Juno Beach

Juno Beach. Liberation Pointe. , Special Services Brigades of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade were assigned to assault Juno Beach. Juno was divided into three sectors: “Mike”, “Nan”, and “Love.” The objective was to secure a beachhead and move inland, linking with British forces on Gold Beach to the west, and on Sword Beach to the east. , Strong German defenses, combined with bad weather and a particularly rocky terrain, contributed to making Juno Beach have the second highest number of casualties. The Canadians succeeded in landing and moving inland to connect with the British on Gold, but did not link with the British on Sword. As of midnight on June 6, there were close to 1,000 casualties reported. , Juno Combatant Forces , Allied Units , Canadian 3rd Infantry Division , Canadian 2nd Armoured Brigade , British No. 48 Commando , Axis Unites , 736 Grenadier Regiment , 21st Panzer Division , Do you see what I see? , Richard Rohmer joined the Royal Canadian Air Force when he was 18. He flew several sorties on D-Day, but is best known for his mission of July 17, 1944. On a reconnaissance flight, Rohmer spotted a German staff car that he reported was carrying General Erwin Rommel, Commander of German forces in Normandy. Unable to engage, Rohmer called in Group Centre Control, who in turn sent two spitfire planes to the location. Rommel’s car was hit, and he sustained severe head injuries. Three months later, after being implicated in the plot to kill Hitler, Rommel was forced to take his own life. , Sergeant Leo Gariepy , 6th Armored Regiment, First Hussars , Sergeant Leo Gariepy commanded an amphibious Duplex Drive tank with the First Hussars regiment. A particularly bad current and heavy winds hindered most of the tanks in his regiment. Despite the weather and Nazi resistance, Gariepy managed to land his tank, names “Bucephale,” and its four man crew safely on Juno Beach. , Dorothy (Molly) Mulholland , Nursing Sister, Canadian No. 2 Mobile , Field Hospital Unit , Dorothy Mulholland and two other nurses were the first Canadian women to land on Juno Beach. They set up a mobile field hospital amidst constant bombing and frequently worked 72-hour shifts, while sleeping in tranches to survive. Molly’s service was stretched from three months to eight, as her unit supported the 2nd Tactical Air Force as they advanced through Europe, and the Battle of the Bulge. , Ralph Spencer , Engineer, Royal Canadian Army , Engineer Ralph Spencer landed on the shores of Normandy and was hit in the left leg and knee by machine gun fire. Spencer got to shore, bringing six men from the surf with him. For his acts of bravery, he was awarded the British Military Medal.