GerardG
KBO
Victory At Sea, Volumes 1 and 2
Yesterday marked the 82 anniversary of the D Day invasion of occupied Europe. Five beaches at Normandy were assaulted. The Americans at Omaha and Utah beaches, the British at Gold and Sword, and the Canadians at Juno Beach. This is in memory of those men.
This past week I watched the film Pressure in a local theatre and I've also rewatched the film The Longest Day this weekend. Both deal with the invasion or events leading to the invasion. Both highly recommended if you haven't seen them.
Being Canadian I'll briefly mention Canada's contribution that sixth of June not at all mentioned in Pressure and only in one sentence in The Longest Day.
At Juno Beach the Canadians were the only allied invasion force that captured all day one objectives. On that bloodsoaked day they suffered the second highest losses in absolute nunbers after Omaha Beach and as a percentage of casualties were virtually identical to those suffered by our American cousins at Omaha. This one is for you, boys, wherever you are. You deserve more than one sentence. I'll later raise a small tot of rum to you.
Gerard
PS: Canada started the war with a 2 ship navy, a few biplanes, and 4500 personnel. It ended the war in Europe having the world's 3rd largest navy, the 4th largest air force, and 1.1 million under arms in an almost entirely volunteer force. Not bad for a nation of 11.5 million people. Not bad at all.
Yesterday marked the 82 anniversary of the D Day invasion of occupied Europe. Five beaches at Normandy were assaulted. The Americans at Omaha and Utah beaches, the British at Gold and Sword, and the Canadians at Juno Beach. This is in memory of those men.
This past week I watched the film Pressure in a local theatre and I've also rewatched the film The Longest Day this weekend. Both deal with the invasion or events leading to the invasion. Both highly recommended if you haven't seen them.
Being Canadian I'll briefly mention Canada's contribution that sixth of June not at all mentioned in Pressure and only in one sentence in The Longest Day.
At Juno Beach the Canadians were the only allied invasion force that captured all day one objectives. On that bloodsoaked day they suffered the second highest losses in absolute nunbers after Omaha Beach and as a percentage of casualties were virtually identical to those suffered by our American cousins at Omaha. This one is for you, boys, wherever you are. You deserve more than one sentence. I'll later raise a small tot of rum to you.
Gerard
PS: Canada started the war with a 2 ship navy, a few biplanes, and 4500 personnel. It ended the war in Europe having the world's 3rd largest navy, the 4th largest air force, and 1.1 million under arms in an almost entirely volunteer force. Not bad for a nation of 11.5 million people. Not bad at all.
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