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35-450: The centre was conceived in the 1990s by a group of Canadian veterans who felt that the contributions and sacrifices of Canadian soldiers during the liberation of Europe were not properly commemorated and represented in the Normandy region. The project, spearheaded by veteran Garth Webb and his companion Lise Cooper, began initially as a grassroots fundraising campaign that eventually gained

70-435: A 75 mm on the right flank, fired continuously until their protective shields could be pierced. No tanks were lost in the spirited duel. Landing to its centre at 08h05, in a gap between its two 75mm guns, making a left flanking approach, came ‘A’ Company, The Regina Rifle Regiment , (OC Major F. E. Hodge). Successful in getting off the beach, engaged in heavy fighting, working in tandem, with ‘B’ Squadron, it ‘neutralized’

105-407: A Type 1 Fa position. With no PaK guns, tasked to 'defend' the south exit from town, it did cause some delay. Providing mortar and machine gun covering fire, into WN 29, with its height advantage it made the task of clearing the beachfront extremely difficult. Attacked by 'A' Company, The Regina Rifle Regiment, it took until late afternoon for Courseulles (Süden) to be taken. StP.Courseulles (West)

140-488: A concrete pillbox, while taking accurate sniper fire. Skirting left away from the position, ‘B’ Company forced a crossing of the river, on a small bridge at MR 964857, and got in to clear ‘four’ defensible positions, on the ‘island’. The Coy Comd and twenty-six other ranks ‘survived’ the assault of the three casements and its twelve MG emplacements. It took until the early afternoon for WN 31 to be secured. German Crew Served Weapons at StP.Courseulles (West). The commune

175-401: A small peninsula of land, water defending three of its approaches, its land based left front (NW) approach protected by the very large K.V.Gruppe Courseulles Beach Minefield: Mf 72. At its western end was a 50mm gun, in an open pit emplacement, supported by a Heavy MG. Towards its center, facing west down the beach, was a 75mm field gun and a 50mm gun, both in casemates. Overlooking the harbour

210-513: Is a commune in the Calvados department , Normandy , northwestern France. Until 1957, the town's name was simply Courseulles . It lies 3 km west of Bernières-sur-Mer and 18 km north of Caen . It is a popular tourist destination not only with locals but also with international visitors who come to tour the Normandy landing beaches . The population of the town can reach 15,000 people in

245-572: Is open year-round and closes routinely for the month of January. It offers guided visits of Juno Beach that are provided by Canadian students. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited on 6 June 2019 as part of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. During the spring of 2022, the Juno Beach Centre was under threat from a planned condominium development by French company Foncim. The development

280-913: The Juno Beach Centre , He was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross and the Legion of Honour medal. Webb was born in Calgary, Alberta in 1918. He was educated at Queen's University and graduated from the Canadian Officers' Training Corps in 1942. He was a lieutenant in the Canadian Army assigned to the 14th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. He fought on D-Day at the Juno Beach landings where he came ashore at Bernières-sur-Mer with his Priest 105 mm self-propelled howitzer. After

315-399: The 50 mm anti-tank gun emplacement, it destroyed, ‘A’ Squadron began to ‘cruise up and down the beach’ engaging the machine gun crews, permitting the infantry to sweep over the dunes to begin their fight for the position. Landing on its strong left flank, ‘B’ Company, Royal Winnipeg Rifles , (OC Captain P. E. Gower), was immediately pinned down by its heavy machine gun, and the 50mm, in

350-590: The Allied war effort. Webb died on 8 May 2012 in Burlington, Ontario . The Garth Webb Secondary School in Oakville, Ontario , was named in his honor in 2012, further solidifying his impact on Canadian remembrance and education. Courseulles-sur-Mer Courseulles-sur-Mer ( French pronunciation: [kuʁsœl syʁ mɛʁ] , lit.   ' Courseulles on Sea ' ), commonly known as Courseulles ,

385-567: The Canadian Federal Government, with the Canadian Government contributing 4 million dollars to halt the construction of the condominiums. Garth Webb Garth Webb (1918 – 8 May 2012) was a Canadian soldier , educator, and philanthropist, best known for his efforts to commemorate Canada's role in the D-Day landings during World War II as a member of the 14th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery . he founded

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420-632: The Juno Beach Centre became a reality in 2003 when the museum opened its doors in Courseulles-sur-Mer , France, on the very site where Canadian troops had landed during the D-Day invasion. Webb played a central role in fundraising and advocating for the project, working alongside veterans, historians, and the Canadian government to ensure its success. The Juno Beach Centre serves as a museum, research facility, and gathering place for veterans and their families, providing insight into Canada's contributions to

