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 September
15
Prepared by James Stoness with
the Bronze Plaque Tour in Bayeux
Today, a party of twenty five, members and families of the veterans
of the South Alberta Armoured Regiment (SAR) returned to Europe.
Their trip on the ferry from Portsmouth, England to Cherbourg,
France, was much faster and more peaceful than that in the dark
days of 1944.
During
the morning the tour passed by sites liberated by the landings
in Europe , and visited the invasion beaches. At Juno they walked
along the beach where the Canadians came ashore, proudly remembering
that the Canadians were the only group in the Allied Invasion
Force to accomplish all their first day objectives. The remnants
of mulberries are still visible in the Atlantic Ocean. These
mulberries were used to unload cargo and move it to shore.
 In the afternoon the SAR group visited the War Museum in Bayeux.
This museum has a display which features the South Alberta Armoured
Regiment in action during the attempt to close the Falaise Gap
and trap a large part of the German army. In this battle Major
Dave Currie won the Victoria Cross. This was the only VC won
by any group during the battles of Normandy and the only one
by the whole of the Canadian Armoured Corp.
At a short ceremony, Certificates of Honour were presented to
the veterans. A Certificate of Honour for the late Lt. Col.
Gordon (Swatty) Wotherspoon was presented to his son, Richard
Wotherspoon..
Dr. Jean
Pierre Benamou, founder and curator of the Bayeux War Museum,
acknowledged and sang the praises of the Canadians for their
contributions toward the campaign in Normandy. Dr. Jean Pierre
Benamou has been acknowledged by the United States and has
been decorated by the British with the Order of the British
Empire. It would seem that it is long overdue for Canada to
do likewise.
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