D-Day From the Canadian Perspective - the Juno Beach Landing
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- The invasion of Normandy wasn't accomplished strictly through American forces. Meet the 3rd Canadian infantry division that stormed Juno Beach. Their mission was to cut the Caen-Bayeux road, seize the Carpiquet airport, and form a link between the two British beaches on either flank.
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More about the Canadians please as a Dutchman we will always be grateful.
As a Canadian, thank you for the lovely gift of tulips you send us Ottawa in the summer wouldn't be the same without them
Look up Leo Major and how he freed Zwolle! It almost unbelivable.
@@francispichette1291 Yes, I love that story!
Alot of Canadian families are grateful to the Dutch who hid their loved ones from the Nazis. I had a cousin who served in 428 sqn RCAF.
My stepdad spent a muddy winter and wet spring enjoying that beautiful country in a Sherman. He was treated like royalty then, and again during a visit in 95. I love that the maternity ward at Ottawa Civic hospital was not part of Canada for a day in January 43. Brilliant.
As a US Marine and have served with my Canadian brothers and sisters in arms I have always thought that the bravery, courage, dedication and stories of the Canadian Armed Forces has always been under represented in books, film and history. The professionalism of these fine men and women cannot be over stated. We as Americans, who ask Canada to stand with us against tyranny need to tell thier incredible stories and be grateful that they are our friends to the north. GOD BLESS THE CANADIAN PEOPLE AND HER ARMED FORCES!!
Too bad that Canadian troops have always served in the interests of empire (though justly in the story this video tells).
@@TubeDisabuser-- who’s side should they be on?
@@Charles-k9g5y -- (assuming you meant "whose") --- how about on the side of Canadians, or poor or oppressed people?
For example, why did Canadian troops help overturn an elected government in Haiti in 2004?
@@TubeDisabuser -- I hadn’t heard of this so looked it up. Your wrong. After the leader left Canadian troops went to help stabilize the country.
Thank you! I have always said the Marines are the Americans I would choose above all to stand with! Loved you guys in Afghanistan! Your pit bulls just like us when pushed.
The Canadians have always been tough soldiers. And disciplined. Respect from Australia.
And respect right back to you awesome Australians! Cheers from Canada!!
Lol,lol,lol rofl, lmao, wow. That’s funny.
^^^^^ American. Without a doubt lol
From what I hear Anzac was nobody to fuck with either
Back at you Aussie!
As the sole surviving son of Major Charles Dalton, I appreciate the continued interest in our family's contribution.
Well, your father’s contribution, anyway. And your country’s, yes?
Thats my Uncle as well. My grandmother was worried sick and was anxious for the rest of her life. My mother had to help both my Uncle and Father back to full health after the War as they were both seriously wounded. If you don't know how war can affect a whole family for decades I can't help you.
@fifthbusiness1678
Did you comment before you watched this?
I believe you owe Mr. Dalton and his family an apology.
Look into Valour Road, the Blue Putees, and Vimy Ridge, for a start.
We Canadians are small in population and super polite.
Normally.
However, we are absolutely the reason behind a lot of the combat and humanitarian rules as set out in the Geneva Convention.
We are also the genesis of the International Peacekeeping Force.
You're welcome. 🇨🇦🍁🪖❤
Your dad was some man... Terrible what those very young fellows had to go through to save the rest of us
As a Canadian I would like to give thanks to the brave Polish, French and Norwegian soldiers, among others including various other places in the Commonwealth, who joined our lads on Juno Beach.
Well said.
Simon, you Boob! Canada's flag wasn't yet a Maple Leaf.
Not British and Americans?
@@jackdoyle7453 Juno Beach was a Canadian show. We use Europian and Commonwealth troops because they were ready and willing . The US and British had their own beaches so not British and American.
@@fergusmallon1337 The British were the second largest contingent on Juno Beach over a quarter of all troops landed on Juno were British.
The Canadians were some of the best troops that the Empire had in both World Wars. Their sacrifices in tandem with us here in Britain, whether at Vimy Ridge or Juno Beach shall never be forgotten. Lest We Forget 🌹🇬🇧🤝🏻🇨🇦🌹
Ahh Vimy Ridge... The original "Don't Mess With The Quiet Kid" lesson
Let us not forget Dieppe August 1942. Several Canadians were killed and left on the beach.
@@ronee1959 and a number more abandoned alive to be taken prisoner. Dieppe was a disaster mitigated only by the small size of the operation.
@@ronee1959 Try several hundred killed and hundreds captured. Another British boondoggle using colonial troops.
@@billfarley9167 Not really, another example of an ignorant numpty drawing stupid conclusions. The Canadian Govt were very keen for Canadian troops to be used here.
It's rare to see a non-Canadian truly understand Canadian politeness. Kudos, Simon.
Everyone thinks we are so polite and that we don’t swear 🤣
Except for the one time we murdered an entire German civilian town but we don’t talk about that…
lol
@@oilersridersbluejays They must not watch hockey....or Trailer Park Boys
Politeness is done in a sarcastic way, kill them with kindness with 105 howitzers and hand grenades
Love hearing the stories of the Canadian contribution to WWII as they are so often overlooked, even here in Canada.
I teach grade 5, and every November, my kids learn about our soldiers from WWI all the way up to Afghanistan. Too many Canadians don't know our own history!
You mean "ESPECIALLY here in Canada." No nation on earth has a perfect history and Canada has its own dark chapters, but the many, many great things Canada has accomplished seem largely ignored today by many educators and the media.
@@Vlad65WFPReviews No he did not mean, it is covered in Canadian schools just not celebrated or overly brought to light.
