CBF Students – Étudiants FCCB – Page 17 – Canadian Battlefields Foundation

Sleep Is For The Weak…

Posted on May 10, 2015March 31, 2019 by CBF Students - Étudiants FCCB

Today was officially day one of the 2015 Canadian Battle Field Foundation Tour. After a wonderfully long Air France flight from Montreal to Paris, we packed our bags into two eight-person vans just after 06:30. This would begin our long and jet lag filled day, but there is no time to rest when you are privileged enough to experience what we did today – even if a soft bed did seem preferable at the time.

Our team of fifteen was divided up and myself and six other exhausted souls began our drive across the French country side. Along the way we stopped for a quick breakfast before continuing on to our first official destination of the morning. We began with a visit to the L’Historial de la Grande Guerre located in Peronne; this war museum is unique in its choice of presentation. Unlike the Canadian War Museum located in Ottawa that we attended the previous day, which consists of numerous artifacts arranged in a chronological order to follow and interact with, the L’Historial chose what I would describe as a more social approach to history. It displays its artifacts in sunken floor show cases to allow the audience a different perspective.

At noon we left the museum and headed to our next location that will serve as our home base for the next few days, Chavasse Farm located in Hardecourt-Aux-Bois, a small village in the Somme region of France. To describe our accommodations would not do it justice, as it truly represents the ideal place to stay in France. As my fellow wanderer Katie Beaudette described it, “it’s almost a museum itself. It is almost like the house is breathing history.” I believe this to be an opinion shared by all those who have stayed and will stay here in the future. If these walls could speak, the stories they would tell. Although I could continue on about how with each moment my love for this area, its scenery and history grows I can not forget to tell the rest of our days adventures.

After quickly stopping to drop off our luggage we continued to the sight of the largest surviving crater of the First World War, the Lochnagar Crater. Craters such as this were created as a result of Allies tunnelling under German front lines and placing explosives in an attempted to create casualties that would aid in their future operations. Although it did hamper the Germans, it did not prevent them from creating mass British casualties.

After doing a stand at this location and frolicking about in the Canola fields, we went on our way to our next location. Not far down the road there is another sight commonly referred to as the “Glory Hole,” that is currently under excavation by British volunteers. So far they have unearthed numerous artifacts and even a few bodies of fallen soldiers. It was here that we met one of the volunteers in his First World War re-enactment uniform, and he was kind enough to show us his kit. We then continued on into the city of Amiens where we visited the Cathédrale Notre Dame d’Amiens, which had plaques honouring the fallen from various Allied countries, including the Canadian Light Dragoons. It was here that jet lag really kicked in and we decided to finish of the day with a true Parisian meal… McDonald’s.

I Can not wait to see what comes next.

Until then,

Deanna Foster.

June 10th Tyson Ochitwa

Posted on September 25, 2014March 31, 2019 by CBF Students - Étudiants FCCB

June 10th was our “American themed” day of the tour. Having applied to this tour due to my interest in Canada’s participation and sacrifice in the First and Second Worlds Wars, I wasn’t expecting to have such an eye opening and enthralling experience on a day that was based upon the actions of our neighbours to the south.

We started the day with a trip to the La Cambe German war cemetery (containing German war dead from Normandy). As the visit progressed I noticed a much darker and somber atmosphere in comparison to the other cemeteries we had visited. Buried among these soldiers were men and boys from the 12th and 1st SS Panzer division. Seeing the graves of Waffen SS combatants, whose divisions were meant to embody the ideals of the Nazi regime, left my emotions in a state of confusion. Among them was tank Ace Michael Wittman. Surrounding his grave were different bundles of flowers as well as pictures (almost absent from all other graves). The grass surrounding his stone had actually worn away from frequent visits. The site had in itself had begun to resemble a shrine. I understand people paying respects to the dead. However seeing a member of the 1SS Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler being recognized so adoringly in death, simply because he had racked up a massive kill count against allied vehicles and their crews, was a little unnerving to say the least.

Next was Pointe du Hoc. It was here United States rangers scaled the surrounding cliffs to silence a series of German Gun batteries. The scene was one of the most breathtaking spectacles I had ever laid eyes on. I was speechless not just because of gorgeous channel view provided by the cliffs, but from the bravery and determination it must have taken to climb them. Facing such an obstacle, then climbing hundreds of feet under heavy fire is something I can hardly fathom. To have taken the guns, let alone to have just made it up the rocket propelled ropes is nothing short of extraordinary. As the plaque with a quote from Pvt Salva Maimone stated, “The officers said anyone that even gets close to the cliffs ought to get an award.”
From the grounds surrounding the cliffs, I also gained a much better understanding of the unrelenting power of naval gunfire. As we walked the area we were immersed in enormous craters dwarfing our group exponentially in size. We passed a munitions bunker that had suffered a direct hit. What was once an imposing structure of impenetrable reinforced concrete lay flat and strewn across the landscape.