455-538: The correct point on which to that land. After the Assault Force J1 Beach Bombardment Programme, which did not seem to have much actual effect, WN 31 began to take indirect 105mm artillery fire from the guns of 12th Field Regiment, RCA from H-30 to H+5 and direct fire from the DD Tanks of 'A' Squadron, 1st Hussars near 07h45. Landing just a little 'late', seven 'A' squadron immediately fired on

490-583: The dunes, had to rely on a Type Regelbau R666 - Infantry Observation Bunker (with Panzerkuppel - 89P6 Small Turret) to adjust to the Canadian assault. Courseulles (West) was fronted by an area of coastal erosion, where sand deposits had blocked the River Seulles access to the sea and forced it into a loop. The strong-point was not fronted by beach villas, which were a feature of much of the JUNO Sector, and there were few landmarks, making it difficult to identifying

525-604: The east; and quickly engaged the crew served weapon pillboxes positioned along the strong-point beachfront. The seawall offering little cover, but with good support from ‘B’ Squadron, they got off the beach and dashed into the strongpoint’s fortifications. German Crew Served Weapons at StP.Courseulles (Osten) StP.Courseulles (Süden) was located at North 49.3303 Deg / West 00. 4593 Deg and in June 1944, for targeting purposes, at: LZ1 vT MR Grid 969848 (Ref. GSGS 4250 1:50K: Creully Sheet 7E/5). The (WN) Resistance Nest at Courseulles (South)

560-476: The fight, across the Stützpuntkte (StP) Courseulles was Hauptmann Grote, Kdr. Kompanie 6. / Grenadier-Regiment 736./ Bataillon II., who perhaps had more ground to fight than men. StP.Courseulles (Osten) was located at North 49.3358 Deg / West 00.45136 Deg and in June 1944, for targeting purposes, at: LZ1 vT MR Grid 972856 (Ref. GSGS 4250 1:50K: Creully Sheet 7E/5). The (WN) Resistance Nest at Courseulles (East)

595-417: The financial support of many institutions and businesses and the Canadian and French governments at many levels. The centre was inaugurated on 6 June 2003. Over one thousand Canadian veterans attended the inauguration in 2003, as well as the 2004 ceremony for the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The museum's scope is not only the D-Day landings. Through detailed and interactive exhibition rooms, the museum relates

630-557: The first day of fighting, the farthest advance of any of the Allied landing forces. The Canadian military cemetery of Bény-Reviers is the resting place of 2,043 Canadians and 1 Frenchman. The land for this cemetery was donated by France to Canada after the Second World War and lies 4 km (2.5 mi) inland from Courseulles-sur-Mer, just off Route 79. The Juno Beach Centre is a museum located in Courseulles-sur-Mer, at

665-523: The head of the River Seulles, in the port's estuary, where Canadian troops landed and fought, on D-Day 6 June 1944. The museum opened on 6 June 2003, the 59th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The strongest German defence position in the Juno assault area was concentrated at Courseulles-sur-Mer, on the estuary of the River Seulles. Delaying H-Hour for a higher tide, to clear offshore reefs, the Canadian landing at Courseulles-sur-Mer began slightly later than those to

700-624: The present line of sand dunes. A ceremonial area, which features a statue entitled Remembrance and Renewal , stands between the centre and the dunes. A gap in the dunes is filled by a symbolic structure shaped as a landing craft—a memorial to the French Resistance. An intact German bunker, once an observation post, stands immediately in front of this memorial. The museum also houses a temporary exhibition space which changes approximately once per year and which highlights histories and themes relating to Canada past and present. The Juno Beach Centre

735-486: The story of life in Canada before the outbreak of the war, Canada's civilian and military contribution to the war effort, and contemporary Canadian society in the decades since World War II . The building itself, designed by Canadian architect Brian K. Chamberlain , is a single-storey structure with five main points, resembling a stylized maple leaf. The exterior is clad in titanium scales and stands about 100 metres back from

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770-467: The strong-point. Pushing into Courseulles, 'A' Company, as set out in the plan, cleared Town Blocks 5, 6, and 7 but had to return to the beachfront (Block No.1) where the Germans had returned, by tunnels and trenches, to reoccupy their guns. The Regina’s began the disheartening task of clearing the beachfront again, it only came to be ‘captured’ after this second fight. ‘B’ Company landed at 08h15, further to

805-411: The summer months owing to the numerous summer homes, owned for the most part by Parisians. The town is split in two by the river Seulles . More than 14,000 Canadians stormed the 8 kilometres (5 mi) stretch of a Lower Normandy Beach between Courseulles-sur-Mer and St. Aubin-sur-Mer on 6 June 1944. They were followed by 150,000 additional Canadian troops over the next few months, and throughout

840-488: The summer of 1944 the Canadian military used the town’s port to unload upwards of 1,000 tons of material a day, for the first two weeks following D-Day on 6 June 1944. Canadians of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade , suffered 1,074 casualties, including 369 killed on the beach and in the Calvados countryside on the first day of the invasion, reaching almost 10 km (6.2 mi) inland on