So especially wouldn't work for that context
@@hbailie9115 Please teach them about the contributions of the Merchant Marines, it's a travesty that so many died thinking Canadians didn't care about their contribution.
@@joer8854 I do - and how the veterans needed to go on hunger strikes in order to be recognised.
This American is eternally grateful for our brothers up North and their incredible contributions in WWII. My grandfather 👴 participated in D-Day by jumping in and his unit met up, eventually, with Canadian and American ones. He never talked about specifics but always lauded his brothers from our northern family!
Your comment warms my heart. Thank you. And I write this with a tear in my eye.
As a Canadian it is always a pleasure to have served with your military over the years. Americans are our good friends.
Shoulder to shoulder....always! Cheers from Canada!
You do realize we were at war 3 years before America decided to join
In both World Wars, Canada entered the fight years before the USA did. (In 1914 the Dominions were automatically at war along with Britain, but in 1939 their Parliaments had to vote to join--only two or three Canadian MPs dared to vote no!)
As a Canadian I’m glad that Juno Beach gets some rightful recognition. Canadian contributions are often forgotten in the two World Wars.
Alas they are. If only Toronto had a film industry like Hollywood!
We need to toot our own horn!
Also Korea And more recent
It's because America took the two most heavily defended beaches Omaha and Utah
Hello fellow oilers fan
As a Canadian and a person who love history and enjoys your channel thank you for sharing this. Often we're overlooked in our contributions to the wars (1 & 2) and yet we still shed blood with our other allies. I am hoping that you share more Canadian action soon on this channel :)
Ditto
Same
In the South of the Netherlands, there's cities that celebrate their liberation with Canadian flags and tributes. It's not forgotten by those to whom it mattered most.
I can't speak for the whole of the UK but at least in my part we learn about the Canadian war effort a lot in school. Not just D-Day but in particular we learn a lot about the Royal Canadian Navy leading the charge in the battle of the Atlantic. We literally could not have eaten, let alone fight, without you.
Yes, exactly. I would love to see videos on the Canadian tunneling companies (Battle of Messines) -- which were considered some of the best in the world -- the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and the liberation of the Netherlands.
I'm a Canadian with a French grandfather who served in the war and a Scottish grandmother who also served. My grandmother never spoke of the war. On the rare occasions that grandfather spoke of it he usually told self deprecating stories. The only time he spoke of the war with passion was of the liberation of Belgium and of sharing his rations with a young family. Their children would later visit Canada several times to visit him and give thanks. My grandfather was one of the most gentle people I've ever known. He walked over 200km to volunteer to join the Canadian Army. Every story he told was about his own comedic embarrassments or about Canadian and German troops calling their own ceasefire for Christmas. I feel like the world is losing something important with the passing of WW2 vets and the generations that personally experienced their stories.
As an American, am glad you did a video on them. IMO, us Americans have enough done on us during that time, so we need to look and appreciate at the works of those who, while smaller, were just as important, like the Canadians at Juno. A salute to our brave brothers to the north!
You should watch more documentaries, since the BBC makes most of them, there's tons of stuff about the British and Canadians. I think it's Britain's big export. World War 2 films.
@@scottkrater2131 I watch a lot of documentaries already 😁. What has really turned me on to these lesser known things is the WW2 UA-cam channel. They are the ones that showed me that the Canadians and British didn't have "easy" landings during D-Day. Great channel. Check it out if you haven't already.
@@davidnemoseck9007 my first WW 2 documentary was the BBC's World At War. I'm a follower of WW2 channel also. I actually prefer the British stuff to the American, seems more intellectual and the American stuff is more like a Sporting event instead of war. Watch every thing I've found usually, I'm 57 Btw.
@@davidnemoseck9007 I'd avoid Victory At Sea, unless you really love listening to classical music lol.
Just thought I’d mention that we should also pay attention to other “minor” contributions, notably the commonwealth nations, partisans and exiles
As a Canadian and former soldier I am incredibly proud of those who came ashore at Juno. Thanks for setting such a high standard for the rest of us to follow. 🇨🇦
More Canadian content please. Liberation of the Netherlands, Battle of the Atlantic, Battle of St. Lawrence...
How about the ill-starred Dieppe Raid of 1942? Everything went wrong with "Canada's Gallipoli": the scale was too big for a raid and too small for an invasion. Among other things, the tanks malfunctioned because of inept intelligence, as they didn't realize the Dieppe beach was shingle rather than sand! Yet the government tried to present the raid as a success and people at home actually swallowed this--until they saw the casualty figures... At least it taught the Allies something about what to do on D-Day, and what NOT to do!
A biographic of Leo Major
@@Blaqjaqshellaq One thing that is STILL not known was the REASON for Dieppe - it was a SPY MISSIONI! The whole reason was an attempted Snatch and Grab mission to try and capture the (new 4-rotor) Enigma machine that the German Navy was using to guide the U-boat Wolf Packs. Unfortunately, it was a failure, but at least they made a damn good attempt. If it HAD succeeded, the War would probably have ended before Christmas 1944.
@@normmcrae1140 Another reason for the raid was that the British wanted to show Moscow they were doing SOMETHING on the western front...
Don't forget our contributions to the Battle of Britain.
I grew up in a time where every single kid I knew had a US WW2 vet dad, including me. I have been going down the rabbit hole on You Tube with D-Day videos on Juno, Sword, and Gold beach landings. I realized I'd never seen anything on these...movies, documentaries, books only seem to focus on Omaha and Utah. Thank you for showing this. It has been illuminating and fascinating.
