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CANADA
IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR
Canada
in WWII - Visit the Juno Beach Centre's online
museum about the Canadian Second World War
effort.
Veterans
Affairs Canada - Features a great deal
of information for everyone, such as history
links, news stories, guides to the Canadian
war memorials, a youth page and teacher
resources.
Canadian
Virtual War Memorial - This web site, built
and maintained by Veterans Affairs Canada, contains
information about more
than 116,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who
have lost their lives in major conflicts since
1884. In addition to being a tribute to the men
and women who served and gave their lives for
Canada, the web site has a searchable database
and the facility for members of the public to
contribute to the memorial by submitting images,
letters and other memorabilia.
Veterans
Affairs Canada 60th Anniversary of D-Day
Canadian
War Museum - The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa
is "dedicated to both education and remembrance." The
Gallery Tour takes you through the Colonial Period,
the Victorian Era, the First and Second World Wars,
right up to modern-day Canadian peacekeeping missions.
The information is presented in easy-to-read, bite-sized
chunks that allow you to move through the site
quickly. The essence of this museum is captured
well online. Take a look at an early camouflage
uniform from the Canadian Expedition to the Nile
in 1884 or trench signs from the First World War.
The
Canadian Battlefields Foundation - This Foundation
was established in 1992 to educate and actively
promote public awareness of Canada's role in both
World Wars. The Foundation
has established and maintains a Memorial Garden,
on
the grounds
of Le Mémorial, in Caen, France, to recall
the Canadian participation in the Battle of Normandy.
Two battlefield viewing areas and memorial sites
have also been established in Normandy:
one at Point 67 south of Caen and one at St.
Lambert-sur-Dives.
Visit the CBF website to learn more about the
foundation's objectives and their annual European
battlefield study tour for university students.
Commonwealth
War Graves Commission - The British Commonwealth
War Graves Commission, established by Royal Charter
in 1917, marks and
maintains the graves of the members of the forces
of the Commonwealth who were killed in the two
world wars, builds memorials to those who have
no known grave, and maintains records and registers.
The register can also be searched for details of
the
67,000 Commonwealth
civilians who died as a result of enemy action
in the Second World War. Visitors can search the
database for details of grave site, date of death,
age, etc. of a family member.
Details of 1.7 million members of UK and Commonwealth
forces who died in the 1st and 2nd World Wars
and other wars, and 60,000 civilian casualties
of WWII. Gives details of grave site, date of
death, age, usually parents/widow's address.
National
Archives of Canada: War - A substantial and
sophisticated site, with virtual exhibitions, on-line
publications,
and the on-line research tool called ArchiviaNet,
which provides access to finding aids and thematic
guides to manuscripts and government records.
Royal
Canadian Legion - Canada's largest veterans',
ex-service persons' and community service organization
with more than 500,000 members and more than 1,600
branches in Canada, the USA (21) and Germany (3).
Remembrances:
Canada and the Second World War (Virtual Museum
of Canada) - Trivia and Games, Canada's role
in the Second World War, 3D Corvette Virtual Tour.
. .
Canadian
Department of National Defence - Provides
a comprehensive study of Canada's involvement
in major wars, as well as peacekeeping initiatives.
CBC
- Videos of the Juno Beach Centre Inauguration
and D-Day - CBC's website has some excellent
information on D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.
Most interesting are the newsreel footage and
clips on the Juno Beach Centre opening on June
6, 2003.
The
Canadian Letters & Images Project - The Canadian
Letters and Images Project is an online archive
of the Canadian war experience, from any war, as
told through the letters and images of Canadians
themselves. The objective of the Canadian Letters
and Images Project is to let Canadians tell their
own story in their own words and images by creating
a permanent online archive which preserves Canada's
wartime correspondence, photographs, and other
personal materials, from the battlefront and from
the homefront.
Canada
at War (Canada's Digital Collections) - This
website offers links to other websites with information
on various aspects of Canada at War.
Testaments
of Honour - The Testaments of Honour project
is a non-profit project
dedicated to the preservation of veterans' oral
histories on digital video. The website has hundreds
of video clips on numerous topics and themes on
the Second World War.
Canadian
Military Journal - Canadian Military Journal
is the official professional journal of the Canadian
Forces and the Department
of National Defence.
Canadian
Military History Gateway - An online service
that provides access to websites and digitized
resources about Canada's military history.
The
Canadian Wartime Experience: The Documentary
Legacy of Canada at War - This site is
maintained by the University of Manitoba. It provides
free access to a collection of several thousand
digitised pimary source materials: such as documents,
newspaper articles, letters, photographs and prints
relating to the experience of Canada and Canadians
during various wars from 1899-1970s. They include
the Boer War (1899-1903); First World War (1914-1918),
Second World War (1939-1945); Korean War (1950-1953)
and Vietnam War (1957-1975). They cover information
relating to military movements, battles and training
well as oral history accounts from soldiers and
servicemen/women. The site also includes a section
for educators with suggested classroom activities.
