't write here but I wouldn't question them for a second, all 3 survived the war including the 4th brother who served in the RCN.
They loved us enough to die for us
A last full measure of devotion
As a French Man i would like to pay tribute to the Canadians soldiers who fell at Juno Beach!!! On June 6 th 1944! !! May God keep their souls in his Heaven!! Denis from France...
I was born a few years after the war. All my days, I have known peaceful skies, quiet fields, freedom. Then this young man shows me the gouges made by a Sherman tank in a far off street, still there, a testament to the heroes that bought my privileged life. Thank you my friend for reminding me of my debt. Arohanui.
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I and my wife are Canadian, we are both retired Air Force, my Dad was in the Royal Engineers, my oldest son is in the Canadian Army, a Combat Engineer. There are plenty of Canadians here expressing their thanks for this video, add ours as well. What really makes your video special and meaningful is that it has been researched and presented by an American, thank you and BZ.
Appreciate those kind words. Hopefully, these videos will help to make these stories more widely known in some small way.
Thank you John Hill, as a fellow Canadian l couldn't agree more.
I'm so glad you did this video. My dad was transporting troops that day. Actually he was transporting troops 3 days straight without any sleep. He said you could hear bullets whizzing by and clanking off the transport. After the initial waive things settled down he was then transporting equipment for weeks after that. In mid August on the way back from France the tanker he was on hit a floating mine. It's a good thing for him the tanker was on the way back after delivering fuel and not full. He wouldn't have been blown out of the water. Thanks for posting!!
Thank you so much for including the Canadian perspective. We kicked butt in both world wars and we are proud of our veterans. Greetings from Saskatoon Sk Canada.
Absolutely. I’ve enjoyed learning more of the Canadian story. 🇨🇦
Our government sure isn’t. After all, our veterans are “Asking for more than we can give right now” according to the Crime Minstrel… right before he promises a talentless hack of an American TV personality over $50M for reasons.
I'm not sure if you can ever know how much I appreciate your videos. As a proud Canadian who dabbles in trying to fully understand WWII, I'm thankful you made this video because we all faced terrible beaches that day. What I love about the 25 min mark is that the French could have fixed the tank damage to the curb, but instead left it as a reminder. I love that.
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The french fix things. 🤣🤣
As a Canadian, I thank you for highlighting one of the many contributions Canadian men and women made to the effort in WW2. The defeat of the Nazi regime was a collaboration, and I am grateful to every person, from every country that took part in the fight against the Nazi's. I owe a debt to all those who fought, which I will never truly be able to repay. .
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Thanks for putting this together. As a Canadian, I find this video has helped me gain a deeper and more detailed understanding of what happened on Juno Beach. One of my maternal great-uncles was in a Canadian artillery unit that was involved in the fighting on Juno Beach. His war diary, all four pages of it, recounts how the artillery units in his area of operations were lobbing 13,000 shells per hour at German-held positions, a clear indication of how intense the fighting was in the first few hours of the invasion.
And for what it's worth, Jimmy Doohan, the man who played the part of engineer Montgomery Scott on the 1960s sci-fi TV series Star Trek, was also involved in the fighting on Juno Beach. He was a second lieutenant in a Canadian artillery regiment as well and was wounded in action not by German fire, but by a Canadian sentry who mistook him for an enemy soldier and shot him.
As a dual American/Canadian I can say both countries have amazing stories to tell. Like in the Great War the Canadians were often on the pointy end of the “British” advance. Canadian stories are often given short shrift as they get folded into the British Army. Great episode!
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And it's funny, because it's not so much the British that folds the Canadian stories and victories with them.
It's American historians.
Then again, Canadian politics got highjacked by a WW2 general on an ego trip.
Very popular guy in the 50s.
Sort of like the 30% of Juno troops that were British in this case.
Six of seven Smith brothers served in WW2. Four served in Europe. My uncle, William Russell Smith died, October 16, 1944, liberating Antwerp, Belgium. He was 21. He had married on June 14th and left for Europe on June 25th.
My favourite uncle was in the 48th Highlanders of Toronto and later volunteered to become a part of the Canadian Parachute Brigade when it was formed. He air dropped into Europe and was killed in the Netherlands. He is buried in the Canadian cemetary at Nijmegen, Holland.
