D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

On June 6 1944, known as D-Day, Allied troops stormed German defences on the beaches of Normandy (France) to open the way to Germany from the West. The task was formidable. The Germans had turned the coastline into a continuous fortress of guns, pillboxes, razor wire, mines and beach obstacles.

Against difficult odds, the Canadians advanced against the best troops the enemy had. Victory in the Normandy campaign, however, would come at a terrible cost. The Canadians suffered the most casualties of any division in the British Army Group.