June 6th, 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, Canada’s role on Juno Beach, and the beginning of the victory campaign in northwest Europe. The Canadian Army lost 359 men on D-Day alone. What followed was a deadly, attritional struggle known as the Battle of Normandy. Even after over 100,000 casualties and with their armies in full retreat to the French border, Nazi Germany remained a stubborn foe. It was not until 11 months after D-Day, in May 1945, that Adolf Hitler lay dead in his bunker and the Germans agreed to an unconditional surrender.

Personnel with the Sherman tank “Bomb” of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment, which landed in France on D-Day and continued in action through to VE-Day. Zutphen, Netherlands, 8 June 1945 (Capt. Ken Bell / DND / LAC / PA-188671).

In partnership with ActiveHistory.ca, the Juno Beach Centre Association is seeking blog posts on the history, memory, and legacy of Juno Beach and the victory campaign in Europe. Posts on the social and cultural impacts of the war, on battlefield tourism now and in the past, on the role of women, non-British or Indigenous peoples, on the war and popular culture in Canada, on teaching or applying historical thinking concepts, or on active public history initiatives will be of particular interest to the editorial team.

Perhaps you will want to discuss the relationship of the Canadian Army or its soldiers with the civilian populations in France, Belgium, Holland, and/or Germany. Maybe authors will reflect on a recent pilgrimage to a site of memory that has personal meaning. Others may choose to examine how Canadian soldiers, sailors, and airmen reacted to the news of the end of the war in Europe. Operational or diplomatic histories will also be considered.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us about a blog post idea! Contributions should be submitted as Word documents or in any other easily convertible format. They should be between 800 and 1200 words in length and include citations where necessary. For examples, see Canada’s First World War: A Centennial Series on ActiveHistory.ca. Submissions are welcome through to May 8th, 2020, the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Accepted contributions will be posted on a regular basis. Those accepted may also be invited to be guests on Juno Beach and Beyond: Canada’s Second World War Podcast. Submit your posts to alex@junobeach.org. The editorial team will review all submissions for clarity and appropriateness of subject matter.

Accepted Submissions (published by 25 October 2019)

• Harry Hardy and Recovering the Ghosts of the Tiffy Boys by Anne Gafiuk
• “I’m scared too”: Margie MacNaughton, her father Archie, and the cost of D-Day by Jen Sguigna
• Remembering a Military Chaplain: Major R.M. Hickey, MC by Harold Skaarup
• Remembering the Bombardment: Juno Beach 75 Years Later by Stephen A. Bourque
• A Pivotal Experience: Indigenous Participation in D-Day and the Second World War by Shawkay Ottman
• Preparing the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division for the Normandy Campaign, 1942-1944 by Caroline D’Armours
• Civil Affairs in Caen by David Borys
• A selection of records about D-Day and the Normandy Campaign, June 6 to August 30, 1944 by Alex Comber
• Hussar: My Grandpapa and the Polish Experience Under British Command in the Second World War by Sean Campbell
• Not Enough Trained Infantrymen: The 1944 Conscription Crisis by R. Daniel Pellerin