The D-Day story
The Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 were undoubtedly the most complex military operation ever orchestrated.
In this article, we take a look at the must-see D-Day sites and museums in the Canadian Juno Beach area.
On 6 June 1944, also known as D-Day, the Allied forces launched Operation Overlord, the code name for the Battle of Normandy.
More than 6 000 warships, transport vessels and landing craft carried the liberating land forces across the Channel, while thousands of aircraft supported this armada.
That morning, of the 135,000 Allies who landed or parachuted into Normandy, 14,000 were Canadians, making Canada the 3rd largest troop contributor after the United States and Great Britain.
How did the June 6, 1944 landings on Juno Beach unfold ?
Credit : Canada Archives
The beach sector codenamed Juno was stormed by the 3rd Infantry Division and the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade.
These divisions contributed to the liberation of the coastal villages of Graye-sur-Mer, Courseulles-sur-Mer, Bernières-sur-Mer and Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer.
The Canadian soldiers’ mission was to destroy the German coastal defenses, then advance inland towards Carpiquet airport.
They also had to link up with troops landing in the British Gold and Sword sectors.
Courseulles was liberated by the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, consisting of the Regina Rifles, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, and the Canadian Scottish regiments, supported by the First Hussars Tanks, the 12th and 13th Field Regiments and the Royal Canadian Engineers.
By the evening of D-Day, the Canadians were firmly established some 12 kilometres inland.
The battle lasted ten weeks in Normandy.
Most of the fallen are buried in the two Canadian cemeteries at Bény-sur-Mer-Reviers and Cintheaux-Bretteville-sur-Laize.
45,000 Canadians would lose their lives, including 5,500 during the Battle of Normandy and 381 on D-Day.
Things to see in the Canadian Juno Sector
The Juno Beach Centre
Courseulles-sur-Mer
Credit : G. Wait
Discover Canada’s only museum of the D-Day landing beaches.
The Juno Beach Centre is not just the only Canadian Second World War museum in Europe but it is also a place for education that has been left as a legacy by the veterans who participated in its creation.
Films, interactive terminals, sound archives, young visitors’ trail… the museum’s playful scenography makes it a particularly suitable place for families to visit.
Juno Park
Courseulles-sur-Mer
contains remnants of the defensive stronghold built during the German occupation, known as the Atlantic Wall.
Canadian guides from the Juno Beach Centre give 45-minute guided tours of this historic site during peak season.
This area is dedicated to the conservation of the natural environment and resources with an entertaining tour dealing with tree major themes : the D-Day landing on Juno Beach, the seaside resort and the plants and wildlife.
It is an exceptional site due to its location, the wealth of natural resources and its historic character.
Canada House
Bernières-sur-Mer
It was the first house to be liberated by the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944.
This 19th-century house overlooks the beach at Bernières-sur-Mer.
Canadian soldiers had orders not to destroy it, as it was an essential landmark for the landing barges.
In fact, it featured on all secret Allied maps of the Juno sector.
It was nicknamed the famous house.
The interior of the house is open to visitors, by reservation only.
Canadian War Cemetery, Bény-sur-Mer/ Reviers
A landscaped cemetery to honour the memory of fallen soldiers.
It is in this Bény-sur-Mer Reviers Canadian War Cemetery that the 335 soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Division who landed on 6 June 1944 in the Juno Beach area and were engaged in the fighting are buried.
Most of these buried soldiers were killed in June and early July 1944 during the Battle of Caen and on D-Day in the terrible fighting on the beach.
The Canadian prisoners of war executed by the SS-Panzer Hitlerjugend at the Abbey of Ardenne are also buried in this cemetery.
Also buried in the 2 049 graves are 1 694 Canadian soldiers and 15 airmen who fell in the fighting on the advance into the interior, as well as one airman, three British soldiers and one French soldier.
Flyer for self-guided tours of the military cemetery :
Tourist map of the juno area
This Canadian landing site still has many visible traces of the past.
A tourist map has been published which features all of these historic vestiges and memorial sites in Cœur de Nacre.
Remembrance sites and museums to visit in Normandy
This map shows a list of museums, cemeteries and sites related to D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.
How can I get discounts at the D-Day museums ?
If you’re traveling by train, car or bus, opt for the Normandy low carbon rate, with a minimum 10% discount on your ticket.
If you’re traveling by car, choose the Explore Normandy Pass. In addition to discounts on museum admission, this pass offers you enriched content.
