The 12th SS Massacre of the Canadians in Normandy | History Traveler Episode 195

In the days after D-Day, the Canadians of the 3rd Infantry Division found themselves up against the German 12th SS Panzer Division as they were making their way south through Normandy. Tragically, some of these men would find themselves as the victims of one the battle's worst atrocities at a place called Abbey Ardenne. In this episode, we're joining Paul Woodadge of @WW2TV as we retrace the final steps of these men as they made their way to a tragic fate at the hands of Kurt Meyer and a division of the most fanatical fighters that Germany threw into the Battle of Normandy.
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Пікірлер: 2 400

  • @andremartel7218
    @andremartel7218 Жыл бұрын

    I visited the cemetery a few years ago with my 3 sons. And I made it my mission to walk each and every row and look at each tombstone. Those who are buried there deserve the complete and total respect of us the generation that lives in freedom thanks to their actions. My father fought in WW2 with the 22nd Canadian regiment.

  • @Liberator29

    @Liberator29

    Жыл бұрын

    My great uncle is buried there. JP Fountain. Died with the 27th Canadian Armored Regiment of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers in combat June 7th. Thanks for being there.

  • @helmutsecke3529

    @helmutsecke3529

    Жыл бұрын

    Wir leben in der Freiheit?

  • @brandongardner9829

    @brandongardner9829

    Жыл бұрын

    I'm glad you took the time to teach your sons and to show respect to those brave men Andre, good on you.

  • @xys7536

    @xys7536

    Жыл бұрын

    @@helmutsecke3529 we do your stuck in the past

  • @helmutsecke3529

    @helmutsecke3529

    Жыл бұрын

    @@xys7536 correction: you're

  • @robdot1964
    @robdot19642 жыл бұрын

    I think I speak for all Canadians, when I thank you for such a wonderful tribute to our fallen soldiers. Well done.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Much appreciated. Thank you.

  • @OTDMilitaryHistory

    @OTDMilitaryHistory

    2 жыл бұрын

    Agreed! A great tribute to the Canadians who murdered.

  • @dougorford9062

    @dougorford9062

    2 жыл бұрын

    Are you a relative of Col Petch of the NNSH?

  • @robdot1964

    @robdot1964

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@dougorford9062 it’s possible, Petch is an uncommon name. We’ve done our family history and I haven’t heard that name before.

  • @gerogemichaels7580

    @gerogemichaels7580

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@OTDMilitaryHistory Just endless masturbation over a brothers war that the Allies started. Pretty sure it was Canada invading Germany with the Red Butchers. Murdering boys defending their mothers and sisters.

  • @hoofgripweightlifting6872
    @hoofgripweightlifting68722 жыл бұрын

    As a US Army vet, I appreciate you gents covering this dark side of the war. I love Canadians. They’re the nicest people on earth. Those Canadian soldiers did not deserve this. May they RIP. Til Valhalla.

  • @karlshuler1011

    @karlshuler1011

    Жыл бұрын

    Our soldiers have fought proudly beside our American neighbor. Sometimes forgotten in history yet when military men and women like yourself talk about us you all know how much Canada has done. My utmost respect to for your service as well.

  • @kitgoostrey6162

    @kitgoostrey6162

    Жыл бұрын

    My great uncle fought with the Canadians in d-day and onwards until the end of the war

  • @markjensen4747

    @markjensen4747

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes, the Canadians fought with tenacity, absolute warrior's.

  • @rebar59duffy84

    @rebar59duffy84

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks bro !

  • @tripwire8457

    @tripwire8457

    Жыл бұрын

    Not sure I agree with you. I met some pretty arrogant Canadians.

  • @CSltz
    @CSltz Жыл бұрын

    I don’t know if anyone from France 🇫🇷 will read this. But thank you for the care and respect along with the beautiful resting spots that you have given our fallen Airmen,Soldiers, And Sailors. My respect to you all.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    Жыл бұрын

    🙏🏼

  • @mattsyson3980

    @mattsyson3980

    Жыл бұрын

    I live about 30K South of this particular video subject and can attest to the gratitude of the French, my neighbours who still keep the memorials well tended and not forgotten. A cemetery near where I live holds around 800 from across the world who didn't go home. There are brass 'studs' in some streets marking where French resistance fighters had lived, an indication of the scary existence under occupation.

  • @bluerock4456

    @bluerock4456

    10 ай бұрын

    I have visited the Commonwealth cemetery above the beach at Dieppe. It was February, the graves/graveyard was immaculate. There were enough fresh flowers here & there .. no way they were all from visitors in the depth of winter. Well-done mes amis en France!

  • @Paratus7

    @Paratus7

    6 ай бұрын

    Their graveyards are managed by the Commonwealth Graves Commission (so 🇬🇧). Brothers.

  • @eliselebreton9601

    @eliselebreton9601

    10 күн бұрын

    Je termine en ce moment d'écrire un livre sur la Libération en Normandie après le D-Day . C'est surtout une division d'infanterie anglaise qui est concernée, mais mes recherches m' ont amenée à découvrir tellement d'horreurs que j'en suis malade !!! Et ce n'est qu'une toute petite partie de ce qu'ont vécu les acteurs (militaires et civils) impliqués dans cette guerre, sur le territoire français ! Je viens de tomber sur cette vidéo, une horreur de plus !!! Malgré tout mon respect et ma compassion, y compris pour les Canadiens que j'aime beaucoup, je ne pense pas que tous ces gens soient des héros. Ce sont avant tout des pions, manipulés et aveuglés, les victimes de tous ceux qui avaient intérêt à ce que cette guerre ait lieu... " La guerre, un massacre de gens qui ne se connaissent pas, au profit de gens qui se connaissent mais ne se massacrent pas" Paul Valéry. Bien cordialement, de France.

  • @mrfishydudeman
    @mrfishydudeman2 жыл бұрын

    The Canadians will always be our heroes, they liberated our town and we will never forget them! If any Canadians read this, thank you so much for everything

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Amazing! Thanks for that.

  • @henerymag

    @henerymag

    2 жыл бұрын

    As a Canadian I thank you for remembering those young hero's. My Great Uncle who died in France is buried in the Cabaret Rouge Cemetery at Souchez France. WW1

  • @Pincer88

    @Pincer88

    2 жыл бұрын

    Same here from the North of the Netherlands. We are eternally in your debt by honour and gratitude.

  • @laurahunter1690

    @laurahunter1690

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you from all Canadians who have sacrificed in whatever way for peace.

  • @TheLoachman

    @TheLoachman

    2 жыл бұрын

    I cannot describe how much this is appreciated. The people that we met on a battlefield tour of Normandy in 1992, just before the D-Day anniversary, were very hospitable. Canadian Armed Forces 1973-2016.

  • @philgoldsney5951
    @philgoldsney59512 жыл бұрын

    My wife and I visited the church where the execution of the Canadians took place back in 2018. A very solum experience for us Canadians. What I will never forget is the French tour guide a man in his 40’s, weeping as he told the story. RIP you brave heroes!

  • @Dr10Jeeps
    @Dr10Jeeps Жыл бұрын

    As a Canadian, this brought a tear to my eye. Thank you for such a wonderful tribute to our fallen heroes.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    Жыл бұрын

    🇨🇦

  • @sc666666

    @sc666666

    Жыл бұрын

    As an American also.

  • @trsalmon

    @trsalmon

    Жыл бұрын

    As an American, it brought tears to my eyes too.

  • @petergianakopoulos4926

    @petergianakopoulos4926

    Жыл бұрын

    Did you really cry?

  • @petergianakopoulos4926

    @petergianakopoulos4926

    Жыл бұрын

    You cried too?

