The 2000 Canadian Battle of Normandy Foundation Study Tour

J a m e s Wood Photo
The 2 0 0 0 CBNF S tu d y Tour Group: Front row (l.-r.): Dr. Serge D uelinger, LCol David P atterson, Jo a n n e
Rodriguez; B a ck row: J a m e s Wood, S e a n Pollick, Joni Yarascavitch, Lisa Goodyear, A n d rew Burtch, Michael
C hisholm , Sophie Lalande, Cailin Rolls, Marie-Noel D uhalm e, M ichael Holden, D am ian B urianyk.
The 2000 Canadian Battle of
Normandy Foundation Study Tour
h e C a n a d i a n B a ttle of N o r m a n d y
F o u n d a tio n ’s six th a n n u a l to u r of selected
C anadian First a n d Second World War E uropean
b attlefield s a n d com m em orative sig h ts w as a
g re a t su c c e ss th is year. The gro u p w as led by
LCol D avid P a tte rso n a n d Dr. Serge D urflinger
a n d c o n s is te d of six m en a n d six w o m en
re p re se n tin g all regions of C an ad a. The group
left Toronto for London, England on 25 May an d
visited th e fam ed air a n d land w arfare m u se u m
a t D uxford, th e RAF m u se u m a t H endon a n d
th e Im p e ria l W ar M u s e u m . T h e s t u d e n t s
c o n c e n tr a te d o n le a r n in g a b o u t C a n a d a ’s
enorm ous com m itm ent to the air w ar in Europe.
T
C rossing u n d e r th e C h an n el by tra in on 29
May, the group toured C anada’s F irst World War
battlefields a t Ypres, Passchendaele, the Somme,
Vimy, a n d A m iens. For th e first tim e, a CBNF
to u r visited the grave of Lieutenant-Colonel Jo h n
M cC rae, a u th o r of “In F la n d e r s F ie ld ,” in
W imereux, France. On 1 J u n e the group travelled
to Dieppe. Two days later, the to u r p a rtic ip a n ts
arrived a t th e Abbaye d ’A rdenne in N orm andy,
site of th e in fa m o u s m u rd e r s of C a n a d ia n
p riso n ers of w ar by th e 12 th SS P anzer Division.
As w ith ev ery s tu d y to u r, th e g r o u p w a s
q u a rte re d a t th e Abbaye for a b o u t a w eek a n d
p a rtic ip a te d in th e m an y cerem onies held on
J u n e 6 a n d 7. The s tu d e n ts m et m any C anadian
v e te ra n s a n d th e e n c o u n te rs w ere frequently
m em orable for b o th y ou n g a n d old.
T he group s p e n t two days a t F alaise to end
th e tour. By th e e n d of th e trip, th e C a n a d ia n
Battle of N orm andy Foundation 2000 Study Tour
p a rtic ip a n ts h a d gelled into an especially closeknit group of young C anadians obviously sharing
a n e d u c a tio n a l a n d fo rm a tiv e jo u r n e y of
discovery. The b onds of com radeship w hich they
developed were forged in th e g ian t sh ad o w c a st
by those of their countrym en who preceded them
overseas over half a ce n tu ry previously. And not
for a m o m e n t of o u r sta y w ere th e se m e n ’s
service a n d sacrifices forgotten.
W hat follows a re ex cerp ts from th e daily
jo u rn a ls k e p t by th e s tu d e n ts on th e tour.
© C anadian Military H istory, Volume 9, N um ber 4, A u tu m n 2000, p p .73-80.
73
T hursday, May 2 5 /F r id a y , May 2 6
aith fu l reader, it is now one day before I go
on th e tour, a n d th e excitem ent is killing me
KILLING ME!!! I’ve got 19 days of stu d y a h e ad ,
a n d I feel th is little b lack book will be w ell-worn
by th e end. Hopefully, I sh all p u ll from th is a
b e tte r u n d e rs ta n d in g of w here th e se v e te ra n s
fought a n d w h a t conditions th ey faced. I have
been told th a t the prim ary source for any m ilitary
h is to r ia n is th e b a ttle fie ld , a n d th is is m y
o p p o rtu n ity to c o n su lt a n d w ithdraw from th a t
so u rce w h a t I need. In th is way I also h ope to
b e t t e r a p p r e c i a t e th e c e r e m o n i e s of
R em em brance Day- to personalize it, in th is way
I can e n su re its survival in my family. I have long
felt t h a t o n c e th e v e te r a n s h a v e p a s s e d ,
R em em b ran ce Day sh a ll hold less m ea n in g to
those left behind, b u t through an u n d e rsta n d in g
of sacrifice, th e m ean in g of R em em b ran ce D ay
c a n be p re se rv e d a n d p e rh a p s a d v a n c e d to
g reater im portance in C anada.
