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Second World War (1939-1945)
The Navy in European Waters  - D-Day and the Normandy Landings

Over 100 Canadian warships and some 10,000 Canadian sailors supported D-Day, the 6 June 1944 landings in Normandy. Canadian ships and sailors helped protect the invasion fleet, cleared German minefields, and ferried Allied troops across the Channel.

HMCS Caraquet Model
HMCS Caraquet Model

HMCS Caraquet was one of 16 Canadian minesweepers that helped clear safe paths through enemy underwater mines guarding the Normandy beaches.

Caraquet and nine other ships of the Canadian 31st Minesweeping Flotilla cleared mines near Omaha Beach, one of two American landing areas. The six other Canadian minesweepers were divided amongst British flotillas. Clearing paths to allow landing craft to reach the invasion beaches, and to allow warships to bombard enemy defences, the minesweepers had to operate in close co-operation with each other, under constant threat from German shore guns.

Model Ship, Minesweeper
CWM 19700037-001





HMCS Caraquet Model
Oropesa Minesweeping Float
Tangled Float, No.2
Chaudières Embarking for Normandy Assault
Third Canadian Division Assault Troops
260th Landing Craft Flotilla, Southampton, England
Officers of the 260th and 262nd Flotillas
The Crew of LCI(L) 135
D-Day
LCI(L) 249, Bernières-sur-Mer, 6 June 1944
LCI(L) 249 at Bernières-sur-Mer, 6 June 1944
LCI(L) 135 on Juno Beach
LCI(L) 249 in Drydock, Portsmouth, England
White Ensign, LCI(L) 250
Chaplain James Harold Graven's Pyx
Royal Canadian Navy Beach Commando Battle Dress Blouse
Lanchester Sub-Machine-gun
Southampton Pub, D-Day Plus One
Rescue at Sea
The Gale of Hurricane Force on the Normandy Beach