  • @alexwitzaney9018
    @alexwitzaney9018 Жыл бұрын

    I'm a 76 year old Canadian. I weep when I hear of the sacrifices our young men and women made so that we can live free. THANKYOU to those brave men who faced such terrible experiences. May you rest in peace. Lest I forget, my thanks go to all the Allied soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice so we are free.

  • @johnjames5712

    @johnjames5712

    Жыл бұрын

    wait but if you're a Canadian how did any of their sacrifices help YOU be free? and if you still live in canida it's hard to say you live free when you live under the rule of a fascist dictator now

  • @alexwitzaney9018

    @alexwitzaney9018

    Жыл бұрын

    @@johnjames5712Apparently you are not familiar with Canadian politics You sound like some type of troll. If you had any balls you might identify where you are from. Then we could have an intelligent discussion about this. At least I acknowledged sacrifices made by ALL allied soldiers and stated where I'm from. Yes. Justless Trudeau and his political party are would be dictators. However we do have considerable opposition to some of their unpopular policies. No one including me has been sent to a concentration camp because of our opposition. That did happen in "fascist dictatorships". Perhaps you should study a more unbiased history than what you seemed to have.

  • @Anglo_Saxon1

    @Anglo_Saxon1

    Жыл бұрын

    @@johnjames5712 How come?

  • @johnjames5712

    @johnjames5712

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Anglo_Saxon1 you guys have a comminist dictator that is a puppet of the CCP as prime minister. Tho the us is no better when we also have a president that was not really elected and who also works for the china and not for America.

  • @Anglo_Saxon1

    @Anglo_Saxon1

    Жыл бұрын

    @@johnjames5712 I'm not Canadian I'm English.

  • @billgrivis2238
    @billgrivis22382 жыл бұрын

    When I was a USMC Marine for 7 years we of course discussed our various allies. No one was more loved and respected than our Canadian friends. We would all gladly help them in any situation. Much respect!!

  • @MacRaeB_Rh_Neg

    @MacRaeB_Rh_Neg

    2 жыл бұрын

    🇨🇦🇺🇸🌺

  • @michaeldailey7103

    @michaeldailey7103

    2 жыл бұрын

    Great comment Bill !!!

  • @paulthompson4367

    @paulthompson4367

    Жыл бұрын

    JFK said, “ Geography has made us neighbours, history has made us friends. Economic’s has made us partners and necessity has made us allies, those whom GOD has so joined together let no man put asunder.” AMEN to that. A Canadian from Nova Scotia remembers those who gave all and says THANK YOU.

  • @pavlovshouse77

    @pavlovshouse77

    Жыл бұрын

    Simper fi. Thanks

  • @leondillon8723

    @leondillon8723

    Жыл бұрын

    I was in Viet Nam. Combat Engineer.We were on a 2 weeks joint operation with the South Korea Tiger Division. The BANE of Asia. Bane is the god of ruin and destruction. Maybe the USMC should "talk shop" with the SKMC.

  • @ronalddedman9796
    @ronalddedman97962 жыл бұрын

    As Canadian Vet, thank you for taking the time to tell this story. So often the Canadian contribution to both WW1 and WW2 are relegated to the back pages of history. The men that served deserve more!!! 🇨🇦 God bless the Canadian soldier!

  • @JWWhiteTX

    @JWWhiteTX

    2 жыл бұрын

    Speaking as an American veteran, there's a whole lot of us in The States that know and respect the contributions that the cousins up North made in both wars.

  • @guywerry6614

    @guywerry6614

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@JWWhiteTX Thank you. Anyone who takes any sort of real look at things understands that it was a TEAM effort to win WW2.

  • @ccrider3435

    @ccrider3435

    2 жыл бұрын

    When I was traveling around Europe in the 1980s, I met a really nice Dutch girl. She invited me back to meet her family, just outside Amsterdam. I went for dinner and the entire family praised Canadian soldiers the entire time. They showered me with food, gifts and love because of what Canadian Soldiers sacrificed in 1944. Wow, I felt I was inheriting the thank yous for them. I STILL do not feel worthy. 🪦RIP

  • @ferney2936

    @ferney2936

    2 жыл бұрын

    I'm British and I know about the Canadian contributions in both world wars. I very much appreciate what your countrymen did for us. I think it's possible that young people don't know so much about it but this time is fading back into history now so there are no longer fathers and uncles to tell the story.....

  • @sydneymartin6941

    @sydneymartin6941

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ferney2936 Hi Thanx for the Canadian contribution during ww2 but when I see what is happening in your country today I feel disgusted Is that what the past generation fought for

  • @mikefreeriderAsia
    @mikefreeriderAsia Жыл бұрын

    My father fought with the Sherbrooke Fusilliers , he was my Hero , he survived till the end of the war and then volunteered for Korea . Rest in Peace Dad, you are forever in my heart and thoughts every day.

  • @marsattacks7071

    @marsattacks7071

    Жыл бұрын

    Il y a de quoi être fier de son père ! May he rest in peace.

  • @mikefreeriderAsia

    @mikefreeriderAsia

    Жыл бұрын

    @@marsattacks7071 merci beaucoup

  • @fayknox2138

    @fayknox2138

    Жыл бұрын

    I was born in Sherbrooke.

  • @iangraham6887

    @iangraham6887

    Жыл бұрын

    My Grandfather fought with the Sherbrooke Fusiliers as well in WW2, he was a Sergeant Major at the time of the D-Day landings in the 27th armored division. Your father and my grandfather may very well have fought side by side those many years ago!

  • @richardallen3289

    @richardallen3289

    Жыл бұрын

    Some of my family lived in Lenoxville just south of Sherbrooke.They have a neat museum near the Cemetery on WW ll.Such great people.I was 101 ABN in the 60 tys.

  • @RobertWilson17
    @RobertWilson172 жыл бұрын

    My grandfather was a Bren Gunner in the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, 8th Brigade, 3rd Canadian division in Normandy and faced off against the 12th SS. He told me one of his worst experiences fighting them was in Carpriquet, just outside of Caen. I once asked him about the murders of Canadian POWs at the hands of the 12th SS and all he had to say was "They started it and we finished it". I left it at that as it was obvious he didn't want to talk about it.

  • @joangratzer2101

    @joangratzer2101

    2 жыл бұрын

    BREN? AN INCREDIBLE TOY.

  • @michaeldailey7103

    @michaeldailey7103

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing that Robert !!!

  • @BigTed5

    @BigTed5

    Жыл бұрын

    God Bless him.

  • @sapereaude3554

    @sapereaude3554

    Жыл бұрын

    @Robert Wilson Actually, ... if you read "The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan, it becomes obvious that it was the other way around: The Canadians started it by slitting the throats of some German prisoners right on the beach. The 12th SS was then not even close to the beach, but later they found out that the Canadians liked to chain captured soldiers behind their vehicles and to drag them to death... General lesson: In history, no murderer ever had a problem to justify his deeds - refer to the Aesopian fable "The Wolf and the Lamb".

  • @Jakal-pw8yq

    @Jakal-pw8yq

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for sharing your grandfather's incredible story. I think any Allied units that came up against any SS unit was in for a scrap for sure. The rule book got tossed out the window when dealing with the SS. I'm thanking your grandfather for his service and his sacrifices the same that I thank my father who was in the US Navy, South Pacific. He had some pretty hair raising stories about coming up against the Japanese that really made you realize what these young men went through during those tough war years. It's cliche but we certainly owe so much to those young men and women who fought and sacrificed so much for the freedom that we enjoy today and the realization of how fragile that freedom and democracy truly is. It will always be worth fighting for.