After Pointe Du Hoc we headed to the Omaha cemetery and beach. Upon arriving at the cemetery, I was confronted with emotion I have never really felt before. My stomach sank and churned with a sickly sadness. I felt overwhelmed as I stared at line after line of crosses. All in perfect uniform as far as the eye could see in every direction. What also struck me about the American cemetery was not just sheer numbers, but every cross displayed the state from which the soldier had originally resided. It really made me appreciate how these regiments were made of men from literally every corner of the continent. Although growing up hundreds of miles from each other, they had traveled a world away to give their all on the beaches of Normandy, together.

Having finished paying our respects as best we could at the cemetery, we proceeded to walk down to the beach. Looking at the casualty figures of the D-Day landings, I had always wondered why this beach in particular had been exponentially more fatal. The combination of walking the actual terrain and the commentary provided by Marc and Col. Dave, really helped put into perspective the events that transpired there (ie. the difference between the German 352nd infantry division, opposed to a costal division, or the elevated concrete Widerstand nests ). The group gathered around the sands as Col. Dave used shoes taken from the group to explain the landings along the shore. We listened intently before spending some time walking through the shore where the carnage and sacrifice of 70 years before took place. It was oddly peaceful. The cool water caressed our feet as we strolled and we could think only of those who might have taken these same steps before us.

Point Du Hoc

Naval Gunfire

: La Cambe

They Walk With You – Juno Beach Centre, June 8th (Emilie Bowles)

Posted on July 9, 2014March 31, 2019 by CBF Students - Étudiants FCCB

Now that I am back from France and catching up with my friends, the question that I keep getting asked about my trip is inevitably: “What was the most memorable moment of your tour?” What a difficult question to answer! There were so many important and emotional moments. However, the moment that really brought everything home to me took place in the Juno Beach Centre.

I should preface this memory, however, with a short back-story. When I received an email about the Canadian Battlefields Foundation tour from my university, I was immediately interested and began the application process. I was overjoyed to hear a few weeks later that I’d been accepted on the tour. I welcomed the chance to have the opportunity to learn about history on the very soil these battles were fought and so to see firsthand the places I had only heard about in history books and in history class. As a recent graduate of Bishop’s University with a B.A. in Social Science and a B.Ed. in Secondary Education, it was clear to me that this trip had the potential to greatly impact my teaching philosophy and instructional approach. As a future history teacher, I think it is my responsibility to explore course content in depth and to do my best to make my lessons as engaging for my students as possible. Ideally, the preparation for these lessons involves both first- and second-hand research of the sites themselves and the variety of experiences associated with the stories being told. This process allows me to develop a genuine connection to, and a great enthusiasm for, the material being covered in my classroom. As the World Wars are (at this moment in time) barely covered in the Quebec history curriculum, I feel compelled to rectify this ridiculous omission and make sure that this important part of our history, and the lessons learned from it, are passed on to Canadian youth.

There was also, however, a more personal reason behind my interest in this tour. My late Grandpa, Ralph Bowles, and my late Papa, Eric Cowan, both participated in the Second World War, as did many of their male relatives. My Papa was also present at the landing on Juno Beach on D-Day. Unsurprisingly, neither of my grandfathers liked to speak about their experiences. I should also mention that my Nana (Papa’s wife) was a war bride from Britain. WW2 had such an important impact on the evolution of my family that I very much wanted to learn more about the experiences of my grandparents.

For me, the month prior to our tour’s departure was filled with research and writing. On May 30^th, our group finally left for France, visiting many monuments, cemeteries, museums, and important sites on our way to Normandy. On June 6^th our tour stopped at the Juno Beach Centre to attend the Canadian D-Day ceremony on the 70^th anniversary of the Normandy landings. Two days later, on the 8^th, we returned to the Centre for a visit through the museum. The second to last exhibit in the Centre involved a 12-minute film almost entirely made up of archival footage. It was titled “They Walk With You,” (produced by Marianne Kushmaniuk and directed by Harvey Crossland, see this link for a 2-minute preview: http://kevanstaples.com/juno-beach-they-walk-with-you/) and it detailed the preparation, the carrying-out, and the legacy of D-Day. Much of the footage was unthinkable to me. There were images of destroyed houses, soldiers being shot on the beach, soldiers lying dead on the ground as other soldiers walked on by. I cannot imagine having to see these sights with my own eyes and remain in a healthy state of mind. How do you go on after living through such horror? And yet thousands of young men did! Thousands of others, however, did not survive their encounters with the enemy. (Although to be frank, I’m not sure which option is worse. I recognize now, after this experience, how truly lucky I am to not be placed in these sorts of situations and to live in a peaceful country.)