My late grandfather was a soldier of the Glengarry Highlanders that stormed Juno Beach on D-Day. Tho he never spoke of it. He was also wounded and captured in the fight over the town of Caen, only to be freed by his brothers division two days later. Gone but not forgotten!
I am glad you show the Canadians prospective of things.
One small detail: the Canadian Red Ensign was Canada's flag until 1965 when we changed to the red maple leaf on a white background with red side bars that is the Canadian flag we know today. This video is great. Thank you.
They were obviously thinking of the current flag when they said a flag with a red maple leaf but the Red Ensign has three small red maple leaves. So technically not wrong. ;-)
I went looking for this small correction before I posted it myself.
No prior to 1957 it was 3 Green maple leaves. Also Canadian warships at the time had green maple leaves on their funnels
Not a coincidence that our present flag's colour (red) is the exact same hue as that of the Liberal Party of Canada.
@@HweolRidda Green, not red.
As a Canadian Veteran, i want to say thank you to Simon for a great episode, loved it. If you did anymore you must do the Battle of Vimy ridge where it is said that this was (Birth of a Nation) for Canada, but you must check out, if you have time, these other important battles...Battle of Ortana, and the Italian Campaign, wicked tank battle.....and many others.....always enjoy your shows.
As a Canadian 🇨🇦 and native of Toronto I'm very touched by this Simon!
Thanks a million Simon and of course - Simons broadcast team! 👏👏💞
We Americans love our Canadian cousins and hold our close relationship dear. I am part Canadian having had 2 Canadian grandparents I am proud to say!
I like how you're honest about tdot not really being Canada lol.
Much Love for Canadians. It’s truly an honor to have such Awesome neighbors to the North. Glad to see an episode that spotlights what the Brave Canadians did on D Day.
My uncle landed on Omaha with the 1st Division. I don't know how he came in contact with the Canadian 3rd. He always had a high opinion of the Canadians. He never allowed any bad mouthing of the Canadians. The Canadians covered themselves in glory just from this one operation. As an American, I'm glad our Northern Neighbors are peaceful because once their blood is up they are formidable. Cheers.
My family served in Wars 1, 2 and Korea... I served during the Cold War. Canadians all! I, and several of my relatives, had the honour to serve alongside our American allies. We make a good team - even though y'all seem to show up rather late to the party (1917 in War 1 and 1942 in War 2) - still, better late than never, I reckon!
Oh - and it's spelled "neighbour"... might as well get it right, eh? 🤣
@@haggis525 LoL. Only with the Queen's English does "neighbor" spell with the "ou", but in American English I'm correct. As Shaw said, separated by a common language. LoL. No worries though. I too served, 78-90 US Army Infantry. Never had any contact with Canadian Armed Forces though. After I left the service I drove truck into Canada manys the time. Only have good memories of Canada and Canadians. Cheers.
@@paulceglinski3087 "Correct" is a relative term, isn't it? But, yes - it is the "Queens" English and I might grant that your American English is the poorer cousin of proper English 🤣🤣🤣
'76 through '88 for me - though I was RCN... that's Royal Canadian Navy, by the way.
And we do make a very good team! I believe RIMPAC just took place - where our brothers and sisters served again together... and Nanook is underway... same note.
Take care! All the best from the Great White North! 🇨🇦
@@haggis525 I'll agree to disagree with the language. LoL. As the saying goes, it depends on your point of view. LoL. Like I said, my uncle always had an admiration for the Canadian Army. I remember in 70something when Canada adopted the Maple Leaf, he said that was sad because the Red flag was such a flag that let you know the hurt was coming. To the day he died he had a little Red flag in his case. Cheers. Sorry, I can't remember the name of that flag.
@@paulceglinski3087 I'm just messing with you, mate! Kind of Canadian/American and Army/Navy thing, right? A little inter-service rivalry between allies. 🤣🤣 It's all good, mate!
The Canadian Flag 🇨🇦 that we know today first flew on Monday, 15 February 1965.... and a triumph of flag design it most surely is: one of the most recognized flags globally.
The flag before that - the one which your Uncle would have had - was the Canadian Red Ensign. It was my country's flag from (if I recall correctly) the early 1920's until Sunday, 13 February 1965. Prior to that I believe we flew a Union flag... though I'd have to check exact dates.
Still - yes, the Canadian Red Ensign was quite a lovely flag though not nearly as identifiable as our current one.
I had the honor to serve with Canadian troops in my military career. History shows the Canadians to be first class soldiers. WWI they fought from 1914 to 1918 in many of the bloodiest battles of the war. WWII, they went to war in 1939, invaded Europe on Juno beach at Normandy, and fought across Europe till the end of the war. Land forces, Navy, and air forces, all fought with courage and distinction. I have total respect for my Canadian cousins!
As a Brit I'd love to hear more about Canada's efforts in WW2. Not enough is heard about them.
About a fifth of the Allied fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain came from outside the UK--mostly Poles, New Zealanders, Canadians and Czechs--which made a big difference in the outcome. (How did a nation as small as New Zealand produce so many fighter pilots?)
it was a small country in WW2. 10 million people and sent a million troops to the war.
@@gordmarsdena large contribution to ww1 too. Thank you for contributing to Europe's freedom.
Many Royal Canadian Air Force personel served with RAF Bomber Command. Both my Dad and his brother flew with RAF.
@@robertmccardle5113 as did my father , only problem is that neither the RCAF or RAF acknowledges them , only the national air forces are recognised .