Extremely proud to be a Canadian as I am watching this video. Thank you for sharing the story of our heroes! They have not died in vain.
Every single man who took part in storming those beaches on D-Day is the definition of bravery and heroism. Every single one of us owes our freedom to them. God bless the Greatest Generation 🙏🏽
Though to my own disappointment I am watching this a year after its release, thank you very much for such a well made episode helping to cover Canadian involvement in the landings. My grandfathers older brother came ashore on Juno in a Sherman with the 1st Hussars and a cousin came ashore on the very landing craft shown at the 21:17 time stamp with the SD&G Highlanders. Sadly he would be killed in action just ten days later. I think I speak for many Canadians in saying thank you for helping tell our part in this important chapter of our military history, which we share with our allies proudly.
Three years ago at the annual D-Day re enactment in Conneaut, Ohio I had the rare chance to listen to a Canadian D-Day veteran give his version of events. He was talking to a few of us who recognized his service emblems. Suffice it to say I felt I was in the company of a giant. Sure Gave me goosebumps.
Really really enjoyed this along with all your videos. As a Canadian, thank you for showing this history. Organizationally the Canadian's are often included with the British and the contribution sometimes becomes lost as a result. It doesn't help that politically, our history was also downplayed by our government within Canada itself. The sacrifices and accomplishments of our solders deserves much better treatment. Thank you for doing your part to provide that. Three quick suggestions: 1. Closing the Falaise Gap, 2. David Currie, VC, 3. the Dieppe raid of 1942... a couple of hours east on the coastline )
Man, that’s a shame that the stories aren’t told much in Canada. Definitely plan on hitting those suggested sites in the future.
@@TheHistoryUnderground And don't forget the Battle of the Scheldt in the Netherlands, and the Canadian contribution to not only liberating the Netherlands, but also opening the vital port of Antwerp.
That's because back then we were part of the British Empire even our flag was the Union Jack ,the flag we have now didn't exist until the Vietnam war (1965)don't they teach any of this in school anymore????
Brothers in arms across the 5 landings, they all did their bit but it is truly appreciated to see a special on the Canadians highlighted. 85% casualties on the first wave, think about that. The sea wall still looks a 100 ft high, imagine that morning, 80 yrs ago today my dad was there with the boys, bless them all. The greatest generation for many reasons. ❤🇨🇦🇬🇧🇺🇸
Lest we forget.
Thank you! I am very appreciative that you took the time to talk about Canada's contribution. The allies prevailed because it was a team effort.
Absolutely. Got some more on the way.
Great episode! It's so nice as a Canadian to hear our allies calling out Canadian heroism after all these years. Nice also to hear the recognition of Charlie Martin, who features in my dad's novel "When Yer Number's Up" as a central figure in the Normandy battles. What a warrior!
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Thank you. As a Canadian I have been hard pressed to find anything about our war efforts. Even our history classes in high school barely touch on the impact of the Canadian military. I speak as the descendent of a North Shore Regiment veteran who landed at Juno and fought until V-E Day, and an RCAF veteran, who I unfortunately never got to hear any of his accounts. It is an absolute crime that Canada's war effort are not commonly known, even to Canadians. Even a war movie about a battle that was fought primarily by Canadians had little mention of us. Thank you for righting these wrongs. The more people like you in the world, the ones willing to read, research and report on the efforts of lesser known nations, the better. Once again, thank you.
Man, that's sad to hear. Hopefully people will be sharing these videos. Got a few more from the Canadians on the way :)
@ Josh Duncan, not sure where you went to school mate, but I received a very thorough education on the Canadian WWII effort.
Hi Josh, I have plenty of Canadian content on my channel
If you haven't already, please do go to the Juno Beach Center and Museum right at the beach and bunkers. It is an incredible tribute to the Canadian D-Day and Normandy effort. Museum tour guides are Canadian and proudly volunteer their service to teach and guide the visitors.
You are right. It isn't being taught anymore. It isn't even being honored correctly anymore in Remembrance Day ceremonies in Canada. Just another effort to rewrite the past in order to fit a new narrative.
This series in Normandy is just amazing. God bless our Canadian friends!
Appreciate that!
Thank Michael for your blessing.
