Seventy-two years ago Monday, allied countries turned the tide of the Second World War with a massive invasion of German-occupied France.
Leading the Canadian charge were the Regina Rifles Regiment, a band of so-called ‘farm boys’ who stormed Juno beach and never looked back.
Harold Hauge, who initially started his military career with the Rifles but was transferred to the navy, saw Juno beach before most. His job was to sweep for underwater mines on a small ship in the early morning of June 6, 1944 to clear the way for the oncoming armada.
“Juno was a tough, a tough go,” 94-year old Hauge said. “Some of the small ships sunk… They had guys in them. It was terrible.”
Among the invading Canadians were soldiers from the Regina Rifles Regiment. Consisting of men from Regina to the Battlefords, it had a distinctly rural make-up.
Keith Inches, the curator of the Saskatchewan Military Museum, said that rural background led to a nickname that has stuck since the First World War.
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“When they initially trained, they marched like a bunch of farmers,” Inches laughed. “So they got this nickname, the ‘farmer John’s’.”
The ‘John’s’, as they were known, landed on the heavily fortified Juno beach. Ken Duffield was 24 years old when he led 12 men into the fray.
“It’s tough to think back, what we went through the first day or two,” Duffield said with tears in his eyes.
Duffield was recognized in the Legislative Assembly Monday for his heroic actions on D-Day.
The Rifles not only secured the beach, but the small French town of Courseulles-sur-Mer and its port.
“The Regina Rifles were the furthest forward… and they held their positions,” Inches said. “They didn’t get beaten back.”
The regiment went on to fight through the rest of the Second World War. 72 years later, June 6th is still a day of pride for the modern-day Royal Regina Rifles Regiment.
“Clearly that’s one of our icon battles.” – Regina Rifles Commanding Officer, Lt.-Col. Victor Sattler
Now a primary reserve regiment, the Royal Regina Rifles focus on training infantry should help be needed in Canada or abroad, even sending troops to Afghanistan during that conflict.
“From the Regina Rifles we had over 30 members that deployed in that ten year period,” Lt.-Col. Sattler said.
The unit still bears the ‘Farmer John’ nickname, an ode to the Saskachewan men who exceeded all expectations on Juno beach 72 years ago.
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