Thanks for doing my country's contribution to this important moment of world history
I agree. 100% Our brothers seem to be lost to history, as the USA and England seem to get all the credit for the efforts made in Normandy and Italy. The Canadians, Polish, and Indian forces deserve much more recognition for their work. It's a shame that any country in the Commonwealth is generally lumped in a British soldiers and not recognized nationally for their effort.
@@newman977 Aussies are unfortunately lumped in there too. 34,000 Australians were killed in WW2 and are often not mentioned.
Thx to all Canadians, except justin trudeau not him
@@norbitcleaverhook5040 My bad, I neglected to mention the ANZACS. Much respect to them for their contributions and sacrifices as well.
Just remember. There was no red maple leaf in 1944
Canada, Northern polite neighbors in peacetime, absolute awesome maniacs in war, respect. Also requesting the Raid of St Nazaire Raid please.
Yes they bring out all those crazy hockey skills at just the right time lol
@@glenchapman3899 Quit telling us that the enemy is hiding the hockey puck! We just want a good game of shinny(pond hockey), but we get a little testy if ya hide the puck.
@@nathanadrian7797 lol well the Germans learned that lesson the hard way 😀
Apparently the French-Canadians were often angrily screaming obscenities and had a reputation for being pretty intense. That tracks.
Thank you Simon. I'm Canadian and I've never seen anyone cover Juno in that much detail before. It's always bloody Omaha... Yes Omaha was brutal. The whole war was brutal. I've seen Omaha covered 90 billion times. Take care.
I have seen Dieppe covered 90 billion times.
@@nickdanger3802 that one as well.
As a Canadian I heard about my dad's cousin. He was killed on D day but I never had any details. I was shocked to find he was killed on omaha beach rather han Juno. He was born in Saskatchewan and moved to Washington state as a boy. Sadly I can't even find a picture of him. Oddly it seems there are more identified civil war pictures of soldiers than WW2 soldiers. James Allan Machan.
Omaha beach is the 6.5 Creedmore of WW2.
Dr. Mark Felton covers all the little details of WW2, that gets overlooked. He mentions all armies that fought in each battle, regardless of country.
Canada’s population at the time, was 11 million. Over 1.1 served in WW2, about 65% which volunteered, not conscripted.
Stay safe, stay sane, stay Strong Ukraine 🇺🇦
Who would think that a small country known for politeness - "I'm sorry" - could produce a renowned fighting force that punched far above its weight in both world wars. France ceded the area around Vimy Ridge as Canadian territory when the newly formed Canadian army captured it in 1917, leading to the end of WW1. A magnificent monument stands there today. The Dutch people have a special place in their hearts for Canadian troops who, at great cost, finally freed them from the Nazis in 1945. The Germans in both conflicts learned to hate and fear going against the Canadians; there are lots of stories to tell about these brave men and women.
You should try living here :)
Small country? Have you looked at a map of the world? Or are you just American?
@@BuddhaAfterDark
Don't like it? Leave. C ya later.
So much so, that the Geneva convention doctrine which outlines what is and isn't classified as war crimes, was created due to the Canadians tenacity to win at whatever cost. Our bad 😅
@@kevinKronnack Geneva checklist ✅
My Great Grandpa was apart of the landing with the Regina Rifle Engineers. At one point, his squad leader ordered them to follow him to the right, he didn’t hear because of the gun fire and explosions, so he went left. When he looked back at them, they were hit by a explosion which killed them all. Crazy luck for him and very unfortunate for the others. Thanks to him going left I’m here today.
It's refreshing to hear about the battles at Gold, Juno and Sword beaches. It's a shame more wasn't covered nor shown about those sectors.
Aye
The British never tire of making movies and documentary films about the plucky British empire and Commonwealth. They have no cinema if not for that.
@@scottkrater2131 as compared to Americans who show themselves doing everything all by themselves even the stuff that happened while they were catting it at home with isolationism.
@@troystaunton254 well Americans don't usually make documentary films about other countries armies, only ours. By the way Germany didn't attack the US and we had no reason to join the war we weren't Allied to any European country. As a matter of fact we felt the British manipulated us into the First World War to save their empire.
@@troystaunton254 it's not like the British are not biased about how wonderful they were. They only controlled about 1/4 of the population of the earth. Compared to 80 million Germans.
American here, I'm so happy to see this video. I'm something of a history buff and hate how the British and we Americans get really self-congratulatory about WW2, when in reality it could not have been won without the contributions of the brave Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders. They never get their fair share of credit for literally saving the world. Thank you 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿.
Also let's be real, the Soviets won WWII, or at least the eastern* front in Europe.
CANZE is what they called us, and we tried our hardest
@@Dill_Dude9211 what is it the Aussies say? "Fair dinkum" or something like that?
The USSR would have lost in 1942 if there wasn't a war in the west.
The Axis had already failed in the Battle of Britain, Battle of the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean before the Germans invaded the USSR. If not for the British Commonwealth efforts the European Axis would have grown larger and with more resources and the USSR would have been defeated.
Actually, the Soviet Red Army defeated the Germans. The Western Allies (mainly U.K. and Commonwealth and later the U.S.)
felt unable to invade on the Atlantic front before 1944, especially after the disastrous 1942 Dieppe raid by Canadian forces.
After the Normandy invasion, the Western Allies tried to race to Berlin, but the Soviets got there first.
The liberation of France and the lowland countries was important but probably not decisive.
Heck, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN ignored the BRITISH contribution to D-Day!
Love hearing more about my fellow Canadians. You could make an entire series on the Canadian war efforts
Would be a good TV mini series
Same, despite being your southern brother we hear all about the Russians on the eastern front and the Americans/UK in the west and Africa, but not enough is said about the Canadians and their contributions, would love more!
