The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment was an infantry battalion in the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. The original membership of the battalion hailed from the woodlands, farms, and coastal towns of northern New Brunswick. Their mission on D-Day was to storm and capture the seaside village of Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer (code-named Nan Red sector, at the eastern end of Juno Beach). From there, they were to advance inland and seize the fortified village of Tailleville and the forest to the south for the eventual assault on the radar station near Douvres-la-Délivrande. According to historian Marc Milner, “No other Canadian D-Day beach had such strong inland obstacles behind it.” Their casualties of 34 killed and 90 wounded on June 6th attest to this fact.
The map above identifies nine sites important to the understanding of the battle and the history of the NS(NB)R. Find a list of the sites and descriptions here.
The following is a list of soldiers from the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment killed on June 6th 1944. Click on each name below to download the soldier’s biography. Click here to download the list of names along with information about where they were killed and which company they belonged to.
Roll of Honour
In addition to this list of North Shore soldiers killed on D-Day, the battalion kept a disembarkation list of all soldiers who landed on Juno Beach between June 6th 1944 and July 3, 1944. The original list is available as a scanned PDF and a searchable Excel spreadsheet also includes casualty data and company identification.
Information and biographies from Bruce Morton (9/01/2025)
What They Wore on D-Day
Image courtesy of the Legion Magazine website. PHOTOS: METROPOLIS STUDIO; UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT COURTESY OF W.E. STOREY COLLECTION
Legacy of Honour video interviews featuring North Shore Regiment veterans:
Heritage Minute featuring the story of Major Archie MacNaughton and his men on D-Day:
Private George Herman Baker:
In 2019, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a commemorative silver dollar for the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The coin features an artist’s take on the now-famous film footage of soldiers from the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment leaving their landing craft near Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer. As they move to leave the landing craft, one soldier with a wedding ring on his hand pats the soldier in front on the back. This puts a human face on what was a massive event with global significance. The soldier who turned to face the camera was Private George Herman Baker, a member of Major MacNaughton’s company. Private Baker’s biography is available here.
The Juno Beach Centre Association played a role in designing this coin. Private Baker is also featured on a version of the Juno Beach logo, first used to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day or Juno75.
Return to all Canadian units in the Normandy landings.
Recommended reading:
- The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment war diary for June 1944.
- Jen Terry (née Sguigna), “I’m scared too”: Margie MacNaughton, her father Archie, and the cost of D-Day.
- Bruce Morton, North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Bruce Morton, One Hundred Years, A Brief History of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment
- Bruce Morton, Soldiers of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment WWII, Who they were and the battles they fought
- Harold Skaarup, Remembering a Military Chaplain: Major R.M. Hickey, MC.
- Marc Milner, D-Day to Carpiquet: The North Shore Regiment and the Liberation of Europe (Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 2007).
- R.M. Hickey, The Scarlet Dawn (Fredericton: Unipress, 1949).