F
A ndrew Paul B urtch, C arleton U niversity
e s u is arrivee a l’ae ro p o rt de T oronto en
s a c h a n t q u e j ’allais vivre u n e experience
ex traordinaire, que cette to u rn e e d ’e tu d e s etait
u n e o p p o rtu n ite in cro y ab le, m ais je n e m e
doutais p as a quel point ce serait u n e experience
m a rq u a n te d a n s m a vie....co m m en t ce voyage
c h a n g e ra it m a vision de la g u e rre et je n e me
d o u ta is egalem ent p a s des liens crees avec les
a u tre s etu d ian ts. J ’y ai rencontre des p erso n n es
i n te r e s s a n te s , fo rg e r d e s a m itie s s o lid e s ,
im p re ssio n n a n te s m em e e ta n t d o nne la d u ree
du voyage.
J
Sophie L alande, U niversite de M ontreal
Saturday, May 27
ne a fte rn o o n w as s p e n t a t th e Im perial War
M useum , w hich h o u se s a tru ly ou tsta n d in g
collection of a rtifacts relatin g to B ritish w ars in
th e 2 0 th C entury. I s p e n t th e en tire a fte rn o o n
w alking th ro u g h th e F irst a n d Second World
W ars in th e first level of th e m u se u m . W ith so
m u ch to see, I found it ra th e r s u rp risin g th a t
th e item I rem em b er m o st w as serving a s a
b a c k d ro p for one of th e displays. In one of th e
m any glass cases, the flag flown by the C anadian
arm y a t Vimy Ridge h a n g s b e h in d p ic tu re s a n d
artifacts from the F irst World War. I am told th a t
th e re h a v e b e e n a tte m p ts to h av e th e flag
re p a tria te d to C an ad a, b u t th e Im perial War
M useum h a s refused. I am s u re th ere m u s t be
74
T
two sid e s to th is story, b u t a t th e sam e tim e it
m ade m e angry to see th a t particu lar flag serving
a s a b a c k g ro u n d w a ll-h a n g in g in a B ritish
m u se u m w h en a replica w ould do j u s t a s well.
J a m e s Wood, Wilfrid L aurier U niversity
Monday, May 2 9
e arrived in Ypres w ith j u s t enough tim e to
check into th e hotel a n d get to th e M enin
G ate cerem ony. The local fire d e p a rtm e n t does
a fa n ta stic jo b of the L a st Post. The city blocks
off th e s tre e t for a few m in u te s a n d th ere is
alw ays a crow d there. I’m glad to see th a t som e
p e o p le s till ta k e th e tim e to r e s p e c t a n d
rem em ber the dead. C an ad a needs m ore of that.
W
D am ian B urianyk, U niversity of New
B runsw ick
u r next stop w as Tyne Cot Cem etery. Words
failed m e here. I c a n n o t p u t into w ords the
em otion th is place evoked in me. 12, 000 graves.
2 4 ,0 0 0 n a m e s on th e wall b eh in d . W hen I w as
11 or 12 y e a rs old I h a d to le a rn the w ords to
F la n d ers Fields for school. I rem em b er w alking
a ro u n d my h o u se rep eatin g the w ords over a n d
over a g ain u n til I knew it off by h e a rt. It s tru c k
m e a t th a t very m o m en t w h a t th a t po et m ean t.
The w ords all cam e b a c k to m e a n d I b eg an to
w h isp er th em to m yself. It took ever o u n ce of
s tre n g th I h a d n o t to s ta r t crying hysterically.
Never in my life have I felt su c h futility a n d sense
of loss.
O
Lisa Goodyear, Royal M ilitary
College of C a n a d a
e w ent to St-Julien where the C anadian w ar
m em orial is. It is wonderful, clean, a n d well
kept. We th e n w en t to P a ssen d a e le a n d were
show n one of th e m o st d istu rb in g b attle site s of
the F irs t World War. It w as q u ite a field to see
even eighty y e a rs later. We w ere told th a t the
d ista n c e betw een a stre a m a n d a h o u se 400
y a rd s aw ay took eight days to take. The tow n
itself, less th a n two k ilom eters from the s ta r t
line took two w eeks to tak e a t th e cost of 5 ,0 0 0
C a n a d ia n lives, or 16,000 killed, w o u n d ed or
m issin g ....I h av e a p e rs o n a l in te r e s t in th e
w e a p o n s of w ar, fro m a p r o fe s s io n a l a n d
rec re atio n a l perspective. Looking a t th e field,
h e a rin g th e n u m b e r of m en w ho d ied a n d
realizing th a t th e objective served no tactical
p u rp o se h a s m ade m e rec o n sid er som e of my
e m p h a sis. In th e stu d y of w eaponry th ere is a
W
r a t h e r s te rile re a liz a tio n of j u s t w h a t th a t
w eaponry does. S ta n d in g in the a re a th a t th ese
m en died a n d looking a t w h a t th ey w ere u p
a g a in s t I realized th a t u n til th e n I h a d n o t fully
appreciated ju s t w hat the equipm ent w as capable
of doing, the a m o u n t of d e a th w as e n o rm o u s. a
M oreover, I realize th a t th e m en w ho m ad e the O
h
ch arg e were in tim ately fam iliar w ith w h a t the O
-so
w eapons w ere cap ab le of a n d w en t over th e top
reg ard less. T heir b rav ery a n d d ed icatio n m u s t
have b een enorm ous.
