This week marked the 75th anniversary of D-Day, when Allied troops, including 14,000 Canadian soldiers, launched a major invasion of Nazi-occupied France. The subsequent battle marked the beginning of the end of the Second World War.
In many of the communities that were liberated, buildings and landmarks from that significant day are still standing.
Using your cursor to move the slider on each interactive photo below, explore how these D-Day landmarks looked 75 years ago, compared to this spring when a Global News crew visited as part of our extensive anniversary coverage.
CANADA HOUSE:
Canada House on Juno Beach in Bernières-sur-Mer is thought to be one of the first homes liberated on D-Day by the Canadians, specifically the Queen’s Own Rifles.
The Queen’s Own Rifles was a Toronto-based army regiment whose members came ashore directly below the house.
LES HIRONDELLES:
Les Hirondelles is the house where the North Shore Regiment from New Brunswick landed on Juno Beach, between Saint-Aubin and Bernières-sur-Mer. The house was captured in rare film footage that showed the regiment landing on D-Day.
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LONGUES-SUR-MER BATTERY:
The Longues-sur-Mer battery was a Nazi artillery battery constructed near the French village of Longues-sur-Mer in Normandy. The battery formed a part of Germany’s Atlantic Wall and sits atop a 60-metre cliff overlooking the sea. It’s the only one in Normandy that still has all of its original guns.
IMPROVISED AIRFIELD:
This farmer’s field in Normandy was used as an airfield during the Second World War. The old archival photo from 1944 shows the famed British fighter the Supermarine Spitfire.
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