@@thejuize06 You should take a look at Vimy Ridge, WWI. We got kinda... psycho.
@@nuru666 Didn't the Geneva convention have an entire extra section added specifically because of certain barbaric acts by Canadians in WW1?
@@marktg98 Honestly not sure if that is true or untrue, but I do know we committed quite a few war crimes in WWI. Not something we're proud of, and we're currently dealing with a black and bloody spot in our history right now too.... We're far from perfect.
In the Netherlands we are taught that its was the Canadians that liberated us. The US was involved in a few operations in the south/east but it was the Canadians who went into the country and liberated it.
Which nation declaring war on Germany caused the Netherlands to be invaded?
@@nickdanger3802 War was declared on Germany because they failed to stop their invasion of another sovereign nation. Why did Britain declaring war on Germany cause the Netherlands to be invaded? Germany had fought all of WW1 against Britain & France before without invading the Netherlands. Stop making excuses for the most evil regime in history.
@@atrlawes98 Britain and France declared war on Germany then waited for Germany to bring the war to them which meant going through Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Luxemburg and Belgium.
When British forces, the minor partner, liberated that part of Europe Britain was only partially correcting the situation it had created.
If Britain and France had done everything short of armed conflict and declaring war for 14 days they would have seen USSR invade Poland and said "Oh well" or they could have waited for Germany and USSR to fall out then invaded Germany on the France Germany border and left those other nations out of it for the most part.
Discretion is the better part of valor
Yes. But overall, it was a team effort. 🍁
Just seeing this now, my maternal grandfather and his four brothers landed there, and all survived the war. Thank you.
If you want to do another video on Canada in WWII, check out either the Battle of the Scheldt, or the Battle of Ortona (AKA Little Stalingrad). Although smaller in overall size than many of the better known WWI battles, the brutality and difficulty of these battles are worth a video.
I’ve watched documentaries about the Battle of Ortona. Absolutely brutal house to house and room to room fighting.
I made sort of the same comment, before I saw this. And YES, Canadian soldiers made the liberation of Europe a reality. Without the sacrifice and effort that they made, things could have been very different. Ortona especially, sits at the forefront. A very little known but very important battle in the March up the Italian boot.
@@newman977 I agree 100%. The fact that those in Normandy called those men the “D-Day Dodgers” is nothing but disgraceful seeing how they had been fighting the Italian campaign for YEARS prior to June 6th 1944. I would LOVE for Warographics to cover the brutal house to house fighting in Ortona. The Canadians had to blow holes in the walls from house to house to stay off the streets. I’ve heard a story about a teenage German soldier who was shot in the face, leaving his eyes hanging out, but refused to surrender and fired blindly with his MG34 or MG42 until Allied troops took him down. The word “brutal” barely does service to this horrid example of how some humans can behave to each other. Sadly, this was needed for the liberation of Europe.
@@nathanlandry1016 "fighting the Italian campaign for YEARS prior to June 6th 1944."
Invasion of Sicily 9 July 1943
Mainland Italy 3 Sept 1943
@@nathanlandry1016 My BIL's father was taken prisoner at Ortona. Undiagnosed PTSD for the rest of his life. He hated talking about it.
I’d love to hear more from the Canadian perspective!
I second this.
We like to keep it that way……the nice, polite neighbour that smiles, waves and says hello. But when poop hits the fan.🇨🇦🫡🇬🇧🫡🇺🇸
Future separatist Quebec premier Rene Levesque was a war correspondent covering D-Day. (His federalist rival Pierre Trudeau was travelling around the world to evade conscription, later a sore point with some voters.)
We don't pronounce it Reg(ee)na, we say Regina! The regiment is named after the city in Sasketchewan.
The more I learn about what my country contributed to and accomplished during WWII the more it's apparent Canada was much more than just a "minor" force throughout the conflict.
1.1 million served.
42, 000 dead.
55, 000 wounded.
Kept Britain fed and industry moving with our merchant fleet and provided escort with our navy. Our merchants did about 25, 000 voyages.
130, 000 allied pilots were trained in Canada.
The Dieppe Raid.
Liberation of the Netherlands.
"Juno" Beach landings.
4th largest air force and third largest navy at end of war.
That's just to name a few. Not to mention Sicily and Italy, France, ect.
But we were just a "minor" country, right?
Mark Zeuhlke has written an amazing series of books about the Canadian contribution to the Italian campaign. Absolutely worth the read.
The rule of thumb with Canada going to war is we won't have the numbers to make up, bit we will absolutely show our quality, and we'll put more troops per capita in the field than anyone will believe
Certainly not a major country. 1.1 million were conscripted, only volunteers served outside Canada (which did not include Newfoundland then) until 1945.
"Located in Canada, the plan's mandate was to train Allied aircrews for the Second World War, including pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, wireless operators, air gunners, and flight engineers. More than 130,000 crewmen and women were trained between 1939 and 1945, making this one of Canada's great contributions to Allied victory in the war."
"The majority of graduates, nearly 73,000, were Canadian, who would go on to provide crews for 40 RCAF home defence and 45 overseas RCAF squadrons, as well as make up about 25 per cent of the overall strength of RAF squadrons."
Canadian Encyclopedia British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
In 1939 the RCN had six destroyers and no larger ships. At wars end the four largest purpose-built warships were two Lend Lease escort carriers with LL aircraft and two British cruisers on loan.
See HMCS Uganda
@@nickdanger3802 A correction. That vast majority of Canadians who served in World War 2 were volunteers; only a tiny amount were conscripted. Those who were conscripted were conscripted mostly for home defence and could only serve overseas if they volunteered.