S ean Pollick, Royal M ilitary 5
College of C an ad a
Jl. k,
M BM s
,
'
- V. f
T'hz? EWef
o u s avons eu la ch a n ce d’a d m irer la s ta tu e
de S a in t-J u lie n . Elle e st b e a u c o u p p lu s
im p o sa n te q u e je m e l’etais im a g in e ....Je crois
que, a u jo u r d ’h u i, cette s ta tu e re p re s e n te le
sacrifice de notre nation et l’essence qui est sense
de re s s o rtir de ces lieux sacres, qui e st en fait,
u n e com m em oration b e a u c o u p p lu s g ran d e et
profonde que ju s te la «victoire». II e st im p eratif
de p e n s e r a u x so ld a ts - fils, m aris, p e re s et
m em e, des fois, des fem m es - q u i o n t fait la
g u erre, m ais s u rto u t a ceux qui ne s o n t p a s
revenus, a l’ultim e sacrifice q u ’ils o n t accepte et
ce, so u v e n t a v a n t m em e de p a rtir de le u r ville,
de le u r pays, de le u r con tin en t. «Ici, les 22-24
avril 1915, d ix -h u it m ille C a n a d ien s d u flanc
gauche b ritan n iq u e resiste ren t victorieusem ent
a u x p rem iere s a tta q u e s de gaz des A llem ands.
D eux mille d ’entre-deux, glorieusem ent tom bes,
re p o se n t p res de cette colonne* J ’ai signe le
r e g is tr e e t e c rit: « S ile n c ie u s e m e n t, je m e
souviens.»
Marie-Noel D uhaim e,
Royal M ilitary College of C a n a d a
N
T
ie St. J u lie n m o n u m e n t reflected th e level
of d e a th a n d h o rro r experienced by soldiers
of b o th sides in Ypres. A solem n p illar of plain
stone w ith the silhouette of a soldier carved into
its peak, the m onum ent conveyed a sense of grim
d e te rm in a tio n w hich forces a rea c tio n by those
viewing it. The m o st com m on feeling w ith in the
group, a s far a s I could m ea su re, w as sorrow .
The unm oving sto n e g u a rd of h o n o u r h e re a t
St. J u lie n c a u se d th e poem ‘In F la n d e rs’s Field’
to ro ll th r o u g h m y h e a d . A p p a re n tly , th e
m o n u m en t here w as quite controversial after the
w a r b e c a u s e th e C a n a d ia n s d id n o t feel it
p o rtra y ed victory, rath e r, it felt too grave a n d
seem ed o bsessed w ith th e loss, n o t a se n tim e n t
A
4mm
,
C V V -.--.-
W n r lr l
U /n r
PhnnWirm
M p m n r i a l a t S t. . h ili& n .
s h a re d by a victor n a tio n . Years later, however,
it seem s entirely apropos.
Andrew P aul B u rtch
’p re s is a w alled city a n d Mike a n d I w alked
som e of the wall before w andering into a pub.
It w as a lovely place j u s t off th e tow n sq u a re .
Leaving the pu b we ra n into a biker n am ed Yves,
w ho a sk e d if we w ere A m erican. We told him
th a t we are C an ad ian a n d he responded ‘Ah, the
lib e ra to rs .’ Of a n y th in g th a t a local sa id to u s
d u rin g th e c o u rse of th e trip th a t p a rtic u la r
p h ra se s tru c k m e a s the m ost touching. A biker,
80 years after th e fact, recognized the C an ad ian
contribution to the liberation of his country. T hat
w as su re ly th e m o st flatterin g th in g said to me
on th e trip.
S e a n Pollick
Y
T uesday, May 3 0
t is now 3:15 pm a n d we are on o u r way to
B eaum ont Hamel. I have a knot in my stom ach.
We arrive a t B e a u m o n t H am el a n d th e ra in is
p o u rin g . T he m e m o ria l is im p re ss iv e . T he
g ro u n d is still s c a rre d a n d w hen I re a c h th e top
of th e C aribou I see th e D anger Tree for th e first
tim e. From th is v an tag e poin t I have a view of
n o -m a n ’s-lan d a n d I c a n see the G erm an lines. I
gave my p resen tatio n m ostly from m em ory since
th e ra in m ade it im possible to re a d from my
p re p a re d p re se n ta tio n . I th in k it w as ok. My
em otions were ru n n in g so high, I felt like I w as
stepping on hallowed ground. It w as very som bre
w alking th ro u g h th e tall, wet g rass w ith th e rain
falling. I walked p a s t the danger tree a n d stopped
a n d realized th is w as th e m o st d a n g e ro u s place
in No M a n ’s L a n d . As I w a lk e d in to th e
I
N ew foundland cem etery I felt s u c h a s e n se of
sa d n e s s . I recognized all th e fam ily n a m e s. I
know w h a t p a rt of th e Islan d th e se n a m e s are
from. I w on d er who am ong my friends have
family h e re ... .Walking aro u n d this battlefield h a s
b een em otionally e x h a u stin g for me. It will be a
long tim e before I c a n deal w ith th e ran g e of
em otions I felt here today.
h is fam o u s poem . All of m y life, I have b een
recitin g th is poem on R em em b ran ce D ay a t
p a r a d e s a n d c e re m o n ie s . To fin a lly b e a t
M cC rae’s gravesite a n d to re a d th e poem he
w rote in World War O ne m e a n t so m u c h to me.