  • @valbishop9766
    @valbishop9766 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this tribute to our Canadian soldiers. My uncle was one of the young men murdered by the 12th SS Panzer at Chateau d'Audrieu just 2 months after his 18th birthday. This past summer I visited the Chateau where there is a plaque in memory of the soldiers murdered there and his grave at Beny Sur Mer...a totally humbling experience.

  • @robertwhitehouse2185

    @robertwhitehouse2185

    9 ай бұрын

    You may not know about the thirty Canadian POWs that were machine pistoled in field by the 12th SS. Three ran away when they saw the men waking towards then with weapons at the ready. I found this out while researching the death of a student from the school I taught in at the Library and Archives Canada.I only found out when I read a message in his file from the Chaplain General to a local chaplain asking him to notify the family about his death before Meyers trial lead to public knowledge. I have copies in the documents if you want then. All rights to this information belong to the Crown.

  • @BigLisaFan
    @BigLisaFan2 жыл бұрын

    Beautifully done, JD, thank you. I went to that cemetery when I was in France. I walked among the graves, wondered who they were, of their last moments and thoughts and of the families at home who got the terrible news and of those families who would never know and always wait and wonder. There was a French family and to me it looked like they were having a picnic. Seeing my Canadian uniform they motioned me over and between my growing French, his English and a French/English dictionary, I learned they were celebrating "their soldier's" birthday. The French unofficially adopt a grave and the soldier becomes their soldier.. The grave they were celebrating was an unknown Canadian. I asked how they knew it was his birthday? The man replied that they didn't know, but this is the day his father had adopted the grave. He told me his father was dead so now he looks after him and in turn his son and so on forever. He said my father chose an unknown because not only did he give his life, he gave his identity so they could be free. In life, his family loved him, in death we will love him. Should he be loved less than those here because he has no name? Who could argue with that? We drank some Calvados, an apple brandy from Normandy, to him and to the fallen in the cemetery and wished them peace. I returned home a different man than the one who left Canada.

  • @mikebohrer3881

    @mikebohrer3881

    2 жыл бұрын

    What a great story, thank you for sharing.

  • @swampyankee

    @swampyankee

    2 жыл бұрын

    Wonderful!!!

  • @matt8797

    @matt8797

    2 жыл бұрын

    beautiful story, appreciate you sharing it.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    The way that the French adopt and take care of those graves is something that is quite admirable.

  • @dawndickson2156

    @dawndickson2156

    2 жыл бұрын

    Beautiful story!

  • @bgschultz
    @bgschultz Жыл бұрын

    My Father who is still alive today (13/09/2022) at 102 years old was injured at the Carpiquet airport. He rarely speaks about WW2. Its great that you can fill in some of historical details. I'll quiz him tomorrow about this massacre.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    Жыл бұрын

    Oh wow! I would love to learn more about his service. Maybe shoot me an email if you wouldn’t mind. thehistoryundergroundchannel@gmail.com.

  • @maplerice6226

    @maplerice6226

    8 ай бұрын

    My Dad passed away two years ago, he spoke of his friends, and the laughs they had but never of the fighting.

  • @Jakal-pw8yq
    @Jakal-pw8yq Жыл бұрын

    This was an outstanding presentation JD and I really appreciated it. I'm American and I absolutely love the Canadians. I'm a World War II history buff and I had never heard of this tragic story . It truly was a massacre, mass murder and a serious War crime that makes me wonder why there was never any prosecution against these SS that were an abomination of human beings. I feel like sometimes the Canadians part in World War II gets glossed over when in fact they were in some of the heaviest fighting that the Allies faced. Such as this encounter with the SS. Also their part in the liberation of Holland and fighting along that Inlet to the port of Antwerp was an incredibly hard fight in deplorable conditions for the Canadians who basically had to run the gauntlet of the SS that was trying to deny Allied access to Antwerp. They did their part bravely and we owe them a huge debt of gratutude for their part in defending democracy and our freedom. Much respect to my Canadian friends!

  • @tripwire8457

    @tripwire8457

    Жыл бұрын

    You ask why there weren't more prosecutions. I wonder that too. The allies that bombed Dresden for example. Why was nobody punished for that? I'm always surprised by people that talk about mass murder and justice but only when the allies were victims. If the roles were reversed, what would be said then? Well done boys? They deserved it? Because that does seem to be the prevailing attitude, and it's wrong. After World War 2, the so-called justice was very one sided. Shooting prisoners several hours after they surrendered is definitely not cool. Especially hours apart. It is undoubtedly a war crime. The rest of the German action in this village however was well planned and executed. The allies did the same thing and were praised for it (when the Black Baron was taken out for example). War is undoubtedly horrible. But if you are going to point fingers, point them at both sides.

  • @wilschaafsma6068
    @wilschaafsma60682 жыл бұрын

    I’m glad you do stuff on Canada. We don’t have much recognition in film and such. It means a lot.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🇨🇦

  • @mattwdowney
    @mattwdowney2 жыл бұрын

    I'm Canadian, and on my only trip to France (so far), I made the effort to visit the Abbaye after reading 'Conduct Unbecoming: The Story of the Murder of Canadian Prisoners of War in Normandy' by Howard Margolian (1998). No one was there that day apart from a couple of workers living there(?) and the memorial to the Canadians was tucked behind this wall in the back garden. Was hard to find but when I did, it was surreal to stand in this place but the tribute there with the Canadian flags was very heart warming because we do not and will not forget. Thank you for this video, really close to home.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Pretty sobering place.

  • @drfranklippenheimer8743

    @drfranklippenheimer8743

    2 жыл бұрын

    Huzzah! Well said.

  • @steveoconnor7069

    @steveoconnor7069

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing the info on the book Matt. I will be reading it soon.

  • @WW2TV

    @WW2TV

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@steveoconnor7069 It's a brilliant book

  • @Anglo_Saxon1
    @Anglo_Saxon1 Жыл бұрын

    As an Englishman,this literally put a knot in my stomach seeing how my Canadian brothers were cruelly murdered. May these lads never be forgotten for the ultimate sacrifice they made. God bless them all.

  • @cathymacd5385
    @cathymacd53852 жыл бұрын

    We came across the Aredden Abbey just by chance when visiting France in July 2017. We were speechless as we walked around the garden reading the story. What hit us more were many of these soldiers were from our home of Cape Breton. We were with friends from France and we kept repeating to them, we may know the family members of these soldiers. This is where we live. 💔

  • @stanleydragon9548
    @stanleydragon95482 жыл бұрын

    I did a battle field tour through France, Belgium and Holland in November of 2011. The Abbey Ardenne (Abbaye d'Ardenne) was one of the stops on our tour. On the tour with me was a father and son from I believe Winnipeg, their last name was Moss. David, the son, noticed a name on the monument with the same last name as he and his father. As we were looking at the pictures on the wall Chuck, the father, pointed at the fifth picture in from the right and said that that was his uncle. Prior to that day Chuck and his family had only ever been told that his uncle had been killed in action. That cold grey day in November at the Abbey Ardenne in France was the day Chuck learned the true fate of his uncle, James Alvin Moss. It was a somber and sobering experience for all in attendance, but none more so than for Chuck and David, nephew and great-nephew of a murdered Canadian soldier.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Oh wow! That is crazy.

  • @saycat6758

    @saycat6758

    2 жыл бұрын

    that's a emotional powerful story that really touched me.

  • @timr9633

    @timr9633

    Жыл бұрын

    The garden at the Abbaye is one of the most sombre and haunting places I have ever visited.

  • @Jakal-pw8yq

    @Jakal-pw8yq

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for sharing that powerful story with us. What an amazing and somber way to find out the fate of their fallen Uncle. Very sad, these brave young men that were murdered in that ambush by the SS. Thanks to your uncle for his bravery in the fight to rid the world of fascism and tyranny. He's a true hero in my book and in any book for that matter.

