The month of June has some significant events in the military history of Canada, of which the Carlyle branch of the Royal Canadian Legion would like to remind people.
June 4 was a day to honour the Miracle at Dunkirk. Starting on May 26 and continuing until June 4, 1940, the Allied Forces fighting the Nazis in France were evacuated from Dunkirk after being surrounded by Nazi forces. In excess of 338,000 members of the Allied forces were rescued during the evacuation.
Four Royal Canadian Navy destroyers were part of the official flotilla that also included 39 Royal Navy destroyers and three French Navy destroyers. In addition there were hundreds of merchant marine boats, fishing boats, pleasure crafts, yachts and lifeboats that participated. Some soldiers waded out into shoulder deep water waiting for hours to be evacuated.
There were a number of Canadians who performed heroically during the Dunkirk evacuation. One was James Campbell Clouston who was from Montreal, but was serving in the British Royal Navy. There were two large breakwaters at Dunkirk, called moles. James Clouston was assigned as pier master of the east mole, and through his efforts evacuations increased from 50 men per hour to 2,000 men per hour.
After maintaining that pace for five days, Clouston returned to Dover to consult with commanders. After one day of rest he volunteered to return to Dunkirk to continue to assist the evacuation. Unfortunately, on his return, his vessel was sunk and he perished in the English Channel.
June 6 was the Anniversary of D-Day, the Normandy Invasion in 1944. This was the largest amphibious invasion in history. Of the nearly 150,000 troops who landed in Normandy, 14,000 were Canadian and they assaulted Juno Beach. The Royal Canadian Navy contributed 110 vessels and 10,000 sailors to the invasion and 15 Royal Canadian Air Force fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons provided air cover.
Canada suffered 1,074 casualties, of which 359 were killed. The heroism of all those who participated in the D-Day invasion has been documented in books, television shows and movies, and should be always remembered.
In addition, the legion would like to remind people of Father’s Day on June 20, National Indigenous Peoples’ Day on June 21 and Canadian Multicultural Day on June 27. The discovery of so many graves of unidentified Indigenous children is horrifying, and the contributions of Indigenous peoples to both Canada’s military history and our nation need to be recognized and honoured. Similarly the multicultural aspect of Canada has been one of its strengths, and needs to be honoured.
Please take a moment to reflect on the efforts of our Canadian military personnel during both wartime and peace time, and take a moment to appreciate the participation of all members of Canada in both our military history and in our country at large.