J o n i Y arascavitch, U niversity of W aterloo
Thursday, J u n e 1
Lisa G oodyear
;.
is is w h a t I h a d b een w aiting for, Vimy
Ridge. The boys (QOR) h a d told m e how
im pressive it is b u t th a t co m p ared little to th e
feeling of a c tu a lly b ein g there. I stood in awe
looking tow ards the m o n u m e n t from w here the
C anadians would have advanced. It w as pouring
rain a s I w alked onto th e m o n u m e n t, b u t no
am ount of rain could have dam pened the feelings
I h a d a s I first looked over th e ridge dow n onto
th e tow ns in th e valley below.
t
M ichael W. C hisholm , U niversity of Toronto
W ednesday, May 31
Tiile in th e cem etery I s ta rte d doing w h a t ]
w as to do for th e re s t of th e trip, laying
sm all C a n a d ia n flags on th e h e a d s to n e s oi
C an ad ian M ilitary Engineers. It is a sm all token
to be su re , a n d ce rtain ly b ia se d tow ard my
m ilitary trad e, b u t I felt it w as a p p ro p ria te th a t
th e re b e so m e sig n t h a t th e s a p p e r s w ere
rem em b ered . Som e of th e in sc rip tio n s w ere
h e a rt-w re n c h in g a n d p ersonal. One in scrip tio n
to a B ritish soldier re a d ‘To o u r D ear D addy’,
an d another w as to ‘A Loving H u sb an d ’. It is these
in sc rip tio n s th a t rem in d you th a t th e se were
m ore th a n j u s t soldiers, they were m en w ith
fam ilies w ho they left a n d never saw again.
W
S ean Pollick
e m ade a n unexpected stop a t the W imereux
C em etery in B oulogne. At first, a s we
w alked tow ards th e cem etery, it w as u n c le a r to
me a s to why they were there. It seem ed we were
ju s t walking through a civilian cemetery. It w asn ’t
until we reached the o th er end th a t it w as finally
clear. On th e sto n e wall w as a p laq u e d ed icated
to J o h n M cCrae, the C a n a d ia n a u th o r of “In
F la n d ers F ie ld s.” On th e o th e r side of th e wall
w as a m ilitary cem etery, in clu d in g the body of
M cCrae. We w alked th ro u g h a n d p a u s e d a t h is
gravesite. It w as h e re th a t I h a d th e h o n o u r of
placing a C anadian flag on his grave a n d reading
W
o u s n o u s som m es diriges vers la plage de
P o u r v ille . C ’e s t s u r c e tt e p a r t i e d u
d e b a r q u e m e n t , e f f e c tu e p a r le S o u t h
S a s k a tc h e w a n R egim ent et les Q u e e n ’s Own
C am eron H ighlanders of C an ad a, que je faisais
m a p r e s e n ta tio n . J e tro u v e q u e le fa it de
p re se n te r s u r u n e bataille ou u n d eb arq u em en t
e st u n e excellente idee. La lec tu re et le tem p s
que j ’ai m is a p re p a re r cette p re se n ta tio n m ’ont
d o n n e u n s e n tim e n t d ’a p p a rte n a n c e a cette
plage, a u x so ld a ts q u i y s o n t m o rt ou q u i y o n t
s u rv e c u ... .Lorsque n o u s som m es alles d a n s le
cim etiere, j ai p a sse quelques m in u tes devant la
to m b e d u L i e u t e n a n t - c o l o n e l G o s tlin g ,
com m andant des QOCH. Cet hom m e a to u t ju ste
eu le tem p s de d ep o ser so n pied s u r la plage
lo rsq u ’il a ete a tte in t p a r u n e balle. J ’etais em ue
d etre d ev an t s a tom be, la ou so n corps repose.
J ’ai fait u n e p riere p o u r lui.
N
Sophie L alande
'e w en t for a w alk a ro u n d D ieppe. A ndrew
show ed a few u s a sm all m onum ent behind
a church, which w as in mem ory of two C anadian
so ld iers w ho w ere sh o t on th is spot. It w as so
m o d est b u t unbelievably moving. As I looked
a ro u n d I could im agine the fear of th e m en
p inned here, w ondering w here the next sh o t was
com ing from.
W
Left.
O
O
0,
" M emorial in Dieppe:
"I lore Jell lino
,, -.JF ' -• C a n a d ia n soldiers on
■ , 19 A u g u st 1942"
Lisa G oodyear
B e low .
u r days sp e n t a t D ieppe, I now know , were
th e pivotal event of my N orm andy Tour.