  • @stanleydragon9548

    @stanleydragon9548

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Jakal-pw8yq To correct one point, they weren't murdered in an ambush. They were captured during the fighting, taken to the Abbey, and executed one by one. Every one after the first had to step over the body(s) of his murdered comrades as he was taken out into the garden to meet his end.

  • @pierreaucoin2480
    @pierreaucoin24802 жыл бұрын

    Having Canadian grandparents and being from Maine and knowing a lot about D-day, I’m almost ashamed that I did not know the level of Canadian sacrifice during this time. Thank you for telling their story.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    My pleasure!

  • @belfastlad55

    @belfastlad55

    11 ай бұрын

    Excellent job

  • @MW-vj1cw
    @MW-vj1cw Жыл бұрын

    Ive heard so much about the kindness and valor of the Canadian forces in WW2... May it never be forgotten...

  • @leondillon8723

    @leondillon8723

    Жыл бұрын

    One unit, like the police, protected one town from the USSR army thugs. The USSR may have been "allies" at the time, but stopping a major crime came first.

  • @irishwarrior35
    @irishwarrior352 жыл бұрын

    This just broke my heart…I had to pause this and finish crying cause I couldn’t focus on the video. Thank you for honoring these men with their story. JD appreciate you!!

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🙏🏼

  • @syl19281
    @syl192812 жыл бұрын

    I am french Canadian and i live near the city of Sherbrooke in Quebec, Where the Sherbrooke fusillers regiment is based this story is well known in m'y corner of the country , thank you for telling it with respect and dignity. Merci beaucoup 👍

  • @BC-bd2wj
    @BC-bd2wj2 жыл бұрын

    As a Canadian, I would like to extend my thanks to you for taking the time and effort in recalling this tragic, yet important, history. It shall not be forgotten. Beautifully done. 🍁

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🙏🏼🇨🇦

  • @diongilbert759
    @diongilbert759 Жыл бұрын

    I have to leave a comment. All I can say is thank you. Thank you for telling this story of a tragedy that happened to my countrymen. My grandfather served in the tank corps during WWII, my father served and I served, including in Afghanistan. Having our stories told outside of Canada is important, and you have done an incredible service to the memories of these heroes. Thank you. 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇫🇷

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    Жыл бұрын

    🇨🇦🙏🏼

  • @guymorris6596
    @guymorris6596 Жыл бұрын

    Rest in peace Canadian warriors and thank you for your service from an American, US Army veteran, honorably discharged since 1991.

  • @mweinbender
    @mweinbender2 жыл бұрын

    As a proud Canadian, I've heard this story but haven't heard it told with such compassion and detal. Thanks for another great video.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Much appreciated. You all have a rich history.

  • @m_m_m_beer8917

    @m_m_m_beer8917

    2 жыл бұрын

    Agreed. It was very well done. Thanks guys.

  • @shoknifeman2mikado135

    @shoknifeman2mikado135

    Жыл бұрын

    Ditto, so many of the facts have never been told on the history channel

  • @lthom5158
    @lthom51582 жыл бұрын

    We were taught about American and British battles but not Canadian. Thank you telling the story of the sacrifices of these men. We need to continue remember these them so that we can pass their stories to the next generation. Even though it was hard to watch, great video. You never disappoint.

  • @markdonaldson7934
    @markdonaldson7934 Жыл бұрын

    Visited that abbey and cemetery years ago. The keepers of that cemetery deserve much respect from the entire nation. One of the best maintained war cemeteries you will ever visit. Hallow ground for the entire nation of Canada.

  • @bootlegga69
    @bootlegga692 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for such a touching retelling of what happened at Abbey Ardenne (and the events leading up to it). The brutality of the SS and their actions are still shocking, 78 years later. I'm not going to lie, I teared up a bit watching this, especially the visit to Beny-Sur-Mer Cemetery.

  • @patricklaneuville9701
    @patricklaneuville97012 жыл бұрын

    Thanks again for sharing these important stories of our fallen Canadian heroes. JD and Paul, you are both incredible storytellers! For those who are interested in the Canadian campaign in Normandy and who can read French, I strongly recommend “Mourir à Caen” by Albert Pipet.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Dang. Wish that I could read French. Glad that you enjoyed it!

  • @ruthlessintentions3778

    @ruthlessintentions3778

    2 жыл бұрын

    You should do a story on this and share it. Would love to hear about it

  • @shoknifeman2mikado135

    @shoknifeman2mikado135

    Жыл бұрын

    I will have to look for it, Patrick!

  • @cyndiebill6631
    @cyndiebill66312 жыл бұрын

    Being of French Canadian descent, my heart breaks for these men and their families. Why no one was really held accountable for the murder of these men is so wrong. This was truly a war crime and should have been dealt with accordingly.

  • @tylermiron6854

    @tylermiron6854

    2 жыл бұрын

    Very good question that deserves answering

  • @davidweum

    @davidweum

    2 жыл бұрын

    The Canadian brass were overruled by senior NATO official who tried Kurt Meyer and sentenced him to death. They seemed think he was valuable in the Cold War.Other 12 SS soldiers who surrendered were not so lucky. There was a "settling of scores". Kurt Meyer was allowed prostitutes and booze for such occasions as Christmas and New Years. I think he spent 10 years in jail.

  • @None-zc5vg

    @None-zc5vg

    2 жыл бұрын

    A top SS killer, Martin Sandberger, got freed from a death sentence thanks to John McCloy and Konrad Adenauer, both married into the J.P. Morgan banking family.

  • @shoknifeman2mikado135

    @shoknifeman2mikado135

    Жыл бұрын

    @@tylermiron6854 it was political expediency, people were just so tired of it all after the Nuremberg trials

  • @rcrinsea

    @rcrinsea

    Жыл бұрын

    West Germany pardoned and gave light sentences to many of the worst war criminals. West Germany was full of ex-Nazis all the way until the 1990’s.

  • @cliffright1142
    @cliffright1142 Жыл бұрын

    I don’t know how much time I have left on this Earth J.D. but, I believe your historical work regarding WWII History Underground will forever be one of my favorite sources of truth and sorrow by all these men on both sides of the affair. I hope you can continue your work so others can experience this gift. Thank you again!

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you 🙏🏼

  • @toddgreco6868
    @toddgreco6868 Жыл бұрын

    I am proudly Canadian, I am 60 , I've always lived free. Very well read. I am heartbroken and I am still in tears. Strongest feeling... I am so ,so angry. God bless hour heros.

  • @RomanAquila

    @RomanAquila

    7 ай бұрын

    Heart Broken?.....Seriously??.

  • @terrypoffenroth2853
    @terrypoffenroth28532 жыл бұрын

    Thank You from Canada !! Being Canadian I’ve followed your path up to Abby D’Arden , we actually spoke to the son that found the Canadian bodies in the flower gardens

  • @derrymiller9154
    @derrymiller91542 жыл бұрын

    You told that story so reverently, JD. I was fighting back tears when you were telling how those boys were executed by the SS, and my eyes welled up when you got to the cemetery. Thank you for sharing this important event of the Normandy invasion. 🇺🇲🇨🇦🇬🇧🇫🇷

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🙏🏼

  • @None-zc5vg

    @None-zc5vg

    2 жыл бұрын

    Not "executed" but "murdered" (?)

  • @thesaltysergeant4103
    @thesaltysergeant41032 жыл бұрын

    As a Canadian Historian and Veteran, this is a well done video. We will never forget these heroes. They will be remembered. Thank you for the video. S!