As a Canadian and grandson of a Naval Officer from WW2. thank you so much for this content and your gracious commentary. We shall not forget
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Nice to see recognition for the Canadians, the ones who met their goals first on D-Day. My grandfather died on D-Day at Juno and I went their 3 years ago and what an experience.
Thanks for posting, great video. I visited Juno beach in 2017. As a Canadian I felt a great sense of pride. For those interested , the Queens Own Rifle sergeant mentioned in this video, Charlie Martin ,wrote a book in 1994 called “Battle Diary “ . It is about his war experience from D Day ( age 24) to the wars end. A very good read.
My Dad landed on Juno Beach two days after his B-Day, he was just a teenager, as many were. I asked my Dad, why he volunteered to join, being underaged, and it wasn't your typical, "it was the right thing to do", it was, "to get three square meals a day". My Dad grew up very poor, as many had, they had just come out of the "dirty thirties". He survived the beach and was with his fellow Canadians who forged further inland than any unit. He drove supply truck, a target, obviously, since the Germans didn't want supplies to get through, the tarp on his truck riddled with bullet holes. Because my Dad spoke both English and French, he was often picked for missions to the front line throughout the war. He's going to be 97 this coming year, he plans to live to be 100. The stories he tells are fascinating.
Oh wow! That is amazing! I would love to able to sit down and chat with him over the course of an afternoon.
That the people of that village left the chewed up curb made by a tracked vehicle for over 70 years shows that they honor those men, and Canadians especially, for liberating them.
A fellow and a number of his elderly colleagues went back to the airfield they flew out of in the UK. They were being driven through the base in a bus and suddenly a fellow started really laughing. They stopped the bus and got out and he walked back to a square painted on the roadway by the curb. Seems during the war, he and a number of others, were assigned the job of painting the curbs. He knocked over the paint can and rather leave it as it was, he painted a square to make it look better. All these years later, every time the curb was repainted, so was the square he made!
Yes, pretty admirable.
Thoroughly enjoyed this video and the story of Charlie Martin. The Canadian and British heroes of World War 2 don’t get the recognition they deserve so these stories you’re bringing are just wonderful
Thanks. Love that Charlie Martin story.
As a proud Canadian, thank you for explaining and showing Juno Beach. Lest We Forget.
You bet!
Yet another brilliant chapter in what we can all agree has and is continuing to be a fascinating series. D-day exemplified for me what can be achieved when allies fight together in a Co-ordinated fashion to achieve a common goal; Americans, British, Canadians, Indian, Poles, Czechs, Norwegians, Free French, Dutch, Australians, South Africans, New Zealanders, Belgians…..all playing their vital part in the overall liberation of Europe, Africa, the Far East and the wider World. Each Country contributing and sacrificing some of their finest to let the light shine through the darkness again. Each and every veteran, from wherever they came, deserve our gratitude, respect and memory of what they endured and why they gave their tomorrows. Whichever God you have faith in, I hope that God continues to bless them all.
Thank you for the kind words.
As a Canadian thank you for recognizing this as well I have infinite respect for all people who love history from no matter which countries
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Outstanding video! I had a chance to meet SGT Major Charlie Martin when I was a junior in high school in 1983. He had done a remembrance day talk to classes and was the father of one of our English teachers, when I met him. He then invited myself and another close friend over to his apartment to show us his "stuff". The man was so humble and so soft spoken I couldn't imagine that he was on D-Day. He told us that his entire company which was B Company QOR had like 120 men when they stormed ashore. He said there was more than 100 yards of open beach before they could get to that break wall. By the time his men got to the break wall he had like 80 men left and by the time they pushed inland that first night he had 60. He said their foxholes were spread out like 50 yards apart because there was so few men. I remember him telling us that story about stepping on a bouncing betty mine. He just laughed about it and said his ears rang for a while after that. He had quite an illustrious career in the Canadian army. He parachuted at least once into France to help the French underground before D-Day and while in Holland he was wounded by several rounds from a an MP40 when a Hitler Youth kid jumped up and shot at him. I will never forget him then showing us his scars and then the Canadian issue webley pistol and telling us how he fired all six shots at the kid dispatching him. This was around April 1945 when the Canadians were still clearing out parts of Holland from stiff German resistance. The next thing he tells us was he woke up in a hospital somewhere in the rear and a nurse told him that the war was over. I want to thank J.D. for doing this episode on the Canadian contribution. Canada gave up some 45,000 young men to help liberate Europe and the far east, including one of my uncles who is in a Canadian cemetery in Normandy outside Caen. Thanks again J.D. well done!