Rights information is available from the web site.
Courage
Remembered - This site presents the role Canadian
soldiers played in the wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945,
as shown
through personal memoirs, photography, art work
by Canadian war artists and the documented exploits
of Canadian George Cross and Victoria Cross recipients.
Heroes
Remember - Heroes Remember is a special
website that offers Canadians and others of all
ages the chance
to learn about history through the eyes of those
who lived it. On the site, you'll find video and
audio conversations recorded with hundreds of Canadian
Veterans over the past 30 years.
Wings
for Freedom - RCAF - Learn about the
history of Canada's Air Force on this website.
The
Memory Project - A campaign to support the
efforts of Canadian veterans to share their experiences.
The Veterans Archives
contain stories about Canadians whose lives were
touched by war. The Memory Project is a print and
Internet initiative of the Dominion Institute.
Democracy
at War: Canadian Newspapers and the Second
World War - Culled from more than 140,000
newspaper articles, this archive collection
at the Canadian War Museum website paints a
picture of the Second World War in a pre-TV,
pre-Internet world.
Comrades
and Colleagues - Database of those who
served in 5938 military Units in the UK, Australia,
New Zealand and Canada.
Canada's
Military Heritage - Chronology of war,
photos & facts, dispatches from the front,
educational resources and operation legacy.
Camp
X Historical Society - Established in recognition
of the courageous men and women who were trained
in subversive warfare and covert techniques,
those who fought behind enemy lines, who lived
in the shadows, or who served at Camp X.
An
Interactive History of the Canadian Navy
Allied
Merchant Navy of the Second World War - Articles
about the role of the Merchant Navy, including
CPR ships, in the Second World War; stories and
anecdotes from merchant sailors; notices and news
for veterans; message board and related links.
Canada's
Air Force - Learn all about the history of
Canada's Air Force.
Victoria
Cross Reference - Includes details on all
94 Canadian recipients.
The
Valour and the Horror: Canada at War - Enormous
compendium of materials regarding Canada's participation
in the Allied World War II effort. Devotes one
of its three major sections to the Normandy Invasion,
including: a chronology of the invasion through
Germany's surrender; a superior background overview
concerning the participation and planning of Canada,
the Allies, and Germany; stories of numerous participants;
photographs, documents, and maps; and technical
data and specifications. Examines related issues
and historical controversies, including the considerable
criticism of the original television series associated
with this presentation. Online forums, a thoughtful
book service, and an excellent selection of links
round out this
exceptional, if controversial, resource.
CANADIAN
WWII MUSEUMS
British
Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum (Brandon,
Manitoba)
Virtual tour and history of Manitoba museum dedicated to the Second World War.
Song and video tribute to these veterans.
The
Canadian War Museum (Ottawa, Ontario)
The museum’s various exhibits aim to
preserve and commemorate Canadian military history
as well as to educate the general public regarding
the role military activities have played in Canada’s
history. Visit the website to learn more about
the new Canadian War Museum
in Ottawa.
NORMANDY
TOURIST
INFORMATION
Courseulles-sur-Mer (French
only) - To learn more about the seaside town
of Courseulles-sur-Mer where the Juno Beach Centre
is located, please visit the town's official
website. You will also find information on the
local government, upcoming events, hotels, restaurants,
etc.
Normandy
Tourist Board Official Website - Visit this
site to find a hotel, map, calendar of events and
for other practical information about Normandy.
Bayeux-Bessin
Tourist Office - Visit this website for
tourist information (maps, restaurants, hotels,
etc.) for Bayeux and the Bessin region.
Caen
Tourist Office - Visit this website for tourist information for the Caen area.
 Normandie
Qualité Tourisme - The Juno Beach Centre recently obtained the "Label Normandie Qualité Tourisme" which is awarded by the Normandy Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Visit their website to discover the hotels, restaurants, campgrounds and tourist sites that have been awarded this prestigious prize for the quality of the reception, services and tourist information offered to visitors.
Gites de France - Visit this website to find a Bed & Breakfast in the Normandy region.
Mapquest - Visit this website to get directions to Courseulles-sur-Mer, Normandy and the Juno Beach Centre.
  Normandie Mémoire - Website of the Association, whose purpose is to further develop understanding of the events of June 6th and of the Battle of Normandy and to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings. It displays an annual program of events and helps you to prepare your visit to the historic sites and museums in Lower Normandy.