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🙏🏼

  • @grahamunderwood9353
    @grahamunderwood9353 Жыл бұрын

    words can not sum up the contribution that Canadians made during both world wars and only recently i visited a memorial to a canadian bomber crew that sadly crashed while on a training flight all i can say is that the heroic efforts of the many brave young canadians helped to change the world into a better place and gave many generations a chance of freedom for which i personally am grateful for

  • @CrossTrain
    @CrossTrain2 жыл бұрын

    What an incredible telling of an awful & tragic event. I loved Paul's telling of the difference between "that's war" and outright murder. Very powerful. Also, the story of those personalized inscriptions on the Canadian (and British) headstones is extraordinarily powerful. Powerful & poignant. Thank you JD & Paul.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yes, reading those epitaphs is exceptionally heartbreaking.

  • @roxannashively3751
    @roxannashively37512 жыл бұрын

    Once again, thank you for your presentation of important history that we should never forget. As the daughter of a mother who served in the RAF and a father (a US citizen) who served in the Canadian army, joining in about 1939), I really appreciate the coverage of history.

  • @peterritchie2990
    @peterritchie29902 жыл бұрын

    Thanks from a Canadian. I’m an old man. You made me cry.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🙏🏼🇨🇦

  • @doubtingthomas51
    @doubtingthomas512 жыл бұрын

    I'm speechless. Mostly cause I'm crying, I proudly bear a French-Canadian surname yet we were three generations American when my father fought on D-Day. He was always quick to remind me that in no way did we win the war by ourselves. I understood but never quite got the details from him. To my fellow Americans who made this video you have earned a most special place in my prayers for helping me understand what so so inscrutable for me before.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🙏🏼🇨🇦

  • @petergianakopoulos4926

    @petergianakopoulos4926

    Жыл бұрын

    Did you really cry?

  • @doubtingthomas51

    @doubtingthomas51

    Жыл бұрын

    @@petergianakopoulos4926 actually I did. D-Day remains highly emotionally provocative for me. Thankfully I was home alone watching. Believe me-Private Ryan at a public theater was catastrophic. No one takes me for a snowflake either. I'm a retired RN-I saw enoiugh!

  • @petergianakopoulos4926

    @petergianakopoulos4926

    Жыл бұрын

    @@doubtingthomas51 boy i feel dumb

  • @TheLoachman
    @TheLoachman2 жыл бұрын

    Huge thanks for this. I was part of a group of about sixty junior officers plus support staff, a historian, three Canadian Veterans, one former 12th SS Panzer Division (Hitler Jugend) officer, and his interpreter (also a German) on a battlefield tour in May 1992. We followed the invasion route from the beaches to Falaise, with a side-trip to Dieppe, which was a lot to cover in three days. One of our stops was the Abbaye, a place of great sadness. That was the only place on the tour to which the German veteran did not go. One of the Canadian Veterans was Sydney Valpy Radley-Walters, whose name and reputation were well known to us. I first heard his name in the summer of 1974, which I spent in CFB Petawawa. I was an eighteen-year-old Reserve Infantryman of Fourth Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment at the time. Almost every day, I walked past the RCEME shops, and, for a couple of weeks, saw a Sherman Tank being painted gold therein. I finally asked why - it was to be his retirement gift. Wherever we stopped, the historian would explain the fighting that had occurred in that location, and the Veterans would explain their actions. We had lunch in Buron one day, sitting in the town square, in uniform, with our two tour buses and admin van parked nearby. Lunch was a couple of tough baguettes each, almost impossible to chew, and a generous amount of wine that helped to soften them. While we were sitting around and gnawing on our baguettes (I cannot remember what was in them, just how much effort was required to render them swallowable), we noticed two old men appear from an alley, look at us, and hastily disappear from whence they had come. A few minutes later, they reappeared with a couple of folding tables and began loading them up with a variety of snack foods, soft drinks, and juice boxes. Thinking that they were just trying to make some quick money, we ignored them for while, but finally somebody went over to talk to them. They explained that this was all free for us - they had hastily bought whatever they could at their own expense and laid it out for us. They said that, had they only known that we were coming, the whole village would have been out to greet us and a feast would have been laid on. We were quite miffed by our Admin Officer, who had done the recce a month or two prior and set up all of the transport, accommodation, and feeding etcetera, as this was a huge missed opportunity for the villagers and us. It was also not the only such oversight. He picked this spot well in advance, but neglected to tell anybody. I was struck by how many Canadian flags we saw everywhere, and by the complete absence of French flags. The really odd thing was their mint condition. Weathered pink and grey flags, with varying amounts of the side away from the staff worn away by wind, are all too common in Canada. These people had far more respect for our flag than many Canadians. We got along quite well with the German Veteran, and bore him no ill will. His interpreter, however, on the first morning after having met him the evening before, muttered to several of us that "He's a Nazi. He's just a fucking Nazi". We stayed in a hotel on the edge of Caen, and walked into town each night. Four of us found an excellent little restaurant close to the castle on the first night - marvellous food and wine, followed by Calvados. The other three were francophone, so did most of the talking to the staff (who they also named after Asterix characters). Our numbers grew each night, and the staff were dragged into the party each time.

  • @alancochrane1289
    @alancochrane12892 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing this story. Kurt Meyer did his time at the Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick, near the border of Nova Scotia, where many of the victims were from. One of them went to the same high school as I did. I went to Normandy 20 years ago and it made me proud to see our maple leaf flag flying in so many places.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🇨🇦

  • @franc9111

    @franc9111

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Martin Riley Yes I agree, Kurt Meyer should have been hanged as a war criminal as well as those other SS who did this. I've heard that Canadian trroops were so disgusted and angered by this behavior, that they also decided not to take prisoners after that.

  • @davidknowles3459

    @davidknowles3459

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@franc9111 I agree about what you said about Meyer,but the Canadians are far more noble than the pigs that are the SS.They did take prisoners as they should have

  • @shoknifeman2mikado135

    @shoknifeman2mikado135

    Жыл бұрын

    Private Doucette would have been, like myself, a descendant of General Germain Doucet, Sieur de La Verdure, the Governor of Port Royal Acadia (Now Annapolis Royal, NS)

  • @johnkidd1226

    @johnkidd1226

    Жыл бұрын

    @Martin Riley Actually, he had several strokes and died in 1961 at 51 years of age so he didnt enjoy his freedom or his money long.

  • @riserevelation8471
    @riserevelation84712 жыл бұрын

    As someone currently with the Nova Scotia Highlanders, I sincerely thank you for sharing this story. A story that not many Nova Scotians know but should.

  • @NoSoup4U2
    @NoSoup4U22 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for putting this video documentary out there for the world to know and remember. I hope one day I am able to go there. As a proud Canadian, I am very familiar with this massacre, but was not aware of what the SS did to our Soldiers with their tanks in the town square of Authie France. The savagery of what one man can do to another, seems to know no bounds, does it? Thank you again for such a kind tribute!

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Pretty awful. Glad that I could share the story though.

  • @bluerock4456

    @bluerock4456

    10 ай бұрын

    The only good thing about all that is that most of those SS didn't make it out of Normandy.

  • @JDDupuy
    @JDDupuy2 жыл бұрын

    This story, beautiful told with great respect, has left me saddened and angry! Death to Life to 8 years and he comes back to the site and says that's War. I am shaken to learn of this some 75 years later. Thanks as always to the both of you for taking us on this very sad journey!

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Meyer was certainly not a great guy. Glad that we could share a bit of this story.

  • @boarzwid1002

    @boarzwid1002

    2 жыл бұрын

    My father made it through to the end of the war 28th BC tank regiment, he said SS and German paratroopers were Hard Bitten , and treated as such,

  • @None-zc5vg

    @None-zc5vg

    2 жыл бұрын

    There were a lot of 'Meyers', killers who got away with it thanks to U.S. complicity.