Oh my gosh. Thanks so much for sharing that. I'm a little jealous that you had the opportunity to hear the stories directly from him. :)
@@TheHistoryUnderground Thanks I have some Toronto Star newspaper clippings from the 80's about him very cool. Missed getting to the museum next time I am in Gettysburg I'll make a point about stopping in. Love to see all the stuff on Major Winters!
I can only echo the words of Claude in his appreciation of you and Paul's commentary on our contribution , many thanks.
My uncle Leonard died on the drive to take Caen from the Germans by a sniper, he fought with the Essex Scottish Regiment.
Thank you for taking the time to share this story about our citizen soldiers. As a Canadian I can tell you that my wife and I have been fortunate enough to visit Juno Beach. We were touched I would also like to add the Juno Beach Centre that is on the west side of Juno Beach is well worth a visit.
Canadian here, found you through watching US civil war videos. Great video and thank you for sharing the story of the Canadian D day effort.
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I have seen the clip of the soldiers disembarking from the landing craft and the first two carrying a ladder and wondered why was a ladder so important to be carried first off the boat. Seeing that the whole beach has such a tall sea wall , it now makes sense.
I served 8 years In the CDN army. I met many vets of WW2 attending Remembrance Day services. We hosted them after the parade in the Officers Mess. Most of them are now deceased. It was a great honour to have met them and have had the opportunity to thank them for their service and sacrifice
“We shall remember”. 🇨🇦🇬🇧🇺🇸🇵🇱
The Canadians much like the 1st world war made a phenomenal contribution to the war and the landings
Superb soldiers
Absolutely.
Thank you so much. My old boss's dad was a Juno survivor. I thanked him every time he came in to see his son. Thank you for recognizing the Canadians who went there and did so well! Many heartfelt thanks from the mom of an Afghanistan survivor to all the families who lost loved ones at Juno, we cannot thank you enough. God Bless.
Wonderful to see this. My father and his brother were in the First Hussars and landed at Juno Beach, my Dad as trooper and my uncle as a part of a tank crew. Like many veterans he rarely spoke of his experiences.
He also had another two brothers who served
Well about time ! As a Canadian I know our history very extensively for both wars , my grandfather and 4 of his brothers served in WW2 , my great uncle’s helmet 🪖 is in the national war museum in Ottawa, he took a snipers bullet that pierced the side of his helmet and grazed his head , thankfully he survived but when we asked about the sniper he would never answer us lol , my grandmother is a war bride fr the UK and also served for the RAF for the women’s signal corps. You should really look into Canada during WW1 and Sir Arthur Currie one of the most underrated greatest generals in Canadian history! Love you vids ! #ProudCanadian🇨🇦
Wow! Thanks for sharing that. Got a few more episodes on the Canadians coming up.
No problem lol I could’ve written a essay but narrowed it down , the most important Canadian campaign was in Italy but was mostly overshadowed by D Day , they took heavy losses but won and gained very strategic battles during the Italy campaign, my hometown loss some young men during those battles, but we remember them everyday not just on Remembrance Day.
Kelly, I have been to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa and was thoroughly pleased with it. The museum even housed one of Adolf Hitler's cars I believe.
@@frenchfan3368 : on one of my visits to Ottawa to visit my family, my sister and I went to the National War Museum. I stood in front of that car remembering all the footage I have seen of Hitler riding in the streets during parades etc. It really brought the war to reality for me.
Also, the exhibit of packages that food and other consumable stuff came in, as well as the rationing cards that my grandmother told me they had on the home front. Sacrifices were made all over to win the war. My grandmother said that, they had nighttime curfews, and couldn’t have lights on past a certain hour.
The sacrifices we make today to fight the virus pales in comparison to what the greatest generation had to sacrifice.
Stay safe, stay sane, be well
@@MRB_Rh_Neg My father served with the Calgary Tank Regiment in Italy starting with Liri Valley Adolf Hitler line, Gothic, Line, Lake Transimine, Gustav line, and then up to Belgium and Holland. He then volunteered for Japan but they surrendered before he had to go. 10% of all Canadians were in the military during the war and 90% of those volunteered.