Before th is point, I really h a d n o t th e slig h test
idea of w h at w ar a n d rem em brance were about.
I know th a t a t tim es soldiers are a sk ed to s ta n d
th e ir g ro u n d in im possible situ a tio n s a n d to go
forw ard w hen every in stin c t is to tu rn a n d ru n ,
or a t le a st keep th eir h e a d down. And I knew
a b o u t the b o n d s th a t tie soldiers to one a n o th e r
a n d m ake th em unw illing to tu rn aw ay from a
fight for fear of w h a t th e ir b u d d ies will th in k of
th em . B u t seeing th e b e a ch e s a t D ieppe m ade
m e realize th a t while the things I th o u g h t I knew
w ere n o t incorrect, th ey a m o u n te d to only a
sh a d o w of an u n d e rsta n d in g ....A fte r visiting
D ieppe I have com e to u n d e rs ta n d w hy th ese
brave m en w en t forw ard a n d why, in th e end,
they suffered s u c h terrible losses. As for the
q u e stio n s left u n a n sw e re d , seeing th e b e a ch e s
left m e w ith a need to know m ore. T here h a s
scarcely been a m om ent of my sp a re tim e since
the Norm andy Tour th a t I have not sp e n t reading
a b o u t som e a sp e c t of th e war.
^ lc ^ Clna(^ an
O
J a m e s Wood
M ilium i Cem elerij a I
.. I»< I'l"
f- / ir
—
WSm
s,
~1 .
■■
rem in d m e a b o u t th e terrible th in g s th a t have
h ap pened in the past. I cried w hen I saw so m any
n a m e s, all in th e ir early tw e n tie s ...th a t could
have b e e n m e or an y of m y friends or a n y of u s
on th e tour!
M ichael J. Holden, M ount Allison U niversity
Friday, Ju n e 2
fter seeing the beaches, we w ent an d saw the
resu lt of this action, the cem etery a t Dieppe.
The C om m onw ealth W ar G raves C om m ission
have done an excellent job of preserving m em ory
of the fallen...T his place h it m e p re tty h a rd .
S ta n d in g in th e m iddle of a th o u s a n d dead
C a n a d ian s who were all killed on one day, m ost
a b o u t m y age, w as too m uch. In a perfect world,
th is p lace w ould n o t exist. Every C a n a d ia n
sh o u ld visit th is place. I will b rin g m y c h ild ren
here som eday.
A
D am ian B urianyk
ext stop, th e C om m onw ealth W ar G raves
C om m ission C em etery at D ieppe. I did not
en jo y s ta n d in g a m o n g s t a th o u s a n d d e a d
C a n a d ian s b u t I g u e ss th a t is w hy it is there. To
N
•
Sunday, J u n e 4
s I sto o d there, n erv o u s th o u g h I w as, I w as
also struggling to co n tain my feelings... .The
only th o u g h t th a t th ru m m e d th ro u g h my m ind,
com pelling my silence, w as I’m on Ju n o beach!!!!
Finally, I h a d arrived, it seem ed like th e clim ax
of th is adventure, draw n to the beach w here our
m en, brave, young a n d foolish, fought a n d fell­
ta k in g th e w ar to H itler a n d w in n in g . T his
m o m en t w as of u tm o s t im p o rtan ce to m e, a n d
th e im m ediate co n c lu sio n I re a c h e d w as th a t I
h a d to becom e a b e tte r C a n a d ian . From th a t
m o m en t on, I becam e m ore patrio tic th a n I h a d
ever b e e n in m y life, I am a C a n a d ian , I am
p r o u d , I a m s a d fo r o u r lo s s e s h e r e b u t
e n th ra lle d by o u r accom plishm ents.
A
Andrew Paul B urtch
e attend a ceremony at the Bold Tank where
a p laq u e w as ded icated to th e F ort G arry
H orse a n d th e S h erbrooke F usiliers. Here we
h a d th e privilege to m eet sev eral C a n a d ia n
v e te ra n s....It w as th e first tim e in m an y y e a rs I
have su n g our national anthem . For the first time
it a c tu a lly m e a n t so m eth in g to me. Seeing th e
V eterans s a lu te a t th e playing of th e la s t p o st
was stirring. They snapped to attention a n d were
so s tra ig h t a n d p roud.
W
Lisa G oodyear
e fa it q u e le voyage n o u s p e rm e ttre de
p a rtic ip e r a u x cerem onies de so u v e n ir d u
debarquem ent de Norm andie a ete l’u n e des plus
belles experiences. R encontrer ces hom m es qui
o n t v e c u le d e b a r q u e m e n t e s t te lle m e n t
in te re s s a n t, j ’avais le g o u t de to u t savoir, q u ’il
me raconte d a n s les m oindres deta ils . D’u n au tre
cote, je m e sentais m al de rappeler a ces hom m es
la dou leu r q u ’ils ont vecue. Com bien d ’am is ontils p e rd u ? E t de quelle m aniere? Leurs yeux ont
vu ce q u ’il y a de p lu s laid. E t c h a c u n de ces
h o m m es av ait u n e h istoire, u n e fam ille, des
p ro ch e s q u i l’a tte n d a ie n t p a tie m m e n t et qui
p ria ie n t p o u r lui c h a q u e soir. C om bien o n t
souffert d a n s l’a tte n te ou lo rsq u e les nouvelles
s o n t f in a le m e n t a rriv e e s ? E s t-c e q u ’il y a
v raim en t u n e seule p e rso n n e qui n ’a p a s ete
to u ch e p a r ce conflit?