  • @bsc4344

    @bsc4344

    2 жыл бұрын

    There was also much leniency to the eradication of the town of Oradour Sur Glane... ((or Lidice... or many other erased towns by the Germans)) ..the commanders and troops in that event also got off either nearly scott free or with punitive sentencing. I too have had a hard time dealing with such barbarism given such a minor slap... because it’s clearly far beyond “war” and into demented evil actions that cry out for capital punishment

  • @chrisl211

    @chrisl211

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@bsc4344 Agreed. Over 800 people died in the church of this village.

  • @yveslabbe5412
    @yveslabbe54122 жыл бұрын

    What an incredible video, I’m literally speechless. Having served as an officer in the Sherbrooke Fusiliers and having a personal connection with the Nova Scotia Highlanders and the SDG Highlanders, this video really hit home. A heartfelt thank you for covering their service/story. I will make a point to share the video with my friends from those three regiments. 🇨🇦

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Much appreciated. Thank you!

  • @carlveilleux5744

    @carlveilleux5744

    2 жыл бұрын

    We were very time-limited visiting Normandy, and it looked like the weather was going to cut our visit short. So instead of visiting sites as they came, we went to the most important sites first. This had us do a lot more driving around but made sure we wouldn't miss the most important spots. Thank god for GPS (otherwise we'd still be lost up there! lol ), it had us use a number of country back roads, going from site to site, and it allowed us to see a lot of countryside and go through a lot of tiny villages we wouldn't have seen otherwise. So we're going through this small town named Buron, just northwest of Caen. I had never heard the name, and had no idea if any action took place there in WW2. In the middle of the town we came across this sign reading "Place des Canadiens", and there was this huge Canadian flag. This wasn't expected, so I hit the brakes, turned around and went to check it out. Turned out the town erected a memorial for Canadian soldiers who fought against the 12th SS Panzer Division in Buron and liberated the town on June 8, 1944. Soldiers were from the Sherbrooke Fusiliers and the Highland Light Infantry. 262 losses, 62 Canadian deaths in this Buron! There are monuments for both regiments in the park. Everywhere we went, especially were Canadians fought, we felt a lot of gratitude from the people. Canadian flags everywhere. Very moving.

  • @shoknifeman2mikado135

    @shoknifeman2mikado135

    Жыл бұрын

    Salut de l'Ontario Francais, Yves

  • @conradmanley2180
    @conradmanley2180 Жыл бұрын

    Its an embarrassing and maddening reality, that as Canadians , we have come to rely on channels and videos such as these to remind us of our history. Our government doesn't deem it worthy or politically correct to teach it in school. Thanks to everyone who work so hard to keep history relevant. FOR WHEN WE FORGET THE PAST , WE ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT . ❤💯✌

  • @keeperofthelists4771

    @keeperofthelists4771

    Жыл бұрын

    To actually hear of this for the 1st time for me.

  • @hs-learn2581

    @hs-learn2581

    Жыл бұрын

    You mean the provincial governments that control curriculum and education?

  • @alexwitzaney9018

    @alexwitzaney9018

    Жыл бұрын

    What can you expect from justless turdeau and his so called peace loving clowns. They have no respect for our military traditions or their sacrifices.

  • @conradmanley2180

    @conradmanley2180

    Жыл бұрын

    @Alex Witzaney Sadly, this is not just applicable to Trudeau, but long standing to the entrenched canadian political and educational bureaucrats. We watch it happen for generations, but we as dutifull citizens we shrug our shoulders as they congratulate themselves.

  • @BlutUndEhre88

    @BlutUndEhre88

    Жыл бұрын

    As much as we have relied on getting history from CNN, BBC, The History Channel, etc.

  • @ChrisRobinson16
    @ChrisRobinson167 ай бұрын

    Definitely proud to be a Canadian! Always think about our fallen soldiers both men and women and the sacrifices they made for our country. Lest We Forget. I lost a 2nd cousin in the war back in 2009 in Afghanistan due to a rode side bomb. Rest In Peace CPL. Tyler Crooks, also my Great Grandfather fought in one of the World Wars. May they both rest in peace. I’m very intrigued about these videos, always been heavily into the war, the history and more. Thank you for yet another great video!

  • @Muzdrums22
    @Muzdrums222 жыл бұрын

    As a retired member of the Canadian Armed Forces, and having visited Authie, hell’s corners and Abbey D’ardenne, I greatly appreciate you sharing this with the world. I really enjoy your videos and look forward to more. Thank you.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Much appreciated. Thank you. 🇨🇦

  • @paulshanahan135
    @paulshanahan1352 жыл бұрын

    JD, Thanks to you and Paul for sharing this story of bravery, tragic loss of life as experienced by our brace Canadian cousins. So much of WW II history that was taught in schools, and later dramatized in books and movies, focused on US and British troops. The sacrifices made by Canadian, French, and Polish soldiers are simply overlooked. GOD bless all those who sacrificed so much for the freedom of others. Lastly, it sickens me every time I hear another story of a Nazi who was convicted of war crimes and whose death sentences were reduced. Their horrific crimes deserved the ultimate penalty.

  • @geoffgane7550

    @geoffgane7550

    Жыл бұрын

    Nazism is just as EVIL as Communism. Hope the filth BURN in Hell.

  • @davidkruse3424

    @davidkruse3424

    Жыл бұрын

    Remember that God judges all men, and the Barbarian she'll be judged harshly

  • @Joker-no1uh

    @Joker-no1uh

    Жыл бұрын

    That's why it's better to hand out field justice with Nazis.. You can't trust governments to do it.. I've never understood why people complain about allied soldiers executing Nazi death camp guards.. They don't deserve a trial, just like the prisoners who guards killed

  • @carolynjunehansen9348
    @carolynjunehansen93489 ай бұрын

    J.D & Paul, I am Canadian. thank you for sharing this sad piece of Canadian D day history. I am in tears hearing how horrific the POWs were murdered

  • @mkbarber65
    @mkbarber653 ай бұрын

    Thank you for sharing this story. My father was a WWII RCAF veteran, these pieces of our history help me piece together his time in the RCAF and what he saw and dealt with. He never spoke of his time overseas and only briefly mentioned the loss of numerous friends and fellow servicemen. To the citizens of France, thank you for honouring our fallen hero’s, God bless you all.

  • @RLS-bu4bj
    @RLS-bu4bj2 жыл бұрын

    I first heard about this incident in the run up to the 60th anniversary. It has stuck with me since then. This was hard to watch, but thank you for helping tell their story

  • @GraemeSimpsonPhotography
    @GraemeSimpsonPhotography2 жыл бұрын

    Quite the emotional episode. I was never aware of such brutality carried out by the SS (beyond the obvious, more well know stories) so I thank you for telling the history of this horrific time. You and Paul's methods of explaining the history in these less well know areas of the WW2 era are deeply moving and fascinating. Thank you so much for all you do.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🙏🏼

  • @Venom21211

    @Venom21211

    2 жыл бұрын

    The Waffen SS committed a lot of war crimes but the Waffen SS shouldn’t be confused with the Allgemeine SS which the Gestapo was branched out of. Allgemeine and Waffen SS were completely different everyone categorizes them as the same thing though history was written by the victors

  • @EARLESTOBART

    @EARLESTOBART

    2 жыл бұрын

    The SS shot British Prisoners of War on the retreat to Dunkirk You should check the Killing of SS R. Heydrich in Prague and what the SS did after that

  • @Venom21211

    @Venom21211

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@EARLESTOBART yes as they shot prisoners in Normandy burned a church down in France shot prisoners in Belgium just like I said they committed a lot of war crimes such as most elite units do even today elite units continue to do so. It’s not right but as an elite soldier you have a sense of feeling that the regular rules don’t apply to you. my comment still stands though everyone categorizes them as one thing.

