Day Five - Remembering June 6, 1944 on Christmas 2012

In Peace Prepared

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This plaque is on a concrete machinegun pillbox in the center of Saint-Aubin: "Stand for a moment and imagine what it must have been like when 800 men of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada stormed ashore at this very spot on the 6th of June 1944. They were the lead wave of the dramatic D-Day assault. Strong points. like this bunker, were overcome at great cost. By last light, The Queen's Own Rifles had pushed forward to Anisy, thus achieving their assigned D-Day objective - the only Allied unit to do so. On D-Day, 143 Riflemen were killed or wounded. From Normandy, The Queen's Own Rifles began the long bloody advance against Nazi tyranny that ended in Allied Victory on the 8th of May, 1945. These men had volunteered to serve their country and Regiment. Their sacrifices have given us the freedom that we enjoy today. By the end of World War II, The Queen's Own Rifles had suffered over 1,000 battle casualties and 462 Riflemen had made the supreme sacrifice. We will remember them!

Probably the Best Preserved German Bunker We Saw

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But what I don't get is why it's facing away from the beach.

Google Earth View of the German Bunker

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Hopefully this will give a better and wider angled view of the beach in Saint Aubin.

Beach Cabanas in Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer

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I'm not sure what the purpose of these things were. Do people lock up their beach stuff inside or is it a little cottage you sit inside of staring out at the water because of the crappy weather?

Not a Bad Looking Beach

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This part of Juno Beach is at the Easternmost end of the Canadian landing zone. Incredibly, the whole sector was defended by only 100 German soldiers. But because of the bad weather, high tide, numerous obstacles on the beaches, and their heavily fortified defenses. the Germans put up a spirited defense. If German intelligence been even slightly better, most of the Allied beach landings could have been easily turned back with the rapid deployment of German resreve troops. But because the German High Command was so confused by the paratroop landings behind their lines, the efforts of the French Resistance to cut telephone and other communication lines, the bombing of a wide area of the entire Normandy front, the fear that these landings might be a feint while the real attack under General Patton would come much farther north and months of deliberately false leads fed to German spies in England and elsewhere, the German leadership delayed their response. Meanwhile, Erwin Rommel, the German's overall commander was back in Germany and unable to issue orders during the critical early hours of the attacks.

Another Unsuccessful Mission

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For this trip I had printed out copious notes for each day's touring activities. My notes for the British beaches mentioned a beach mansion that figured prominently in the landings and was also depicted in "The Longest Day" movie. We set out to find it. We drove up and down the beach road trying to find the place, read and re-read our notes and consulted our tour books. We thought we found it when we spotted this old building. Writing this blog now I realize that we were headed the wrong way: in the previous picture the building with the half-timber facade is the "Canadian House". From Battle of Normandy Tours website: "It is here that the famous “Canadian House” can be found. Testament to the fighting on D-Day, this house featured in many film clips and photos taken of the D-Day landings in June of 1944. It stands much as it did on the morning of June 6th, 1944, only the bullet holes, evident in the many pictures, having been repaired. 200 meters east lies the German strong point in front of which the assault Battalion of the Queens Own Rifles of Canada came ashore that morning and lost so many of their number in subduing. It too bears the scars of the mornings fighting and one of the bunkers still has an Allied 37mm cannon shell that was fired at it embedded in its concrete walls, the concrete paving slabs lining the road nearby showing where the Canadian tanks advanced inland, the tank tracks gouging out their mark forever on the paving stones lining the road."

Not What I Was Expecting

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In "The Longest Day" one of the firecest battles occurred in downtown Saint Aubin at the Casino (every single shore town has a casino). The Germans manned the roof of a four story building firing down on the Canadians trying to get through the town. Today's casino looks nothing like what we saw in the movie and there are no markers signifying its role in the battle. For all I know we may have been at the wrong casino.

Nice Digs in Downtown Saint Aubin

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Driving through town on Christmas Day everything was closed and the town looked deserted. Except for a corner bakery which was open for business with Frenchies heading out the doors with loafs of bread under their arms. A short distance away we drove through the rich folks' neighborhood. No one asked us for Christmas dinner.

Another Keeper

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The next-door-neighbor's place looked rather acceptable as well. Proof of the mild climate along the coast were the palm trees throughout the downtown.

Another Detour Works Out Well

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From Juno Beach our next goal was to visit the site I was most interested in - Pegasus Bridge where the British 6th Airborne Division started the whole day's events. Along the way driving through a number of little hamlets we spotted a green sign indicating a British military cemetery off the main route. We diverted toward Hermanville, a little village just behind Sword Beach.

British Graves in Hermanville-sur-Mer

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Final resting place of 1003 British troops - 103 unidentified. Another interesting military tidbit: while American war casualties are usually returned back to their families in the States, the British custom is to bury them in the country where they fell. The American cemetery at Omaha Beach is an exception.

First Day Casualties

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Among the first troops off Sword Beach the 2nd East Yorkshire and the 1st South Lancashires headed south toward Hermanville facing numerous German machine gun emplacements along the route. Eventually they captured the town of Hermanville and were followed by the Shropshire Light Infantry supported by the armour of the Staffordshire Yeomanry. Most of those interred in this cemetery were from these units and fell on the first day.

Not Sure Why He Is Here

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The Gordon Highlanders didn't take part in the first day's landings and when they did arrive in Normandy, it was at Arromanches, miles west of here. Plus this private died on June 22nd, sixteen days after most of the others here.

Another Mystery

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The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders are not in the order of battle for Normandy until July 7th when they participate in the fight for Caen. This garve marker indicates Captain MacGregor died on July 1.

Another Well-Maintained Graveyard

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The day was growing sunnier and warmer as we passed through rows upon rows of tombstones. All respectfully maintained and many with fresh flowers. The cross-shaped gravemarker is French.

Grave of a French Commando

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I actually found some information about this guy online: he was part of Commando Kieffer, a Free French commando unit also called the "Bérets verts" or Green Berets. Attached to the British troops at Sword Beach, they had earlier participated in the failed Dieppe Raid. They were highly trained specialists adept at guerilla warfare and survival in extreme conditions, much like today's Navy Seal or Army Rangers. They spoke English and French and suffered heavy casualties during the initial landings.

Two Unknowns

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To the left lies an unknown sailor and on his right an unknown soldier. "Known only to God".

And to Think Each One Has His Own Story

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"Love Him Lord Jesus Now He Is Thine Love Him As I Did When I Called Him Mine" Many of the gravestones had unique messages at the bottom placed there by family members and loved ones.

My Favorite D-Day Subplot

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One of the earliest battle scenes in "The Longest Day" chronicles the daring and amazingly successful (lucky) British airborne attack on Pegasus Bridge. The night before the beach landings, instead of parachuting into action like the American 101st and 82nd Airborne divisions, the British sent their surprise attack elements into battle arriving in gigantic gliders. Their mission was to secure Pegasus Bridge and another nearby bridge over the Caen Canal. Securing it would help the British troops landing at Sword Beach advance quickly toward the day's objective of Caen.

Not the Original Bridge but a Darn Close Replacement

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Because of the need to widen the road for modern vehicles this replica of the WWII bridgeworks was built on a larger scale.