WWII
MUSEUMS IN NORMANDY
Memorial
Pegasus - Inaugurated on 4th June 2000
by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, the Memorial
Pegasus is dedicated to the men of the 6th
Airborne Division and their heroic actions
during the Battle of Normandy 1944. Inside
are many artifacts, uniforms, weapons and vehicles
connected with the fighting, as well as an
excellent film show. The highlight of the visit
is being able to walk across the original Pegasus
Bridge, which is preserved in the grounds of
the museum, after it was replaced some years
ago.
Arroanches
Landing Museum - "The permanent Landing
exhibition" at ARROMANCHES was created
in 1953 and has been recently renovated. It
boasts an excellent collection of artifacts,
and displays.
GUIDED
VISITS IN NORMANDY - There
are numerous Normandy-area companies that
operate tours of the D-Day beaches and Battle
of Normandy sites. Most companies are based
in Bayeux or Caen and some have developed
special tours for Canadians (see below).
While there are many tour companies in Canada,
France, England and other countries offering
tours of the Normandy battlefields and D-Day
sites, only a few offer battlefield tours
of Juno Beach and the Canadian sector with
stops at the Juno Beach Centre. Below, is
a list of tour companies we recommend to
visitors looking for tours of Normandy and
the Canadian sector:
Battlebus
WWII Battlefield Tours - This company is
based out of Bayeux and specialise in tours
of the D-Day beaches; although other areas
of the Normandy battlefields are are also covered.
Owned by an Englishman, who is a well known
WW2 re-enactor, tours are conducted in an eight
seater minibus. Pick-ups in Bayeux. Full details
of availability and prices on the company's
excellent website. Reservation advised.
Normandy
Sightseeing Tours - This Normandy-based
company now offers a tour of the Canadian sites
in Normandy. Daily tours start from Bayeux
near the tourist office and, upon request,
other pick up locations are available. Reservation
advised.
Normandy
Travel - This travel company, based out
of Bayeux, Normandy, offers many packages and
tours throughout Normandy including a 3 day/2
night "Following the steps of the Canadian
troops" D-Day tour. They work in collaboration
with Normandy Sightseeing Tours (see above).
Kingshead
Adventures - This British-based company
offers battlefield tours to First and Second
World War battlefield sites in France for individuals,
families or small groups. They also offer personalised
tours which can be arranged to meet individual
needs and travel requirements.
Battle
Honours Ltd. - Battle Honours Ltd brings
history alive through bespoke presentations
and high quality battlefield tours of the Great
War and World War 2. This British-based company
offers tailor-made tours for individuals, small
groups and clubs, as well as coach battlefield
tours which allow you to join a group of like-minded
people wishing to visit the battlefields in
North West Europe. All tours are led by expert
guides and use quality transportation and accommodations.
They welcome clients from all over the world.
Have a look at their website for more information.
D-Day
Tours (Perception Travel Co. Ltd) - D-DayTours.com
offers in-depth private D-Day Normandy tours directed
in English by Michael Phillips, a professional
English guide. This company caters to travellers
looking for personalized service and customized
tours. Visit their website for sample tour itineraries
and additional information.
Holts
Tours - This British-based company with
over 30 years of experience offers History
and Battlefield Tours for adult groups as well
as school groups. Their tours are carefully
designed and cover World War I, World
War II and Napoleonic History. Visit their
website for sample tour itineraries
and additional information.
D-DAY
Academy
RESEARCHING
CANADIAN SOLDIER MILITARY RECORDS
Library
and Archives Canada - Canadian Military Personnel
Records
Library
and Archives Canada - Online Research Tool - Search
for Regimental War Diaries
Association
of Liberation Children - The Association of
Liberation Children, founded in 1984, renders assistance
to the descendants of soldiers from the Second
World War in the search for their biological father
and / or relatives. Apart from searches in the
home country the association coordinates searching
in countries like the USA,
Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland
and Belgium.
Project
Roots - Project
Roots is a unique, humanitarian Detective Agency
that helps find the long-lost Canadian fathers
of British and European War Children who were
born to single, unwed mothers in the aftermath
of World War Two. Project Roots has successfully
reunited 2500 War Children with the Canadian
fathers who left them behind at the end of World
War Two.
Canadian
War Brides - The authoritative source of
information on the Canadian war brides of WWII.
The
story of the Canadian war brides and their
journey
to
Canada
is one
of the most fascinating and romantic of World
War Two. Why nearly 45,000 British and European
women would leave behind everything that was
familiar to start a new life in post-war Canada
is a story worth telling. This website draws
together the various components of the Canadian
War Bride story to provide a compelling portrait
of the human experience.
(The Juno Beach Centre does not endorse
and is not responsible for the content of external
websites.
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Canada in WWII
