The
Italian Campaign began with the invasion
of Sicily on July 10, 1943, and ended
with the surrender of the German armies
in northern Italy on May 7, 1945. It
was the longest land campaign in western
Europe waged by the Allies in the Second
World War. Two of the five divisions
Canada sent overseas served with distinction
in Italy – 1st Canadian Infantry
Division, which landed in Sicily and
carried the Canadian advance to Ortona,
and 5th Canadian Armoured Division,
which entered the line in January 1944
and played an important part in the
Canadian Corps’ battles in the
Liri Valley, the Gothic Line, and the
Battle of the Rivers.
To mark the 65th
anniversary of the landings in Sicily,
and to honour the Canadian who served
in the Italian Campaign, this exhibit
presents a narrative in word and
image of a lesser known part of Canada’s
war. It describes the five major
battles in which the Canadians fought
while showing the multifaceted human
experience of the war in Italy. It
aims to impress upon the visitor
the challenges faced by the Allies
in Italy as they confronted a formidable
enemy in a landscape dominated by
mountainous terrain and an infinite
amount of rivers. In these conditions,
success depended on the resourcefulness
and courage of soldiers in their
various roles as infantrymen, tank
crewmen, engineers, artillerymen,
signallers, and support personnel – ordinary
young Canadians whose efforts and
sacrifice created a permanent link
in the histories of Canada and Italy.
|
While
Normandy met the history of Canada
and Quebec during the 17th century
period of French emigration, the Second
World War was the time for another
meeting, but in the opposite direction.
That is why in 2008, to commemorate
the 400th anniversary of the foundation
of Quebec City, the Juno Beach Centre
is showing a temporary exhibition which
throws a light on these two periods
in the common history of Normandy and
Quebec: a tribute to veterans from
Quebec who trace their family origins
to Normandy and who volunteered for
the Canadian armed forces taking part
in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.
An exhibition with the evocative title:
There and Back.
|
Juno Beach Centre |
Canada in WWII