The second to last scene of this film involved images of soldiers going about their business prior to the D-Day landing or in quiet moments between actions. There were soldiers shaving each other’s heads. There were groups of soldiers sitting or standing together and smiling. As we looked at these photos, men gradually began to fade away, until only a few remained. These were the ones who had survived the D-Day landing and the subsequent battles leading to the end of the war. For some reason, this visual struck me to the core. These young men who moments ago had been smiling, whole individuals had suddenly disappeared. I had so many questions darting around in my mind: Did they suspect that they were going to die? What were their dreams and aspirations? What would they have said to their loved ones back home, if they had had the chance to say goodbye? What advice would they have given to other young men thinking of joining up? Did they regret their own choice to go to war? I could no longer hold my emotions in. I knew that at some point during my trip that the enormity of lives lost and potential wasted would really hit me. All the graves in the numerous cemeteries that we’d visited were those of real people, who had families and goals, were mourned and unable to achieve their ambitions. How did their loved ones get on with their lives after their passing? How would I have been able to cope if my boyfriend/father/brother/etc. died? How did my grandfathers manage to escape this fate? It is so strange to think how close my relatives and I came to not existing.

As I watched these images on the screen, tears started rolling down my face and sobs escaped my mouth. I felt the hands of my tour mates reach out in the dark to comfort me. The last scene of the video involved a family of Canadians walking along Juno Beach. The mother turns to her son and daughter and asks them if they know where they are and what happened there. As the children begin to tell their parents what they know and the family walks further along the beach, the ghosts of Canadian soldiers follow behind. To me, they represented not just the spirits of those who gave their lives in the name of freedom but also hope for a better nation and a better world.

After watching the video, I needed some time to myself to process what I had witnessed. I sat quietly in a corner of the last exhibit, and found in front of me a “memory book” for veterans and their families to record messages in. (I’ve included a few excerpts here for you to read.) Some of them were incredibly touching, and helped to give me a sense of our collective Canadian strength and love. We are the product of all of our history. Everything that has happened to our ancestors and to our country has in some way shaped the world we live in and the people we have become – and are becoming. The soldiers who died fighting in the Second World War are part of this history, and their memory and sacrifice must not be forgotten. Our young people must be given the chance to learn about the events and the people who have influenced our future.

In late April when I told my Papa that I would be travelling to Normandy in June to learn about the Canadian experience in WW2, he said that he looked forward to hearing all about it when I got back. As he was quite ill at this time, I knew that this was unlikely to happen. He passed away in early May before I left for the trip. I am heartbroken that I won’t get to talk to him about the stories I heard or ask him all the questions that the trip sparked in my mind. But I am so thankful to have had this experience and to learn more about what thousands of young Canadian men died for, fought to protect, and lived through. These are the lessons that I hope to pass on to my future students.

Completing the Circle

Posted on July 7, 2014March 31, 2019 by CBF Students - Étudiants FCCB

I applied for the Canadian Battlefields Foundation’s study tour after discussing the opportunity with a couple of my professors (Dr. Milner and Dr. Windsor). They both believed that this would be a great opportunity as my thesis tied in with the trip. When I received the phone call telling me that I was picked for the trip I was ecstatic. I was so excited that I was finally going to Europe and to be the first in the family to go on this very special journey. After the initial excitement that I was going subsided, I came to the realization of how important and special this trip was going to be.

In my application, one of the reasons I explained for wanting to go on the trip was the family connection I had. My great- great uncle George participated in the Normandy campaign and landed with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles on Juno Beach. He was captured two days later during the battle of Putot-en-Bessin. He, luckily, was not executed like so many others on that day. Instead, he spent 11 months as a prisoner of war before he was liberated by the Americans in May 1945. My uncle George did a Veterans tour in 1994 and was present at Juno Beach for the 50^th Anniversary. I have pictures of him at the beach and at the Royal Winnipeg Rifles’ memorial. I knew those were two of the places that I needed o visit on my travels. I would also be able to see his brick at the Juno Beach Centre that his daughter had bought for him. I was looking forward to getting some pictures to send back to her since had never seen the brick before.