@@johndoucette6085 "Only 12,908 conscripted soldiers, disparagingly known as zombies, were sent to fight abroad. This was a tiny number compared with the hundreds of thousands of Canadian volunteers, including French Canadians, who fought overseas. Only 2,463 reached the front lines before Germany surrendered in May 1945. Still, this second conscription crisis worsened relations between anglophones and francophones in Canada, though to a lesser extent than during the First World War."
Canadian Encyclopedia Conscription in the Second World War
For future subject: Look at Leo Major, a soldier of le Régiment de la Chaudière, his accomplishments could truly made an epic movie. ;)
Thank you. My uncles and grandparents fought in Juno. North shore regiment. I've never felt more proud
I sit here listening to this video and to my right is a photo of my grandfather after D-Day on a beach in Normandie. I am aware he has his name on a plaque on Juno Beach, and I hope some day I will be able to visit it.
It’s nice to see some outside recognition for our brave soldiers contributions. And Simon if you thought our d-day contributions were interesting. You should look into the battle of kapyoung during the Korean War. (Even if it’s not for a video but just your curiosity). Roughly a battalion of Canadians some aussies and New Zealanders fended off 6000 Chinese soldiers and made a ferocious stand that came down to hand to hand combat and calling artillery in on their own positions. This battle arguably saved the Korean War from ending in defeat because the next stop for the north was soul
That Battalion, was the Second Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Regiment (2-PPCLI) based out of Winnipeg Manitoba (Now based two hours west of Winnipeg in Shilo MB)
The Battle of Kapyoung earned the battalion the US Presidential Unit Citation... as far as I'm aware it is the only unit in the Canadian Forces to earn this distinction (an oddity as it is a Canadian formation not an American one)
@@waltermc3906 the 3rd battalion PPCLI has also won it too.
Seoul?
@ it's because they're uncontrollable ...
@ that's not different than any other volunteer army, mate.
My country (Netherlands) was liberated by a significant amount of Canadian forces.
My uncle was one of them.
Thank you for telling these stories Simon, I served in the QOR of C in the early 90s and had the honor of meeting some of the veterans you talked about, still have a signed copy of Charlie Martin's book. Even here in Canada it's rare to hear these stories outside the military, so it touches my heart to hear you tell them to the world. Thanks you!
Had to do a study and write up of the Juno landings when I was in elementary school. Being a kid really into WW2 history it was interesting to learn about this beach which was much less "glamorous" (read: bloody) and yet still instrumental in gaining a foothold in continental Europe.
Thank you Simon! It's great to hear about the North Shore regiment's participation at St Aubin. I live a few hours from where they were from(New Brunswick, Canada), and being a musician from the area, I had the honour of playing a gig in St Aubin back in 2008. Let me tell you it was an emotional experience to play right next to the beaches and to meet people who remembered their sacrifices 64 years prior (at the time).
Denis-It is a wonderful thing to see how seriously the residents of Normandy take in preserving their amazing place in history and how they still thank Americans, Canadians and British for liberating them.
@@annehersey9895 very cool indeed. The whole north of France is like that. On another tour we were in Douai near Lille and we were so well received. I had gone to the weekend open air market, and as soon as they heard our Acadian accent and found out we were Canadian they were overjoyed (as were we). It’s multi-generational
Speaking of Canadian contributions, there’s a very unknown military action the Canadians had against Croatia during the Bosnian War, the Battle of the Medak Pocket. This would make a great episode for this channel!
The silencing of the Princess Pats by the US and their gutless Canadian collaborators regarding the Medak is truly disgusting. Then the Princess Pats were disbanded--not a co-incidence.
My Dad was there with 2 of his brothers and a sister as a nurse.Proud of my dad he was and still is my Hero.He died in 1993 at 75.Lost his leg at 66 and learned how to walk again.Dam right that generation was as tough as nails.
Fred Moar and my great-grandfather were very close. They were both members of the North Shore with my great-grandfather being RQMS. Our boys were so strong. May they rest in peace
My great grandfather fought on Juno beach, he was a badass and I got too enjoy his company as a young man.
It is a honour to have had my Dad served in WWII. Volunteering in 1942, at age 17. I am also astonished when I learnt of a famous Canadian Authour, Farley Mowat who along with a fellow Intelligence Officer bluffed their way into the German HQ of Holland, where they negotiated with a Nazi General to arrange air drops of food to the starving masses in Holland. He also stole a V2 Rocket, claiming it was a Water tank. That bit of ingenuity helped develop into the Canadian Space Program. Koodos to that hero of Canada
Thank you for the excellent piece. You mention Charles Dalton was awarded the DSO for his actions on June 6th. His brother Elliott was awarded the DSO later in the war. I met both in the 1970's and they were both very modest men.
Thanks for this. My dad was British but landed on Juno at 10.30am on D Day. He never got his boots wet, but the beach was strewn with bodies. We Brits and Europe owe the Canadians a huge debt. We could not have liberated Europe on our own.
Sgt when I joined in '61, later to become friend, Art Boon had a chestful of medals which are rarely seen in the Canadian Army. In fact the Princes Pats got Korean medals from the US president but not from Canada. He joined illegally at age 15. Art manned a 50 cal on top of a Sherman at Juno Beach. He said they could pull in because the shore was covered with wounded and dead. They finally landed and he knocked out a pillbox on the top of the wall. He continued through into the Netherlands until wounded. Cheers, Pipers Lament and Audax et Cautus Warrent Art from the Fighting Perths and 3 RCR.
