The Battle of Normandy
The beaches of Normandy are, today, a picture of scenic beauty and bear no traces of the vital battle that took place there over seventy years ago. The battle of Normandy started on June 6, 1944 when the Allied forces landed on the five beaches along the French coast. Almost 7 000 ships including 110 Canadian warships filled the English Channel, carrying 156 000 Allied soldiers. The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was to land on the section of the beach code-named Juno, fight their way to the Caen-Bayeux Road and take control of the Carpiquet Airport in order to link Juno beach with the two British beaches Gold and Sword.
Despite the fact that the soldiers were inexperienced fighters, they were confident that they would reign victorious. “We had no idea what we were getting into but we were ready for anything. We considered ourselves the best,” said Fred Moar, a lieutenant in the New Brunswick North Shore Regiment. Many soldiers were swept up in the excitement and anticipation of the landing. Tom Gunning, an 18-year-old sailor aboard the HMCS Cape Breton said about the disembarkment, “It’s almost impossible to describe the awesome power of it.”
Because the Canadians began their attack later than was scheduled, they did not have the advantage of the high tide for landing; although the boats moved toward the shore slowly and cautiously, buried mines damaged roughly 30% of the landing craft. As the troops made their way up the beach they had to endure obstacles like barbed wire, ditches, and mines as well as heavy fire from the German shooters. They sustained heavy casualties in the first wave of men and an entire company was reduced to one officer and 25 men. During the first hour of fighting, the Canadian soldiers faced only a 50% chance of surviving.
The situation for the Canadian Division improved throughout the morning as they occupied both Bernières and Saint-Aubin. They progressed further inland and were able to briefly control the Caen-Bayeux Road before turning their attention to the Carpiquet Airport. Here, one troop of the 1st Hussar tank regiment proved victorious; they had conquered the Carpiquet Airport and achieved their D-Day objective. In the evening, they were successful in establishing a link between themselves and Gold Beach to the west but failed in making contact with Sword Beach to the east. Because of this 3 km gap in the Allied forces, the German 21st Panzer Division led a counterattack against the Canadian soldiers at Juno Beach.
Although the Canadian troops came out victorious, they suffered even more casualties. A total of 1 200 Canadian soldiers died out of the 21 400 soldiers who landed on Juno Beach in the morning which meant that every 1 in 18 soldiers died. Major Lockie Fulton, the only surviving officer of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles described the landing of D-Day as the “worst day of the entire war.” With the D-Day objectives achieved, the Allies set their sights on Germany and prepared to move through inland France toward Hitler, the Nazis, and the end of the war.
Despite the fact that the soldiers were inexperienced fighters, they were confident that they would reign victorious. “We had no idea what we were getting into but we were ready for anything. We considered ourselves the best,” said Fred Moar, a lieutenant in the New Brunswick North Shore Regiment. Many soldiers were swept up in the excitement and anticipation of the landing. Tom Gunning, an 18-year-old sailor aboard the HMCS Cape Breton said about the disembarkment, “It’s almost impossible to describe the awesome power of it.”
Because the Canadians began their attack later than was scheduled, they did not have the advantage of the high tide for landing; although the boats moved toward the shore slowly and cautiously, buried mines damaged roughly 30% of the landing craft. As the troops made their way up the beach they had to endure obstacles like barbed wire, ditches, and mines as well as heavy fire from the German shooters. They sustained heavy casualties in the first wave of men and an entire company was reduced to one officer and 25 men. During the first hour of fighting, the Canadian soldiers faced only a 50% chance of surviving.
The situation for the Canadian Division improved throughout the morning as they occupied both Bernières and Saint-Aubin. They progressed further inland and were able to briefly control the Caen-Bayeux Road before turning their attention to the Carpiquet Airport. Here, one troop of the 1st Hussar tank regiment proved victorious; they had conquered the Carpiquet Airport and achieved their D-Day objective. In the evening, they were successful in establishing a link between themselves and Gold Beach to the west but failed in making contact with Sword Beach to the east. Because of this 3 km gap in the Allied forces, the German 21st Panzer Division led a counterattack against the Canadian soldiers at Juno Beach.
Although the Canadian troops came out victorious, they suffered even more casualties. A total of 1 200 Canadian soldiers died out of the 21 400 soldiers who landed on Juno Beach in the morning which meant that every 1 in 18 soldiers died. Major Lockie Fulton, the only surviving officer of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles described the landing of D-Day as the “worst day of the entire war.” With the D-Day objectives achieved, the Allies set their sights on Germany and prepared to move through inland France toward Hitler, the Nazis, and the end of the war.
Juno Beach Veteran: Major Lockie Fulton
Lt. Col. Lockhart R. Fulton was a veteran worth remembering; he was an accomplished soldier and led many successful battles. At 16 he joined the 12th Manitoba Dragoons where he excelled in the skills he learned. At the start of the war Fulton was transferred to the 1st battalion, Royal Winnipeg Rifles. They were shipped to England in August 1941 where they spent almost 3 years training and preparing for combat. Fulton rose quickly in rank and was one of the few Canadian soldiers to be chosen for the elite British training program at Barnard Castle. He was promoted to Acting Major in the February of 1944 and was given leadership over D Company, a rifle company of the Battalion. Major Fulton led his Company in the first wave of attack at Juno Beach on D-Day. Fighting past enemy fire and the German defenders, he and his men took control of the French town of Graye-sur-mer. Later, they became one of the first military units to reach their D-Day objective. Because of his achievements on D-Day, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Fulton was later promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and went on to lead victories at the Scheltd Estuary, Holland and Germany. After the war he lived as a grain farmer in Birtle, Manitoba with his wife and children and was awarded the Order of Canada in recognition of his contribution to the community. In 2004, the government of France presented Fulton with the Legion of Honour, the highest recognition the French government can give. On Oct. 21, 2005 Lieutenant-Colonel Lockhart Fulton passed away at 88 years old.
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"FULTON LOCKHART Obituary - Winnipeg Free Press Passages."FULTON LOCKHART Obituary - Winnipeg Free Press Passages. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.
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"Juno Beach | World War II." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.
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"FULTON LOCKHART Obituary - Winnipeg Free Press Passages."FULTON LOCKHART Obituary - Winnipeg Free Press Passages. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.
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"Google Images." Google Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2016.
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"Juno Beach | World War II." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.
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