  • @Venom21211

    @Venom21211

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@EARLESTOBART there’s also a bunch of war crimes done by the Allies that won’t ever be talked about too. Most of the war crimes by the Allies never saw the light of day because it was said that it would “effect German relations” after the war

  • @boatnut64
    @boatnut642 жыл бұрын

    When you enter Beny Sur Mer, if you turn left, and go all the way down to the end of the first row, you will find the grave of my Great Uncle, Harry Thomas Sharp. He was Killed in Action on July 4th 1944, in the Assault on Carpiquet Airport. I visited his grave, in 2014. Rest in Peace, Heroes of Canada. 💔💔💔 Thanks for doing this video.

  • @TdotTwiFic

    @TdotTwiFic

    Жыл бұрын

    My last name is Sharp. I don't know of any of my relatives that died in any war as I was told my fathers side of the family didn't participate as they were farmers or not the correct age. Yet on my mothers side my grand father was a guard at the POW camp in South Africa. There is much that is talked about or recorded accurately that is taught to recent generations. I wasn't taught about much during school about the wars except for Remembrance Day. No stories. Getting to choose to watch independent documentaries of all the events directly connected to Canadians really reminds me of how grateful I am to be Canadian. I want more people to choose to watch these types of videos. If I didn't, I wouldn't have read the comment where we could have a mutual relative. I hope to get to see in person, these memorials. In the meantime, I watch a lot of videos and learn all kinds of things that I know I can only handle at my age and am glad I didn't learn about the tragedies as a child. But I do wish that Vimy Ridge would be a Heritage Moment.

  • @anthonymitchell9743
    @anthonymitchell9743 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for that presentation. My father was with the British Polar bears and landed with the 1st Canadians in Normandy. I am shocked how our justice system allow these Officers to get away with murder after been found guilty ! A very sad state of affairs indeed.

  • @christopherbutler2700
    @christopherbutler27002 жыл бұрын

    Thanks JD. With everything going on these days it’s important to remember that we were once united in common cause. Your video reminds us that freedom comes at a cost. As a Canadian I’m proud of what these men did for us and I will never take that for granted.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🇨🇦

  • @daleslover2771

    @daleslover2771

    2 жыл бұрын

    Stand by to stand by... In the current time frame were in, it's gonna change. I hope every one watching this channel has or will prepare for a huge awakening.... You'll about too find out how deadly it can get in a milie second, thank you JD for bringing this to our attention,,, life is short.... But it can become extremely shorter... If you don't know your history.

  • @HHL-qt2xb
    @HHL-qt2xb Жыл бұрын

    Fantastic documentary. So much is made of American, and British bravery in the Normandy Campaign (and rightly so)- but let us NOT ever forget the extraordinary courage of the Canadians. As an American- these sights were by far among the most powerful I saw in my 2 trips to Normandy. Amazing place, and people BTW. All should see it.

  • @johnwhyte4931
    @johnwhyte4931 Жыл бұрын

    I am a Canadian very interested in World War 2 history, and a BIG follower of this channel. I just want to convey my appreciation for the accurate recollection made by our American friends of the brave efforts and sacrifice of Canadian soldiers fighting in Europe in WW2, fighting along side their American and British comrades. This channel very tastefully, accurately and with grace captures and honours the sacrifice made by all soldiers, including Canadians, and that’s what makes this channel so compelling. Thank you for the manner by which you recall this history. Its what makes this channel so compelling, and so essential to our history. Please keep these excellent episodes coming. Much appreciated.

  • @sylvain7920
    @sylvain7920 Жыл бұрын

    I am now a Canadian army veteran and I would like to thank you very much for this excellent documentary. I have been in Normandy, back in 1994, for the 50th landing anniversary and I had the opportunity to chat and learn directly from older Canadian veterans who fought in Normandy during WWII. I have visited the ''Abbeye d'Ardenne'' and it gave me goose bumps. The same with the Canadian military cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer. I was told that lots of the 12th SS were feisty teenagers (13, 14, 15, 16 years old) that were brainwashed and conditioned from their training in the Hitler youth. One Canadian veteran, who was a tanker with the 27th Armoured Regiment, shared amazing stories. The Germans nicknamed the Sherman tank ''Ronson'' for a German-lighter brand, because it was easy for a Panzer tank to blow them. But the only way for a Sherman tank to knock-down a Panzer was to aim under the mid-section of the turret right where is the driver. Most Sherman tanks ran on diesel, a less flammable fuel than gasoline. But the only way for a Sherman tank to bring down a Panzer was to aim below the middle section of the turret at the driver's location. Most Sherman tanks ran on diesel, a less flammable fuel than gasoline. Once hit, the Sherman crew had 9 seconds to exit outside the Sherman diesel engine versus 5 seconds outside Sherman gas engine.

  • @robertpanetta7912
    @robertpanetta79122 жыл бұрын

    This was a beautiful, touching and informative video that needs to be told to the younger generations. That the price to be a free human being is very high. The fighting Canadiens paid that price for the rest of the world . I also would like to commend the courage of some of the young French towns people who tried to carry the soldiers off the road and were killed for it . They have my highest appreciation and love

  • @rayoeler3055
    @rayoeler30552 жыл бұрын

    As a retired N CO in the Air Force it a sad story of Canadian brothers ! Actually brought tears too my eyes ! Why is war so terrible I cannot say until YOU see the dead who fought for freedom and gave their all . I do so salute our fallen brothers !

  • @justinhalethesenuts7769
    @justinhalethesenuts7769 Жыл бұрын

    My Great Grandfather was in the Canadian Armed Forces. A regiment called The Manitoba Dragoons along with his brothers. He volunteered in 1936 and stayed long after the war was over in Europe to help rebuild. My great grandfather and his 3 brothers all fought in WW2. But my great grandfather was the only one who made it home. While watching this it reminded me of a story that was passed down to me from my grandfather. Once in a blue moon my grandfather would talk about what his father went thru in WW2. And one evening after we watched Saving Private Ryan together when it came out. He told me about a time when my great grandfather crushed roughly 100 - 200 German soldiers with canadian armored vehicles. He explained that the Germans were camped out underneath a large bridge. And the bridge "mysteriously" ended up on top of them. details of the event are in my great grandfathers War Journal that was passed on to me. The writing is very small so it can be hard to read at certain points. But when I seen the part in this video explaining what those Germans soldiers did to the bodies of the Canadian soldiers. I thought it was only fitting to share this story. God bless 🙏

  • @joller805
    @joller8052 жыл бұрын

    My deepest gratitude to All Canadians who gave their young lives for free Europe. Ex Polish soldier now living in Canada salutes You.

  • @bluerock4456

    @bluerock4456

    10 ай бұрын

    The Poles were very trusted allies of ours in Normandy & elsewhere!

  • @robertkipiel7699

    @robertkipiel7699

    2 ай бұрын

    My grandfather served as the paratrooper in the Polish army and, he had fought along side with Canadians. I have been hearing about how though Canadians were.

  • @Mist3rData
    @Mist3rData2 жыл бұрын

    This is what i love about your channel. Before watching this and the last couple of video's, i never fully knew the role the Canadians played in WW2 and what they went throught. Much respect for you for showing this to us. Even more respect for the brave Canadians who fought here!

  • @fredricjulien8738
    @fredricjulien87382 жыл бұрын

    So thankful for this in-depth series on the events that took place in Normandy on June 6th and beyond. You have kept the memories of what took place at that time in history which should never be forgotten

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Glad that I could share the experiences.