Visiting Juno beach as a kid on a school trip really made an impression on me, we really don't get taught enough about the contributions of all the allied powers in British schools, they make it seem like it was just us and the Americans who fought against the Nazis but being on that beach and reading the plaques and plates just made me realize for the first time just how many fought on those beaches that day
Please continue sharing the contributions of Canadians soldiers!!!!
As a Canadian whose father landed on Juno Beach on D-Day +1, I appreciate this and more information on the contributions of our Canadian soldiers. Thank you so much for this.
A cheers to your father
My father flew over d-day, and I am also a veteran. As a Proud Canadian and a Proud Vet I would like to thank you for shining a light on thus day. There are many actions that you could look into. Thank you again Sir.
Thank you for taking the time to highlight my countrymen lived and died for. I am grateful for everyone that thought for my freedom Canadian or otherwise.
Loved this, and as an ex-soldier from The North Shore Regiment, would love to here more from the Canadian perspective in ww2 and also The North Shore Regiment.
My father came from Campbellton, NB, and told me that North Shore regiment chaplain Father Raymond Hickey had a lot of anti-Catholic prejudice to deal with at home.
As a Canadian I don’t think you understand how much we appreciate you talking about our history and contributions to the world. I’m from Newfoundland Canada and never once were we taught in school that the Norse/Vikings were here 500 years before Christopher Columbus. We were never taught the truth about our history we were only taught about the evil things our country has committed against its citizens a.k.a. colonialism/ miss treatment of the native population. Yes we need to learn about the evil things that our country has done but if you ignore everything else you’re not really teaching the truth about history. Keep up the great work
Yeah, I agree. I am tired of being told I should feel guilty because I am a white 5th generation Canadian. I know people in the past treated the native population horrendously. And it must be learned about. Heck some folks still treat them badly today.
We are not going to reach any sort of reconciliation by being told that we should carry the shame of our ancestors through their guilt. If the indigenous peoples here in Canada want a proper ally in white Canadians, we should be able to forgive that past and shed ourselves from it instead of being told to hold it's burden. Because if the natives want reconciliation it's much better to get it from a people who are proud of their present instead of resentful of what came before. I'm sorry for what the Catholic church and government did those years ago, but I am NOT fuckin' sorry for who I am. Period.
@@eziekkiel5876 - The residential schools and genocide of indigenous people in the US is at least equally horrible. When many were sent to desolate land in Oklahoma it turned out to be a massive oil field and the natives became wealthy. They started getting murdered off one by one with "prescriptions" given them by doctors for minor complaints. It's a pretty awful story. They were also overseen by lawyers who ripped them off because they were not considered "capable" of taking care of their wealth.
Fantastic. Thank you Simon and your team for the recognition that they Canadians deserve for their efforts on D-day.
I would love to see a video on their efforts in Italy, primarily at 'the Gully' and Ortona...also know as 'little Stalingrad'.
Spoiler alert. Germans won Ortona.
Tactical decisive victory.
As a retired Army vet of 24 years service in uniform and another 20 years working with Canadian Artillery I would love to see more of our Military History. I also want to thank the Marine below for great compliments. I work along side of our American brothers with great success.
My dads best friend named Roy Daymond was one of those brave men , was in action until the surrender . He was one of most gentle guys as a local dad .
I'd love to hear more about the Canadian efforts on the European front
Fun fact: they did not fight "under the maple leaf" as that flag wouldn't be adopted for two decades and change. It was "The Canadian Ensign" a red flag with union jack and seal.
The maple leaf was still a sign of Canada at that time. No it wasn’t the flag we know now. But it did represent Canadians. Chill out
Look again. The Red Ensign has not just one, but three maple leaves on it. 😀
Ever heard the tune, the maple leaf forever……..long a symbol before the present flag was adopted!
having served in the canadian military this video fills me with pride and sorrow
I love your profile picture man!
@@Dill_Dude9211 thank you being originally from Lebanon I find it fitting as a pic :)
I’m delighted to say that my father took part in the landings on Juno Nan Green just before 8 am on the sixth .
He was a leading Stoker , which means you get the engines working , on an LCA which had come from HMS Brigadier (previously a Newhaven to Dieppe ferry) .
He took in the Reginas , Which they managed successfully unfortunately on the way back out he hit what they assumed to be a mine . He ended up swimming in the English Channel for about half an hour until he was picked up by a free French destroyer which is why I will always be a Francophile , if not for them I wouldn’t be here .
My dad went in on Juno as a gunner with the 4th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment. He went through the entire ordeal until the end of it, relatively unscathed. His only 'wound' was on a late night return to the guns after an evening Calvados hunt. He tripped on the trailing hitch and dislocated his knee cap. Cheers.
Refreshing to see important events covered from the perspective of the not so often covered alles. Great work!
As someone who is half canadian it was good to hear some of their history from WW2, on the other hand I'm also australian so I would also love to see some videos on ANZAC contributions such as Tobruk, Galipoli, Kokoda
From a Yank thank you for this insightful and informative video.
Please carry on.
A Canuck here. I'd happily hear about it. Just below where I type, I see a Dutch man asking for more as well. I have been honoured to hear the Dutch perspective of the Canadians in WW2 while in The Netherlands and keep a collection of beer coasters where an older Dutch fella explained my Canuck forebear's movements thru the Netherlands in WW2, drawing out the actions and advancements. Please, do more.
I had two uncles there... they both survived the war, but very rarely discussed it. Thank you.
Simon, it would be very much appreciated to have you cover more of the Canadian military's exploits in regards to the Second World War. Their involvement in the Korean war would also be welcome, such as the battle of Kapyong, and the Canadian Army's significance on Hill 677
Sharing this with my Canadian born father-in-law.