L
Sophie L alande
t g ets h a rd e r w ith every cem etery we visit. It
took only a few m om ents to b ring m e to tears.
Everyone gets very q u iet a n d sp e a k s very little.
This place is so serene, the m aple trees a n d th e
rain gently falling, it is easy to lose m yself in m y
own th o u g h ts. Like so m any o th e r m o m en ts on
th is trip w o rd s fail m e, I a m e m o tio n a lly
overw helm ed by th e loss of life th a t s u rro u n d s
me. I have to leave th is place a n d sit alone for a
few m in u te s to pull m yself together.
He spoke in G erm an a n d Serge tra n sla ted into
English. It w as a fascinating story. He described
the a tta ck a n d explained w h at he did. There was
a field across from the beach full of w heat a n d
he a n d his com rades h a d to hide in the w aisthigh w heat to avoid being attacked. Talking to
th is G e rm a n v e te ra n w as a lm o st a s u rr e a l
e x p e rien c e . I d id n ’t k n o w how to re a d th e
situation. I felt as though I should have been
angry a t the individual because he m ay have been
responsible for the killing of C anadians, b u t after
hearing him speak, he seem ed to be the sam e as
every o th er veteran. He w as fighting for w h at he
b e lie v e d w a s r ig h t (or h e m a y h a v e b e e n
conscripted against his wishes). Nevertheless, he
fought a n d survived a n d w as willing to tell u s of
his experiences. It w as clear to me th a t it w as a
w ar a n d th a t certain experiences are b o u n d to
occur w hich cannot be held ag ain st the other
side for a lifetime. In the w ords of this G erm an
veteran, Willy H arnack, “We are all friends now."
Jo n i Yarascavitch
t Sw ord B each we saw a vet w alking along
the road. He w as a G erm an vet from the
7 1 6 th In fa n try Division. T his w as com pletely
u n e x p e cte d a n d k in d of a b o n u s. T here w as a
b it of tro u b le w ith th e tra n sla tio n , b u t we got
h is story. He talk ed a b o u t seeing th e invasion
fleet, th e b om bardm ent, the invasion, h is friend
b e in g s h o t, a n d s u rr e n d e rin g . He w a s th e
enem y th en , today h e is j u s t a n old m an.
A
I
Lisa G oodyear
'e moved onto Sword beach an d stopped at
a m o n u m e n t w hile Serge a n d David gave
a briefing. T here w as a m an w alking a n d he
stopped while we were talking a n d seem ed to be
listening to o u r briefing. It tu rn s out th a t he w as
a G erm an v eteran who, d u rin g th e war, w as
resp o n sib le for defending th a t b e a ch from th e
Allies on D-Day! I c o u ld n ’t believe th a t we h a d
the opportunity to h e a r h is version of the events.
W
D am ian B u rian y k
T u esd ay, J u n e 6
|eu ap res, n o u s avons ren c o n tre u n veteran,
je crois q u e so n nom e ta it P atty H u tto n des
Q u een ’s Own Riffles. II a p artag e ses souvenirs,
m ais com m e il avait de la difficu lty s a fem m e
l’a aide. Col G ould a u s s i e ta it l’a et lui a u s s i a
p a rta g e se s so u v en irs. P e n d a n t que se s deu x
hom m es p a rla ie n t, je m ’im aginais a leu r place.
J ’ai deja travaille d a n s u n ta n k , m ais je n ’ai
ja m a is ete d a n s u n d e b a rq u e m e n t, so u s le feu
de l’en n em i ou encore d a n s u n e s itu a tio n de
g uerre. J ’ai de la m isere a m ’im aginer ce q u ’ils
o n t p u vivre, les se n tim e n ts q u ’ils o n t p u avoir,
la d o u le u r q u ’ils d e v a ie n t re sse n tir, la p e u r
to u jo u rs p re s e n te ... Trop de chose d a n s la tete,
j ’e ssa i d ’a rre te r de p e n s e r p o u r m ieux e c o u te r
leu r h istoire.