I am Canadian, and I want to thank you for this doc. It's the best Juno beach piece I've seen in some time, learned a few things I don't recall hearing.
Wow, thank you! I really do appreciate that. Got a few more videos from the Canadian sector coming after this one.
My father landed on Juno beach shortly after D-day with the Royal Canadian Engineers. I visited on the 70th anniversary and was overwhelmed with emotion by the reenactors and engagement of the locals. I was also struck by the beauty of the beach. Thank you for doing this. It's important.
Paul knows his stuff… impressive. What I like is the way France and/or the people if Normandy really honor the sacrifices of the Allie forces that helped liberate them.
Yeah, his depth of knowledge is insane. I’ve learned a lot from his channel.
I love your work! As a Canadian, and a WW2 vet's child, I thank you for your fine coverage..you always tell me something new!
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Great video J.D! So nice to see that outside of Canada there is genuine interest in our country's contribution to D Day and beyond. 🇨🇦🇱🇷
Thanks! I'm loving learning about the Canadian story.
My Dad landed on Juno. Beach around 8.30am He was with the RAF as a forward signals unit. One of the few RAF personnel to land on day 1 in the morning. He took me back to show as a boy. German Pow’s we’re on the beach and the Canadians had laid out taped tracks for his lorries. He was held under the breakwater while they cleared inland MG positions.
I hiked Juno Beach in 2005 and it was truly a spiritual experience. I recommend it to all Canadians. Standing on the beach, you'll appreciate how deadly it was for our soldiers. The beach is so deep (long) to the channel at low tide or high tide, that there is NO cover. It was hell. The Juno Beach museum is not far from where they filmed this video it is run by Canadian veterans and they hire Canadian students from all over Canada to run it. Highly recommend it. You will truly appreciate the bravery, courage, and guile of our troops.
The History Underground...thanks for making this video...I would love to see an in-depth video about the Raid on Dieppe. Hint...it wasn't to practice for DDay.
James "Scotty" Doohan made the landing there. Doohan served in the 14th Field Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. Crossing between command posts at 23:30 that night, Doohan was hit by six rounds fired from a Bren gun by a nervous Canadian sentry. four in his leg, one in the chest, and one through his right middle finger. The bullet to his chest was stopped by a silver cigarette case given to him by his brother. His right middle finger had to be amputated, something he would conceal on-screen during most of his career as an actor.
Respect! That makes him even more of a miracle worker!
Definitely an amazing story.
I added Mr. Doohan to my post and am pleased to read more of his posting and to be corrected on which hand he was injured. I was very fortunate to meet him in Alaska several decades ago. I may have been one of the only people to thank him for his service, but he did wax prolific on Star Trek! 🖖
@@bradmiller3367 he would much rather talk about the Trek than the horrors of fighting in Normandy
@@marklittle8805 To be clear, sir, I only thanked him. He smiled, said some words of thanks and that was all I recall. He either before or after had given a impromptu talk and question and answer forum where it was all Star Trek.
Thank you for showing Juno Beach, much appreciated. Read about the Dalton Brothers, both were commanding troops of the Queen's Own Rifles, both were wounded. " Colonel Dalton led “B” Company on D-Day landing on the beaches of Bernieres-sur-Mer in front of a concrete strong point where his company underwent fierce machine gunfire. Almost half of B Company was lost in the initial dash across the beach. He suffered a severe head wound but continued to lead his men knocking out one of the pillboxes himself. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership and bravery. [His brother Colonel H.E. Dalton also commanded a Company on D-Day.]" Charles Dalton joined the Cadet Corps of the Queen’s Own when he was 15. He was a 34-year-old Major when he commanded B Company. A and B Companies made up the first wave which landed at 0812 hours. B Company was on the left, and A Company, commanded by his brother Elliot Dalton, was on the right. Major Dalton was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) for his leadership in the war and later served as Honorary Colonel of the QOR. Both were wounded and neither knew if the other was alive until they were in the same hospital in England. Imagine the sense of duty and sheer toughness to continue on with your job, even though you already have a head wound. This was not a unique occurrence, as many other Allied officers and men did the same. Honor them all, and remember what the real struggle for freedom is and was. It is almost as if we have forgotten what fighting for freedom is these days. Another story about the Dalton brothers: Mrs. Dalton was told that both her sons had been killed on D-Day, and she had a stroke. Both Charlie and dad were told each other had been killed on that day.. When Major Dalton made it back to England, they wheeled him into a bedroom in the hospital and stopped. There seems to be someone in your bed, Major Dalton. Major Dalton said to get him the heck out. They rolled the fellow over and it was his brother Charlie. The first moment either knew the other one was alive. They caused so much ruckus that after a week they were transferred to different hospitals."
