World War II: D-Day, The Invasion of Normandy
The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944, brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest amphibious invasion in military history. The operation was given the codename OVERLORD
***” Via Canada.ca
Quick facts
- D-Day and the Battle of Normandy was one of the most significant chapters in Canada’s military history.
- More than 450 members of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion jumped inland before dawn on 6 June 1944. They were the first Canadians to engage the enemy on D-Day.
- On 6 June 1944, some 14,000 Canadian troops from the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade stormed the beaches of Normandy.
- More than 90,000 Canadian soldiers who had volunteered to serve Canada during the Second World War saw action in the Normandy Campaign.
- The Battle of Normandy lasted for 11 weeks. Fighting through the dust and heat of the French summer, more than 5,000 Canadian soldiers were killed and another 13,000 wounded before the campaign officially came to a close in late August, 1944.
- The Canadians who fought on D‑Day and throughout the Battle of Normandy were among the more than one million men and women from our country who served in uniform during the Second World War
