Written in 1994, Company Sergeant-Major Charles Cromwell Martin tells his story as a member of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada in his memoir titled Battle Diary: From D-Day and Normandy to the Zuider Zee and VE. His story explores the events of D-Day and beyond as a leading Sergeant of A Company in the QOR, including firsthand experiences...

This edition of Witnesses to History tells the story of Fred Turnbull through the words of his book “Invasion Diaries”. Fred’s role as a member of the Royal Navy’s Combined Operations led him to take part in some of the most significant landing operations in the Second World War, as well as some of those...

On this episode of Juno Beach & Beyond, we had the opportunity to speak with Al McAlder from Sherwood Park, Alberta, about the story of his father, Douglas McAlder, who was an infantry soldier with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders at Dieppe. Not only was he a part of the invasion on August 19th, 1942,...

Today’s episode is focused on telling the stories of a few of the many Canadian soldiers who lost their lives during the Dieppe Raid on August 19th, 1942. Through the course of these stories, it is clear that the Canadians who fought at Dieppe were a diverse group of men with their own individual personalities,...

*Content Warning from 20:00 to 25:45* The Canadian soldiers of “C” Force deployed to Hong Kong in 1941 faced a difficult task; defense against an assault by the Japanese. Cut off from most supplies and reinforcements, the brave defenders surrendered on Christmas Day of 1941, ending the Battle of Hong Kong. Many Canadian soldiers were...

For many Canadians, mention of the name Farley Mowat is sure to pique the interest of most. Some Canadians might know Mowat as an environmentalist- a man whose writing and activism helped to change popular attitudes towards nature. His writing on the Canadian North specifically helped to draw much popular attention to occurrences in the...

Today's episode is dedicated to Canada's most proficient fighter pilot in the Second World War, George Buerling and his many stories from his time in the Royal Air Force.

The Italian Campaign in the Second World War is often overshadowed by the legacy of the D-Day Landings in June of 1944, however the soldiers who served in “Sunny Italy” faced their own share of trials and tribulations. The story of RSM Harry Fox is just one of these accounts. The collection of stories found...

Our Fathers’ Footsteps is about four average men among the millions of people who volunteered to serve their countries during World War II. These men had one thing in common. They all landed on Normandy’s beaches on June 6, 1944. Using family history books, letters, telegrams, journals, and Regimental War Diaries, Don Levers tells the...

What was the experience like for the many members of the air operations leading up to D-Day? Today’s episode tells just part of the story of Flight Lieutenant David Murray Peden, who recounts his role as an RCAF bomber pilot preceding D-Day in the early hours of June 6th, 1944. We are excited that Witnesses to...