875-521: The war, Webb completed a degree in commerce at Queen's University and moved to Toronto where he was a real estate appraiser . Visiting the beaches of Normandy during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Normandy Landings , Webb noticed that there was very little to mark the efforts of Canadian troops. This spurred him to lead an effort to build the Juno Beach Centre, a museum and education centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer , France. Webb

910-734: The west, giving the German defender a warning they would need. Stützpuntkte (StP) (Strong-Point) Courseulles-sur-Mer, was a complex of three fortified ‘resistance nests’, two strengthened by numerous standard concrete fortifications, protecting anti-tank and artillery field guns. The layout followed no particular design; being established based on weapons available, its terrain features, and troops available to occupy. The concrete fortification casements at two resistance nests further disposed numerous entrenchments, in which mortars and heavy machine guns were emplaced. They were each manned by about 30-50 men, intended to fight under independent command. In command of

945-510: Was a 50mm gun, in a casemate (protecting its front), that could fire east or west. Additionally thirteen crew served, machine gun and mortar, weapon emplacements, had their rear was protected by the river. With half of his Kompanie 6. / Batl II. / Gren.Regt 736., on the position, Hauptmann Grote commanded the fight for Stützpuntkte (StP) Courseulles, from a Type Regelbau Command Post Shelter / Bunker. Fighting WN 31, its Züg Führer (Acting Commander), having no 'urban' structures to observe 'over'

980-560: Was a small ‘platoon-sized’ position, attempting to control the southeast exit, from Courseulles. Here, Hauptmann Grote had his Zug-Gruppen, Kompanie 6. / Batl II 736, establish a supporting depth position, opposite the Châteaux, reinforcing a group of houses, above the town centre. WN 30 was a crew served weapon position, with only light machine guns (MG) and a least one light 50mm mortar (in Granatwerfer Schutzenloch), undercover, in

1015-506: Was a very large ‘platoon-sized’ position, attempting to protect entry into the town port and to deny exits off the beach, into the town. East of the river, its strength was dominated by an 88mm gun, protected to its front (to fire in enfilade), and a 50 mm gun, supported by machine gun and Tobruks . Opposite the harbour was a second 50mm gun (with Tobruk) and towards the centre a 75mm field gun, and 37mm tank turret, they supported by machine gun and Tobruks. The right front (NE) sea approach

1050-573: Was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross from Canada (2003) and the Legion of Honour medal from France (2005) for finding the Juno Beach Centre . In the late 20th century, Webb became increasingly concerned that Canada's role in the D-Day landings was being overlooked in public memory. This concern led him to initiate efforts to build a memorial and education centre dedicated to the Canadian soldiers who fought on Juno Beach. Webb's vision for

1085-503: Was called Domaine des Dunes and construction of it would heavily use the Centre's access road, which was built and paid for by the Centre, and which would bear the cost of repairs. Heavy use of the road by construction vehicles would also greatly reduce tourism access to the Centre. The dispute was resolved in October 2022 when the land was purchased by the local government of Courseulles-Sur-Mer and

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1120-460: Was fronted by an area of coastal erosion with various works to prevent, control or delay its effects. There were groynes built out into the sea to try and stop the movement of sand. On D-Day the presence of the groynes together with the strong current along the beach and the beach obstacles made landings and lateral movement along the beach, tricky. To test an attacker, most of the buildings of Courseulles were further protected by sea walls. Here it

1155-441: Was located at North 49.3367 Deg / West W 00.4602 and in June 1944, for targeting purposes, at: LZ1 vT MR Grid 965858 (Ref. GSGS 4250 1:50K: Creully Sheet 7E/5). The (WN) Resistance Nest at Courseulles (West) was a very large ‘platoon-sized’ position, attempting to protect entry into the town port, deny exits off the beach, and prevent an out-flanking entry into the town. West of the River Seulles, still being 'developed', it sat on

1190-437: Was protected by the large K.V. Gruppe Courseulles Beach Minefield: Mf 58. On its right was a 75mm field gun, protected by a substantial anti-tank ditch inland, and its right flank (SE approach) by the K.V. Gruppe Courseulles tactical minefield: Mf 43. The position's Züg Führer (acting commander) defence was enabled by an 'underground' network of tunnels and covered trenches, permitting unobserved movement. Courseulles (Osten)

1225-419: Was shelled for effect by the embarked 105 mm guns of 13th Field Regiment, RCA from H-30 to H+5 and began taking direct fire from the DD Tanks of 'B' Squadron, 1st Hussars towards 07h55 (BST), who landed correctly and on time as planned. Fourteen DD tanks of the 1st Hussars made it ashore, and quickly came to engage the strongpoint’s guns. An 88 mm gun, beside the harbour exit, a 50 mm behind it, and

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