Please look into the Canadians in Italy, known sardonically and affectionately as “the D-Day Dodgers”. Amazing. Canadians are rightly proud of these extraordinary warriors.
There was a song with the "Lili Marleen" melody, "We are the D-Day Dodgers in sunny Italy."
My father was a stretcher-bearer in B Company, North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment. Many times he mentioned a Major Moar when recounting his wartime experience. After my father's death in 1996, I sent a letter to the editor of a New Brunswick newspaper, there being no email back then, and asked for anyone who knew my father to contact me as I was seeking more information about his wartime service. One person who wrote to me was Fred Moar (11:47).
He had commanded A Company, but also commanded B Company (temporarily) when its commander, Major Sullivan, lost his leg. Fred said that he didn't personally remember my father, but he was able to confirm many of the details I related to him. He did, however, remember Peter Cook who had been killed in Normandy, and was a friend of my father. Peter also happened to be Fred's childhood friend. Fred told me that he was in fact living across the street from Peter's sister in Miramichi. My father had seen Peter killed, so I asked Fred if either he or Peter's sister knew, or would be interested in knowing how he died. I never received a response, and my months-long correspondence with Fred Moar ended.
I love hearing the history of my grandfather and the men of his generation. At 99 years old, I’m lucky to say my WWII grandpa is still around. Sadly it looks like we might need to relive their days of glory with new evil. But let us learn and cherish their sacrifice.
Us Non-Canadians are thankful for their contributions and sacrifice for freedom 🙏🇨🇦
Very well done it's really rare that someone outside of Canada gets all of their particulars right thanks a lot for the great video!
You’ve shown me more here than ive seen on the history channel the last 20 years, its like Canada wasn’t even there….as a Canadian I appreciate this!
Thank you. I never get tired of the perseverance and fortitude of the Canadian effort at D-Day. 🍁
Thank you Simon, my father was in the First Canadian Division in italy, when D-Day happened. His Brother Charles landed on D-Day with the 3rd division. My Fathers best friend was killed that day, on that beach.
Great video. The video is small on my phone, but several photos I believe show what’s known as “Canada House”…the first house liberated on D-day. Our family visited Juno back in 2017 and had a personal tour through Juno, Bernières-sur-Mer, and south through Authie and Buron, ending at Abbaye d'Ardenne. It was truly a moving tour, and was a clear reminder of the courage these young soldiers had in fighting this war.
As a Canadian I am glad to see recognition of our Soldiers at Juno!
My mom's dad and his brother were in the 3rd wave. They were with the 18th Field Engineer Company from Hamilton, Ontario.
One of the 2nd Armour tank units was 1st Hussars from London, Ontario. A troop of their tanks actually reached their objective, but had to wihdraw by nightfall when the rest of the regiment was delayed getting off the beach.
My father’s cousin was a pilot that day. F/L Jim MacKelvie lies at rest in the cemetery at Caen.
Thanks for telling the story of Canada’s role that day. 🇨🇦
Simon! Thank you so much for teaching the world of Canadian battlehardiness!!!
Thank you Simon, this was a great account of what happened at Juno. Please do show more of how us Canadians contributed to the efforts. We see too little of our important contributions. Thanks!
Canada has never had a large military but what they lack in size they make up with pure badassery and skill. I worked with some Canadians in Iraq and they were some very talented soldiers who where always good fun.
During the wars we did.
@@MrLoobu world Wars i guess. I mean ya 3rd largest navy at the end of world War 2. I shouldn't of said never had a large military. Modern history its not been big. Definitely still some real bad motherfuckers in the Canadian military though. I mean that in a good way
@@mandrake925 Canada is a harsh land and late to develop infrastructure. Breeds a different mindset and body. Back then they were still mostly big burly farm boys and loggers raised on the bounty of the land. The amount of food was less so we might look down on them as shorter, but they were strong and tough as hell. In contrast, most of the Americans looked the same, but they came from big east coast cities where there families had lived for generations.
As a canadian i'd like to say thanks for covering this topic and would love to see more like this
It is very nice to have some representation and recognition in our part in the war, thank you
Much respect Simon for giving our country the time and respect it deserves for its contributions 🙏🏻 I've commented it previously but it would be nice to see Operation Totalize
Love the quality information on Canada. Please do a video on the Canada Netherlands relationship. Not only did we liberate them, but we also hosted their royal family. As thanks they send us thousands of tulips every year.
Canada's contributions to the success of WW1,WW2 have always been under-appreciated in History books , documentaries and movies. The USA, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union are always the great Triumvirate, Canada, Australia and others made huge contributions to the war efforts with very little populations to feed their armies. Canada was a volunteer force which is mentioned very much.
According to the WWII vets i grew up with we secured our objective on day 1 whilst the took a few more days. I met a guy who was at D-DAY, William Blackstock who ran the hardware store in my hometown of Bella Coola Valley BC. He landed the day after the main assault. He saw his friends being brought back, some with missing limbs and holes the size of grapefruit.
Thanks Simon for highlighting my fellow Canadian sacrifices 🇨🇦
Simon, I'd love it if you could cover more Canadian WW2 battles. Specifically our heroes: Ernest Smith has one of the most incredible stories of the Italian campaign.
Smokey!! Absolute legend, as Simon would say!
Simon, as a South Africa🇿🇦, I kindly want to ask you do WW2 from the South African perspective please? We as well are often forgotten, to have taken part in the war.
Absolutely
Thanks for that. One of my uncles was there as a glider pilot, although I have never known exactly where his landing point was, he told me that less than half of his group survived the day.