P
M arie-Noel D u h aim e
- -v>*-»
mm
W ednesday, J u n e 7
hen
th e
b ig
cerem ony b a c k a t
th e Abbaye garden. The
g a rd e n is fairly sm a ll
a n d it is p a c k e d w ith
p e o p le . T h e v e ts a re
here, a s a re m any m ore
p e o p le , in c lu d in g th e
s t u d e n t s fro m th e
U niversity of T ennessee ^
a n d som e guides from ^
B e a u m o n t H am el a n d p
Vimy. T his is th e m o st g
m o ving a n d p e rs o n a l e
ce re m o n y I h ave ever ^
h a d th e p riv ile g e to
a tte n d . T here are to n s
of flowers placed on the
m a rk e r a n d a lm o st everyone lays a w reath . We
are able to take p a rt in the cerem ony a n d lay a
m aple leaf on the m em orial as th e n a m e s of
th o se killed are re a d out. This is so m e th in g I
will rem e m b e r a n d c h e rish alw ays. “They are
gone b u t n o t fo rg o tten .” M ost people filter out
after th e cerem ony a n d we are left w ith th e vets.
They tell som e stories th a t even today (as I write
this) b rin g a te a r to my eye.
f~ r t
T
D am ian B u rian y k
v
15h30, n o u s som m es re to u rn e s a u ja rd in
ie la fo n dation et a 16h30 c’e ta it a u ja rd in
de l’a b b a y e d ’A rd e n n e q u e n o u s e tio n s . II
d e b o rd a it tellem ent il y avait de gens. C haque
m em bre du gro u p e a eu l’h o n n e u r de d ep o ser
u n e feuille d ’erab le en so u v e n ir de to u s les
C an ad ien s qui o n t ete a ssa ssin e d a n s ce jard in .
C ette cerem onie e ta it de loin la p lu s to u ch a n te.
U ne fois la c e re m o n ie te rm in e e , q u e lq u e s
veterans sont restes d an s le jard in avec plusieurs
m em b res du groupe. Ils n o u s o n t conte des
histoires vraim ent affreuses de ce q u ’ils ont vecu
p e n d a n t la guerre, en y p e n sa n t, j ’ai encore des
larm es a u x yeux.
A
Marie-Noel D uhaim e
Saturday, J u n e 10
| u r la s t m orn in g a t th e Abbaye a n d I felt
m ad d en ed by th e fact th a t I will probably
never be b ack for a seco n d visit. A dding to this,
I w as feeling a bit anxious about my presentation
on th e fight for V errieres Ridge. E a c h of u s h a d
At
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M
iiiiH
T w o v ie w s o f th e m e m o r ia l g a r d e n a t
th e A b b a y e d A r d e n n e .
b een task ed w ith p resen tin g
a brief outline of som e event,
;4 “'i
s u c h a s th e D iep p e raid ,
J u n o B each, or naval
s u p p o rt a t D-Day. To th is
point, I h a d b een im p ressed
w ith th e briefings given by
th e o th e r m em b ers of o u r group. O ur TEWT of
th e B re tte v ille d e fe n c e h a d left m e w ith a
d isd a in for th o se w ho w ould criticize m ilitary
c o m m a n d ers after th e fact. T hese m en bore
w h a t m u s t have b een a c ru sh in g responsibility;
w h a t rig h t do an y of u s have to p a ss ju d g em e n t
on th e ir actio n s w ith o u t having w alked a mile
in th e ir sh o es? I w as th in k in g a b o u t th is before
m y p re s e n ta tio n a n d I cam e to the conclusion
th a t th e re is a place for h isto ria n s to exam ine
a n d sc ru tin iz e the d ecisio n s m ad e by th ese
com m anders, b u t n o t to a tta ck th em personally
for th e ir failings a n d m istak es. It is a fine line,
b u t I th in k th e lesso n I have ta k e n aw ay from
th is episode is a v alu ab le one.
J a m e s Wood
S u n d ay, J u n e 11
w;
re got u p p re tty early th is m o rn in g an d
r e c r e a te d th e m a r c h of th e A rgyll &
S u th e rla n d H ighlanders u p Hill 195. The m arch
w as m e a n t to s n e a k u p b e h in d th e G erm an
forw ard lines a n d e sta b lish a defensive position
b e h in d th e ir lines. O u r m arch w as a good idea,
a lth o u g h som e of th e m ystique w as lo st since
people talk ed th e whole w ay up. It w ould have
b e e n nice, from my p o in t of view, to have done
th e m a rc h a tte m p tin g to m ake no noise so th a t
we could gain a n even g rea ter a p p re c ia tio n of
w h a t th e Argylls h a d to do. In an y case it m u st
have been a big su rp rise for the G erm ans during
the war.
S e a n Pollick
'e b e g a n th e day a t 3 am by re tra c in g th e
Argyll’s B n s n e a k u p Point 195. I th in k
th e fo u rte en of u s m ad e m ore noise th a n th e
Argyll’s did. An am azing ac co m p lish m e n t for
th e Argyll’s w h en you th in k of it. Saw th e s u n
rise over C aen from th is position. You c a n still
see th e g ap s in th e tre e s w here S h e rm a n ’s h a d
p u s h e d th ro u g h .
W
M ichael W. C hisholm
'e cam e b a c k to a h o u se a t th e b o tto m of
the hill to have b rea k fa st w ith a gentlem an
farm er w ho w as a six teen year old boy in 1944.