Glad that you enjoyed it. And yes, I read about the Daltons in Mark Zuehlke's book. Pretty amazing.
Hello. I'm the son of Charles Dalton. I appreciate your comments about my Dad.
@@iandalton6174 - Oh wow! Thanks so much for reaching out!
I actually cried when I watched your program. Both my dad and mother were enlisted in the Canadian Army during WW II. I've always felt embarrassed by the Brits & Americans who know nothing about our war achievements. It's as if Canada didn't exist at all. But we did. At lease over 45,000 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives and another 55,000 wounded in WW II did. Funny, I feel obliged to thank the American (and Brit) for their interest.
My uncle landed on Juno and thankfully survived the war. A better perspective of what he saw. Your videos are very well done. Thank-you
Thanks for the video. There is a tendency for authors that write about Overload to focus on the American and British contributions. When it is finally time to cover Juno beach the basic form is to write oh yeah the Canadians landed at Juno and moved quickly inland. Leaving the impression that it was all fairly easy and not much to write about. Thanks for taking the time to go into the weeds about Juno. There are books which focus on Juno. Given the scope of Overlord all 5 beaches need their own volumes to record what happened, The movie the Longest Day did not even refer to Juno except to say there was a beach called Juno.
Wow, I’ve never seen anything on Juno Beach that’s gone this in depth, and made by someone who is not Canadian! It means a lot to me how much time and effort you put into this, so more people can see this often overlooked story of the Second World War. 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thanks! I've become completely enamored with the Canadian story on D-Day. Got a few more episodes on the way.
Thank you for another great history lesson. We are Canadian and visited Juno and Omaha Beaches in 2017. My cousin was captured near Caen in July 1944. After carrying a wounded comrade all night on his back he finally surrendered to a German machine gunner who was asleep at his post. He gently tapped him on his shoulder as not to startle him and calmly surrendered. His wounded mate needed medical attention. He was a POW till the end of the war.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing that.
What a great guy! He thought of his fellow soldier's needs first!
@@vivians9392 : Agreed. An old quote that I remember (forgot from whom) said...
Soldiers don't just fight against who is in front of them, but rather, for those who are BESIDE them.
It shows that there were plenty of decent German soldiers who were human beings first!
Great story Colin!
I know this is an older video and you probably don't get to read the current comments, but I just wanted to say that, in my opinion, you produce some of the finest videos on military history out there. You cover so many different eras, take us to so many different locations, and you look at things from so many different perspectives and you manage to do so with little bias and politics. Just the history, the sights, and the personal stories of those who were there. Commendable in today's world. Keep up the great work!
Appreciate that. 🙂
I visited all five beaches but had a hell of a time trying to find the famous Canadian House the Queens Own Rifles took from the Germans. I asked the first Frenchman I say and he knew right away. Over 100 Canadians died right there by the house. Well worth a visit if you go to Normandy.
Pretty iconic spot. Glad that we were able to go and show it.
Great video guys. Thank you for showing the huge contribution made by the Canadians. I was privileged to meet one of the veterans at the Juno beach museum in 2018. You could feel the underlying resentment whilst talking to him that there contributions has been overlooked . As you say they lost so many men both on D day and on the assault on Caen and throughout the Normandy battle. Will never tire of saying how brave these young men were . I don't think we will see there likes again .RIP.
Well, hopefully these video can do a small bit to make more people aware of the role that the Canadians played.
