D-DAY: EMBARKATION HARD (G1) STOKES BAY – ROYAL ENGINEERS SUPPORT CANADIANS ON D-DAY
On board the LCTs seen at the beginning of the film, embarkation was according to a strict plan. No.1 Team was tasked to open GREEN Exit on NAN WHITE Beach on the western side of Bernières-sur-Mer and clear and mark a lane at least 9 feet wide. Each of the 8AVREs were given a specific role and were deliberately loaded onto the LCTs accordingly with this objective in mind. Cpl Cavill in his Crab tank was able to flail to the seawall. and Sgt Smith dropped his bridge against the wall, but his AVRE struck a mine blocking the exit. Luckily, part of the seawall had broken down . The second LCT 1408 seen loading at the beginning of this film landed and a flail tank beat its way up to the seawall to climb up the debris cleared a path to the top when a bulldozer pushed the AVRE out of the way and the tank ditch beyond was to be filled with a fascine. Subsequently these events led to the iconic photos from D-Day, showing the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade landing at ‘Nan White’ .
OPERATION OVERLORD: STOKES BAY – GOSPORT – CONSTRUCTION SITE OF THE ALLIES SECRET MULBERRY HARBOUR
Along the south coast between the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth is a shingle bay that played a prominent role in World War Two. In the corner of a football field is a plaque that commemorates the 60th. anniversary of the building 14 concrete caissons with the code name Phoenix that formed part of the breakwater of the Mulberry Harbours.
OPERATION OVERLORD: THE CANADIAN ARMY AT STOKES BAY ON D-DAY 1944
Approximately 14,000 Canadians landed in Normandy on D-Day 6th June 1944. The Canadian assault force suffered 1,074 casualties, 946 were killed. The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division left from Stokes Bay, their destination was Juno Bay. The North Nova Scotia Highlanders embarked from Stokes Bay hard G1. The Canadian Memorial at Stokes Bay was unveiled by the Prime Minister of Canada and reads ‘To commemorate the embarkation of Canadian troops from these Gosport Shores For Normandy on the 5oth Anniversary of D-Day’.
