"On 6 June 1944, the Allies landed on the beaches of Normandy, and the battle to liberate France from German occupation began. 75 years later, the cemeteries of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission stand as permanent reminders of Operation Overlord. Constructed across the former battlefields, today they are places of peace and reflection, telling the stories of those who fought and died."
My husband was named after his mother's younger brother, Harold, who fought with the Essex Scottish Regiment and died on a French battlefield on August 28, 1944. A number of years ago we went to Bretteville-sur-Laize to visit the Canadian War Cemetery where he was buried (photos below). It made me sad to know that we were the only family members ever to have made that visit but it is a beautiful and peaceful final resting place set among canola fields in Normandy. It was a sombre, serene and very moving experience that will remain in my memory forever.
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| Canadian War Cemetery Bretteville-sur-Laize (my photo) |
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| Canadian War Cemetery Bretteville-sur-Laize (my photo) |
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission site follows the first critical hours of the Battle of Normandy and tells about how the Canadian cemeteries were constructed.
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