I love your channel. WW2 reaches out and touches generations.My Grandfather passed away in his 40’s from “injuries received while serving in WW2. It created a situation that my father was not able to go to college ,he had to work to support his younger brother and sisters . He had some issues with alcohol after this time, which caused some relationship issues between him and I . We are very close now, he is a fantastic Grandfather to my kids. I am definitely not the only one with this type of story. I watch this channel with my kids , they ask me questions about my Grandfather
I'm Canadian and this is amazing history that a lot of people don't know about, including a lot of Canadians, since they don't teach this unfortunately. I really appreciate this content. You have a new subscriber!! Cheers from Calgary, Canada
Thank you for covering Juno Beach and the Canadian contribution on D-Day.
Absolutely! Got a few more on the way.
@@TheHistoryUnderground That’s great to hear! Looking forward to watching them.
Another excellent job of bringing to light some of the history we Americans haven’t been taught. You sir, should be awarded a national recognition as History Teacher of the Year. Your videos, and this series in particular, have enlightened, inspired, and informed more of us around the world than any classroom instruction ever could. Thank you for what you do.
Ha! Thanks. Appreciate that.
A great wish of mine is to visit here. My husband's Dad was with the North Shore Regiment of New Brunswick and landed here the second wave. We would love to walk where he had been. I hope people will ALWAYS remember our boys and the absolute h*ll they went through...for us. Thank you for this!
Thanks for acknowledging all the Canadians contribution and bravery shown at Juno Beach.
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JD & Paul another in depth video of the first landing beach I visited back in 2012 and where I began to find my deepest admiration for the Canadian Forces as a Brit I know how important in WW2 just how important our Canadian cousins were to the fight for not just our freedom but European freedom, they came across to the UK as volunteers to stand shoulder to shoulder with their British ancestry and ensure it's place in the world.
This episode did bring me to tears for what their fighting represented, I remember being so emotionally charged when I first stood there and read the stories of the men who attacked this shore line. When you stand in front of Canada House you not only see it from the images, you feel the task that these guys had to face in those first waves.
I am honored to know the story from a friend in Toronto who's grandfather and great uncle stormed these beaches on D-Day in the first waves one a medic and one an infantry man with the Toronto Scottish Regiment who's story I am researching and hoping to make a video such as this for my friend and his family in Toronto so they can get an idea of the footsteps their family member's took. I am very much at the beginning of this research so if anyone has any pointers for me or can assist me with this that would be great.
I have set out a page in honor of Canadian Soldiers on my Flickr page if anyone wishes to visit feel free to share information relating to this regiment and the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corp attached to the 9th Infantry. One of the 2 brothers did not return and is buried in Normandy but the family brought back the ashes of his brother back to him a few years ago so they can be together.
Again a great video if anyone reading this can help or guide me in the right direction all help would be appreciated.
www.flickr.com/groups/canadian_soldiers/
Those guys were something else. Thanks for the Flicker link too!
@@TheHistoryUnderground Looking forward to your interview on Thursday
Thank you for another amazing video. A late friend of mine Jim Stanner, was a Royal Marine commando who went ashore on Juno during D Day. Some years ago he told me of his story and how he survived that day. Once ashore they were being directed by an officer, a marine near to Jim, hit the officer and laid him out for some reason. The man was immediately put under close arrest and he had to escort him back to England. It took Jim, a few days before he returned back to France. He always believed that chap saved his life! on D Day.
Wow!
My grandfather was a Captain with the North Shore Regiment from NB that landed here at WN 27, and to know he was one of the 15% to survive is miraculous. It is amazing to learn these details about his service all these years later. He would never speak of the war. He returned from the war physically unharmed (somehow) but with "shell shock". He worked up until his retirement in 1975 and passed at 90 years old. To be able to learn some of this mystery all of these years later is a true treasure for me. My parents have a copy of the book The Scarlet Dawn and I hope I will be able to borrow it and read greater details. Thank you for sharing this important history in honour of our loved ones and all those that fought and died, and those who survived. I am very grateful to watch this and imagine the footsteps he took there.
Hi, thanks for sharing. What was you're grandfather's name? My dad was close with Major Myles Hickey, the Regimental Padre.
Paul's knowledge and ability to explain the different methods the Germans had to revert to for security is excellent. TY
Paul is the man.
Thank you for this. I made a comment on one of your last videos about the lack of recognition the Canadians boys get. So this is significant to me.