It was only after this initial excitement had subsided that I realized that 20 years later that I would be going on a larger scale tour that uncle George had completed. The realization that it was 20 years between tours really hit me. It was though things were coming around full circle by this trip. I had numerous family members tell me that he would be so proud of me knowing what I was doing.

When I arrived in France, I was beyond excited. I tried to take in as much as I could; however, I was anxiously waiting until we got to our Normandy Base. I knew when we got to the beach it would be emotional. The morning of June 6, we headed to Juno Beach for the first of three ceremonies that day. The first ceremony was at the Queen’s Own Rifles house (now called Canada’s House). It was a touching ceremony. There was a large crowd gathered and there were current of the QOR as well as two French youth who pledged to carry the torch of remembrance for all the Canadians who gave their lives. After the ceremony, we had a little time to explore before moving on to the next part of the day. Most went to the beach to explore. It took me a few minutes before I could actually set foot on the beach. I was about to set foot on such hallow ground that I was overcome with emotions. My thoughts went to what my uncle George would have had to endure that morning and the countless other men. I was luckily to have the support of my tour mates, as they rushed to hug me when the tears started. It was reassuring to have the support of the girls when I needed it the most.

The main ceremony at the Juno Beach Centre was impressive. The amount of people there to commemorate this anniversary was overwhelming. I had never seen so many people there to remember the sacrifices that so many of our men gave. It was a proud moment being there and being a Canadian. Both Prime Minister Harper and His Royal Highness Prince Charles gave wonderful speeches on the efforts of the Canadian Army and the sacrifices that were given. I also enjoyed hearing Major-General Richard Rohmer’s D-Day story again. I really enjoyed meeting him the previous day at the Beny-sur-Mer ceremony. Hearing his story made me again think of my uncle George and what his thoughts would have been for this ceremony. It would have been interesting to compare his experiences at the 50^th anniversary ceremony to mine at the 70^th anniversary. One big difference was the amount of veterans of the campaign. There would have been significantly more veterans at the 50^th anniversary than the 70^th. Even Major-General Rohmer stated that this anniversary would be the last decade ceremony that would have veterans present. I felt very lucky knowing that I was able to meet some of these veterans and hear their stories.

While June 6^th was an emotional day because of being the first time at the beach, two days later turned into another emotional one. The day turned into the Royal Winnipeg Rifles day. We started at the section of the beach that the Winnipegs landed. It was surreal standing on the beach that uncle George landed on. It was hard to focus on Jordan’s presentation on the 7^th Brigade because my mind kept going back to him and wondering what had been going through his mind when the door of the landing craft went down and he had to get up the beach. I brought some pictures of him with me so I could have pictures taken with him once again. It felt like, by doing that, he was back with me. When we got to the Juno Beach Centre, I was easily able to find his brick and get some pictures with it. I brought one of his pictures from when he was 19 to place with the brick.

After a tour of the centre, we headed to the Royal Winnipeg Rifles memorial. I had pictures of uncle George at that memorial so that was one place that I needed to visit on the trip. I also got an arrangement of flowers to lay at the memorial. The only thoughts on my mind were my uncle and how 20 years ago he was at that place. It was an honour to lay the flowers there in his memory. The emotions were overwhelming when I placed the flowers. Again, I was lucky to have such wonderful support from everyone I was with. We got some wonderful pictures while there and it felt great that I was able to be there. We got a few group pictures at the memorial before heading inland to discuss the D-Day + 2 battles.

When we arrived at Putot-en-Bessin, I did my last presentation on the efforts of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles during this battle. When we were picking out the presentation topics, Dr. Milner told me that I had to do one on the RWR at Putot since I had the connection there. It was amazing to be on the land that uncle George was captured on. It has been difficult to describe what it was like being there. I found that with all the battlefields. It was hard to describe the affect knowing that so many people lost their lives on the grounds. I found it hard to comprehend being there knowing that this ground was the beginning of the 11 months of Uncle George being a POW.

This tour really did complete the circle for me and my family. I was able to honour the memory of my uncle and show my family the area that played such an important role in his life. This tour will also be reflected in my thesis. It wasn’t until I was able to actually see these sites that I was able to truly understand what the men went through and some of what my uncle experienced.

Author: CBF Students - Étudiants FCCB