Welcome to D-Day
June 6, 1944, would forever be known as the beginning of the end of Hitler’s reign in Europe. The amphibious phase, codename Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord, brought together Britain, America, and Canada, who would execute the largest Combined Operation in history.
"Daylight. We had never felt so alone in our lives."
- Charles Cromwell Martin, battle diary, 1994
Planning & Preparation
The “Combined Chiefs of Staff”(CCS), which was formed by the Allies immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, was composed of the United States Joint Chiefs and the British Chiefs of Staff. The CSS’s primary job consisted of giving advice to President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill, and also what they could do to gain an advantage. In March 1942, the CCS planning group began working on an outlined plan for a full-scale invasion of Europe that would eliminate Germany from the war. After taking into account everything they had learned from Germany’s defences, from previous attacks, the planners had agreed on the Normandy coast for the Allies to invade. In March 1943, British Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Morgan was appointed Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander. His orders were to create an elaborate plan for an invasion in Europe that was to be executed the following year. In order to accurately figure out how much manpower and machinery was needed for a successful attack, Morgan had to work backwards from their goal, which was the destruction of German forces and ultimately the surrender of Germany. 150,000 Allied troops would go through months of training to carry out this amazing invasion operation, codenamed “Overlord”.
Operation Neptune - Juno Beach
June 5, 1944, was the original date for the D-day invasion, but because of bad weather conditions, the attack would have to be postponed for 24 hours. The Allies realized that they had two options, either to take their chances on a small opportunity to attack tomorrow, or wait until the 19th, which would be 2 weeks behind schedule. So after much deliberation, on June 6, ships full of British, American, and Canadian soldiers, crossed the English Channel and headed for Normandy, France. At 0745, 3,000 troops, that made up the Canadian 3rd Division, landed on Juno Beach and were met with heavy German resistance. Unfortunately, because of rough waters, they landed half an hour behind schedule which didn’t give their assault engineers much time to clear the beach of any mines or other obstacles. The Canadians, even with the rest of the forces arriving, were struggling against strong German defensive positions, but the soldiers didn’t give up and were eventually able to overcome the German resistance and rapidly advance inland. Although they didn’t reach their target goal, which was to be 18 miles inland by the end of the day. The Canadians had managed to progress further inland than any of their fellow Allies and successfully carried out the largest amphibious attack in Canadian history.
Outcome & Canada's Success
The invasions on D-day would ultimately lead to the defeat of Germany and end of World War 2 in Europe. Of the 14,000 Canadian soldiers that stormed across Juno Beach, 47 were taken prisoner, 574 wounded, and 340 would sacrifice their lives for the benefit of the whole world. The sacrifices exhibited by Canadian soldiers at Juno, and many other battles, should always be cherished for their bravery, determination, and patriotism.
"They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate." - President Franklin D. Roosevelt, radio broadcast, June 6 1944 |
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D-Day Veteran - Frank Wong
Born in Vancouver in 1919, Frank Wong was the second of seven children. After facing much discrimination in Canada, Wong was determined to win his right to vote. On May 1, 1942, he enlisted into the military and headed to Vernon, British Columbia, for basic training. Wong then went to Barriefield, Ontario where he trained to be a “storeman”. In England, February 1943, Wong joined up with the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers to prepare for the Normandy invasion. Unfortunately due to Juno being a small beach, his company would have to wait for the second wave in July. Once they landed they were commanded to keep moving inland, because the beach was still under German fire. Wong recalls that when his company was 2-3 miles inland, they each dug a fox hole to sleep in while a German plane flew over them to bomb the beachhead. By the end of the war, he had liberated many French villages with his unit and was there to witness the Dutch people’s gratitude towards Canadian soldiers, in Holland. Wong even returned to the Netherlands, in 1995, to attend the 50th anniversary of the liberation and was present for the 2003 opening of the Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles-sur-Mer, Normandy. In a small ceremony on May 8, 2003, he was awarded with the Kingdom of the Netherlands Medal of Remembrance for his contribution in the liberation of Holland. Frank Wong and all the Canadian soldiers who risked their lives for the freedom of others during World War 2, should always be respected, honored, and remembered.
Footnote: One of Wong’s daughters married a man with German heritage and he was later found out to be the son of a German soldier who was there fighting in France at the same time Frank was. |
Work Cited
"D-Day and the Battle of Normandy." Veterans Affairs Canada. Veterans Affairs Canada, 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/d-day>.
"History | From Vimy to Juno." History | From Vimy to Juno. Juno Beach Centre, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. <http://www.vimytojuno.ca/en/history>.
Mar, Ramona. "Frank Wong." Veterans Affairs Canada. Veterans Affair Canada, Government of Canada, 08 Dec. 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/those-who-served/chinese-canadian-veterans/profile/wongf>.
Museum, Canadian War. "CANADA AT D-DAY." WarMuseum.ca - A Chronology of Canadian Military History - Canada at D-Day, 1944. Canadian Museum of HIstory, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. <http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/chrono/1931d_day_e.shtml>.
"OPERATION OVERLORD - THE D-DAY LANDINGS." OPERATION OVERLORD - THE D-DAY LANDINGS. Combined Operations Command, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. <https://www.combinedops.com/Overlord.htm>.
Thomas, Mia. "Frank Wong: Honoured for HIs Contributions." Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society. Canadian Chinese Military Museum, 4 June 2003. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. <http://www.ccmms.ca/veteran-stories/army/frank-wong/frank-wong-honoured-for-his-contributions/>.
Usatoday. "'They Fight Not for the Lust of Conquest. They Fight to End Conquest'" USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, 06 June 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/06/05/d-day-leaders-quotes/10032519/>.