Glad that you enjoyed it. Got a few more on the way.
Yes JD I as well love those little scars from the time still visible to us today!! It’s absolutely fascinating to me!
Pretty cool to see those subtle marks.
For my Dad ,my hero ,who enlisted in 39 and was in the Royal Canadian Artillery and Signals Corps during his four plus years overseas , I thank you for your thoughtful and very informative video .To all the brave young men .Well done eh .👍🏼
Some years ago I finally got a chance to visit Juno Beach. It was a beautiful day, a glorious low tide with lots of kids and families enjoying the day. As I was checking out one of the bunkers, a young couple was walking towards me from the west, holding guide books and excitedly pointing out various geographic features and they were clearly excited to be there. I discerned that they were speaking in Espanol and I asked them if they spoke English, which they did. They turned out to be a young couple on their honeymoon. They were both enthusiasts for Canadian military history. They were absolutely thrilled to be there and were very pleased to meet a descendant of Canadian military men (grandad in WWI, dad in WW2, great great grandfather Red River Rebellion). It was such a pleasant surprise to meet young Europeans who cared deeply about my country's and by extension, my family's history. I should have stayed in touch with them, they were a pleasure to meet.
At the time I type this, there are over 8,500 views, only 929 likes....come on people, this is great stuff! open your minds learn things, from great people! History that is not learned tends to repeat itself! Thank you JD and Paul for such a great History Lesson! Learning more and inspiring me to look up more as well. Thank you for taking the time to educate us!
Appreciate that. Hopefully people are finding some value in these episodes and learning a few things with me along the way.
Thank you once again JD! These are facts us Americans are unaware of, unless we really research. Or are fortunate to follow your channel. We must try to remember our Canadian and British brothers and sisters Heroes that fought with our American heroes. 💪🏻💞 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧
Good to hear of the Juno, Sword and Gold beaches , and the amazing Canadians . What amazingly bravery and determination
Thank you for going there and filming that!! We are often lumped in with the the Brits or Americans. In Canada its important to us to have our contribution uniquely remembered. 🇨🇦🇬🇧🇺🇸
JD AMAZING!!! Never really hear about the Canadian stories of WWII or WWI….Thank you for sharing this!! Really brings light into current events and proof that Canadians are not to be pushed around.
They were a hard fighting bunch and did much to push back tyranny.
Very awesome and informative as allways! It is good that the Canadian perspective of the landings is given attention. Awesome job.
Thanks! Hope that people share these out so that others can learn too.
My father was on HMCS Lindsay K338 offshore during this attack. I thank God he never had to go ashore. Thankyou to all those brave young heroes. I know how much it moved my father when he visited decades later. My father and all his shipmates have now passed the bar. They fought so bravely and deserve so much. Unfortunately decades of politicians have given away what our brave armed forces fought for. So disrespectful. Thank you Dad and thank you to all our heroes at Juno Beach.
It needs to be said that it was the Canadians who advanced the greatest distance from the beaches on D-Day. (However, it should be noted that, after sunset, the forward-most units chose to retreat a short distance to a much better defensive position, because they expected strong counterattacks from the Germans that night). The Canadians' deep penetration into France on D-Day & D+1 made them the focus of German efforts to drive a wedge to the sea, between the British/Commonwealth forces & U.S.A. forces. In the weeks following the landings, the Canadians again suffered a large number of casualties in battles around the Carpiquet Airfield, then even more as they advanced towards the vital objective of Caen. In fact, the Canadians experienced fierce fighting every single day of the Normandy campaign, which reached its climax when Polish armour & Canadian units closed the Falaise Gap (with forces from Great Britain & the U.S.A. surrounding the Germans everywhere else). This sealed the fate of an entire German army trapped in the Falaise Pocket....a disasterous defeat for the Germans.
My Grandfather was a member of the Queens Own Rifles Of Canada and landed on Juno Beach.He was a medic-stretcher bearer-ambulance driver, needless to say he was very busy .I have never been to Juno as of yet but would like to someday.My grandpa passed away a few years ago and like many never really talked about his expieriences.Thank you JD for this video cheers from Canada.
Thank you 🇨🇦
As a Canadian I thank you for this videos focus
My pleasure! 🇨🇦
Respect to you for keeping the memory of our soldiers alive.