He show ed u s a ro u n d h is farm , w here som e of
the C an ad ian slit tren ch es c a n still be m ade out,
a n d show ed u s som e gaps in th e tre e s w here
S h e rm a n ta n k s h a d c ra sh e d th ro u g h . We th e n
w en t u p to th e old farm h o u se w here th e d ead
of th e Argyll regim ent h a d b e e n bu ried aw aiting
th e graves com m ission. B ack in h is h o u s e he
h a d a recently u n e a rth e d Lee-Enfield rifle th a t a
plow h a d tu rn e d u p a few w eeks earlier a n d told
u s s to r ie s a b o u t th e G e rm a n o c c u p a tio n .
A pparently th e W ehrm acht were okay s o rts b u t
th e SS w ere real ‘b a s ta r d s ’. We said o u r good­
byes to o u r g racio u s h o s t a n d left to to u r th e
b attle of th e Falaise Gap.
W
S e a n Pollick
th e able le a d e rsh ip of Serge D u rflin g er a n d
D avid P a tte r s o n I le a r n e d m o re a b o u t th e
C a n a d ian involvem ent in th e E u ro p e a n th e a tre
th a n I ever th o u g h t w as possible. I got to see
th e g re a t battlefields th a t previously I h a d only
re a d a b o u t a n d im agined. I spoke to v e te ran s,
Allied a n d G erm an a b o u t h e a rd a b o u t w h a t
th e y re m e m b e r from th e w ar. I sp o k e w ith
civilians a n d h e a rd yet a n o th e r side to the sam e
story. I s ta re d a t th e sa m e sky th a t th e Allied
so ld iers h a d looked u p to w ondering w h a t I
w ould have b e e n th in k in g , feeling a n d sc are d
of h a d I b e e n on a lan d in g craft d u rin g th e DD ay invasion.
M ichael J . H olden
T
ie le sso n s th a t each of u s have ta k e n aw ay
from th e trip are v alu ab le o n e s...n o w th a t
we a re hom e th e resp o n sib ility lies w ith u s to
m ake u s e of w h a t we have lea rn ed a n d to sh a re
it w ith oth ers.
J a m e s Wood
e realise eg alem ent q u ’il e st im p o rta n t de
c o n n a itre l’h isto ire m ilitaire c a n ad ie n n e, ce
qui s ’est reellem ent passe, et de tran sm ettre cette
histoire a u x futures generations. J e sais que c’est
ce q u e je ferai de m on cote.
J
Sophie L alande
Postscript
) say it w as an experience of a life tim e som e
how does n o t seem enough. T his trip h a s
m e a n t m ore to m e t h a n a n y o n e c a n rea lly
u n d e rs ta n d . I feel fo cu se d a n d t h a t I h av e
retrieved m y se n se of direction. To say goodbye
to th e people I s h a re d th is experience w ith w as
sad . I hope to sta y in c o n ta c t w ith everyone. I
know I have really co n n ected w ith som e people
on th is to u r a n d saw a glim pse of everyone’s life.
T his to u r h a s given m e a lot to th in k a b o u t a n d
rem in d ed w hy I love to s tu d y m ilitary histo ry . I
have finally becom e a patriot of m y own country.
I know now it is u p to m y ge n e ra tio n to go forth
a n d n ever let o u r c o u n try forget th e sacrifices
th a t were m ade.
T
Lisa G oodyear
s a yo u n g m ilitary h isto ria n th e C a n a d ia n
Battle of N orm andy F o u n d atio n S tu d y T our
w as arguably th e g re a te st experience of m y life.
For th a t I w ould like to th a n k G eneral Belzile
an d the other m em bers of the Foundation. U nder
A
T
iis to u r h a s been one of the m ost m em orable
experiences of m y life a n d I am thrilled th a t
I w a s f o r t u n a te e n o u g h to b e g iv en th is
o p p o rtu n ity . I c a n n o t even begin to su m u p all
th e th in g s th a t I le a rn e d on th e tour. If I h a d to
choose one lesson, it w ould be the following:
people c a n s tu d y w ar in a c la ssro o m or by
rea d in g books b u t they will n ever gain a tru e
appreciation for the effects of w ar until they walk
w here th e soldiers stood. Prior to the tour, I h a d
stu d ie d D ieppe, D-Day, a n d Vimy b u t w hen I
stood on th e b a ttle g ro u n d s a n d talk ed to th e
v e te ra n s, histo ry , to m e, becam e m u c h less
academ ic a n d so m u c h m ore h u m a n . I could
finally p u t h u m a n faces to th e n a m e s a n d fields
to th e b a ttle s. V isiting th e cem eteries w as no
different. P ic tu re s do n o th in g to convey th e
im m en sity of th e loss of life a n d suffering th a t
w ar causes. I only hope th a t the lessons I learned
on th is s tu d y to u r will re m a in w ith m e for the
re s t of m y life so th a t I will alw ays rem em b er
why I have th e lu x u ry of being free.
Jo n i Y arascavitch