  • @CivilDefenceCanada
    @CivilDefenceCanada Жыл бұрын

    As a Canadian and a lover of history, this is somewhere I need to see before I die. The courage of this generation set the bar so high for the rest of us that it's hard to achieve it. My grandparents were proud RCAF WW2 vets. Miss my grandpa a lot, he really helped me to understand what a man is and how to carry yourself, how to do what is expected no matter the cost, and how your reputation is how you're measured and what people remember. Thank you for the hard life lessons it took me 20+ years to really, properly understand. Not sure I'd be able to do what they did at that age. Respect to all who have, or continue to serve. Real evil exists, the 12th SS embodies it and it is showing up again today in the extremism and militarism throughout the world. We owe it to everyone to stand up to that evil and to take a principled stand.

  • @shaggman13
    @shaggman13 Жыл бұрын

    My Father and his 6 brothers, 1 sister, mother and father came to Canada from Holland after WW2 in 1946 I can't thank the men and women enough for their sacrifice and bravery. My family would not be here today if not for all the brave souls that fought all the horrific battles... thank you thank you thank you.. ❤

  • @stephenrrose
    @stephenrrose2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you JD and Paul for teaching us more about our Canadian Neighbors! I live in Michigan and now have even more honor of ALL Nations that fought the Tyranny. Paul said it very well, about War verses out right Murder! I salute the Canadians! Job well done and a lot at the ultimate sacrifice! Thank you for telling the History in a very educational way!

  • @msudragon91
    @msudragon912 жыл бұрын

    The music you use for each of your episodes is spot on….just wonderful. Thank you for keeping the lives of the fallen during WWII relevant.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @fifthbusiness1678
    @fifthbusiness167814 күн бұрын

    I’m Canadian and thank you very much for making this video. I can tell a lot went into it (and others). Both my grandfathers fought in WW1, and two uncles in WW2. It’s much appreciated.

  • @alancooper9632
    @alancooper96322 жыл бұрын

    I've not long commented on another video of yours, I'm in my mid sixties and I've always been interested in the second world war. The Canadians are never given the status of the rest of the allied forces as far as I'm concerned in Normandy and beyond. What a brilliant fighting nation. My dad was in the royal navy in the far eastern fleet. He was proud of all the nation's that fought with the allies. God bless Canada.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🇨🇦

  • @alancooper9632

    @alancooper9632

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHistoryUnderground Absolutely fascinating videos, keep up the brilliant work that you do.

  • @mikej7695
    @mikej76952 жыл бұрын

    This video is a testament to your power as a story teller by bringing these heroes to life and allowing their names to be remembered forever more. Well done good sir, well done.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    That means a lot. Thank you.

  • @foxtrotromeo25
    @foxtrotromeo252 жыл бұрын

    I remember asking Paul Woodadge about a year ago on an AMA livestream on his @WW2TV channel about places that had impacted him in Normandy. I referenced seeing the church at Angoville-au-plain. Paul mentioned Abbe D'Ardennes, and explained what had happened there. This video encapsulated the awfulness of what the 12th SS HJ were capable of. Another great collaboration with Paul. Fantastic work JD.

  • @keepinga
    @keepinga2 жыл бұрын

    As a Canadian (and someone who shares an uncommon last name with one of the victims), I remember having visited the Abbaye Ardennes in 1999 on something of a personal pilgrimage. Even then the building had obvious signs of battle damage throughout and was derelict. A local told me there were plans to renovate it into a community centre of sorts. I'm grateful to be able to see it again through your very moving video. Thank you, very sincerely.

  • @maxtrein532
    @maxtrein532 Жыл бұрын

    As a Dutchman I don't know how much I can thank all veterans. It must have been hell on earth. My grandfather fought in the Dutch West Indies against the Japanese. He came back with only one leg. He never said anything about the war. But sometimes I came in his room and he was just crying.

  • @mamab4211
    @mamab42112 жыл бұрын

    Wow! Just wow! What a horrific thing to see at such a young age 😔. Thank you for telling this story. These stories have to be told, as ugly as they are, we can’t forget, so that it is never allowed to happen again. We must honor the brave men and women that gave their lives 🙏🏻🇨🇦

  • @stanlloyd9516
    @stanlloyd95162 жыл бұрын

    Thank you, Paul and JD, for bringing this sad story to light so that many of us can know the tremendous sacrifices that the Canadian solders made during this phase of World War II.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Our pleasure. Thank you.

  • @25svbn
    @25svbnАй бұрын

    Thank you for this brother. I say this through tears in my eyes. Form a Canadian Soldier ❤❤❤🇨🇦

  • @robertroyles1165
    @robertroyles1165 Жыл бұрын

    Very well presented, we will always remember their sacrifice. Thank you France for the great care and respect you show our fallen comrades

  • @Chard-O
    @Chard-O2 жыл бұрын

    Any written word that I can offer is vastly insufficient to the honor and memory of these fallen heroes. I hope that these men have found peace as their story becomes more commonly known. Thank you again JD for bringing stories like this to light. I vow to continually learn and investigate further beyond just the American experience in WWII because of videos like this. 🇨🇦

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🙏🏼🇨🇦

  • @zororosario
    @zororosario2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the video , as a Canadian I had a hard time watching this injustice go unpunished!

  • @bluerock4456

    @bluerock4456

    10 ай бұрын

    The way I look at it, Panzer Meyer may have escaped punishment for his crimes here on Earth, but he had to later face God. I trust that God dealt with him in an appropriate manner.

  • @markoneil6562
    @markoneil65622 жыл бұрын

    I've never had a youtube video bring tears to my eyes until this video. God bless these brave souls

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    🙏🏼

  • @royshroud9536
    @royshroud9536 Жыл бұрын

    What you omitted to mention was that Kurt Meyer during his incarceration in Canada was actually let out of prison for short periods to "assist" the Canadian army in tank tactics. This caused a huge uproar when the information was made public.

  • @CraigQuebec

    @CraigQuebec

    Жыл бұрын

    Meyers went on to be a celebrate post war career, always remained a covert, steadfast adherent of Nazism. The man should have hung, but Major-General Vokes commuted his sentence! This was complete betrayal of the men who were murdered!

  • @BFVsnypEz

    @BFVsnypEz

    2 ай бұрын

    It happened in the US too. The US imported German/Nazi scientists, doctors, and engineers as well as officers. Much of our modern technology, health, science, military tactics and procedures came as a result of this. On the bright side, least some good came of the war and those men.

  • @danielsibley6322
    @danielsibley63222 жыл бұрын

    JD, I have never shed a tear for Canadian hero's before,.. today I did. Thanks again for bringing these men back to life again. So profound and powerful.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Glad that we could share a bit of their story.

  • @danielsibley6322

    @danielsibley6322

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHistoryUnderground I am planning to go to Normandy in 23. I will be taking your channel with me as a guide. I am 54 and I have waited a really long time for this.

  • @Nighthawk1966
    @Nighthawk19662 жыл бұрын

    Wow, what a video. Love how Paul tells his story. I never realized how bad it was for the poor Canadians especially being run over by the tanks. Just incredible. I wish I was there with you guys, how awesome that would be. If I make it again to Normandy again, I would definitely be hiring Paul. It’s as if he lived through it and man he is good, really good. With you 2 guys together, it makes for an incredible story. Great video JD, love you man !!

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! I appreciate that. And yes, Paul does an outstanding job retelling these stories.

  • @robertkeenan7530
    @robertkeenan7530 Жыл бұрын

    Dude was shifting gears and giving a history lesson and never skipped a beat.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    Жыл бұрын

    😅👍🏻

  • @RobotoForgoto

    @RobotoForgoto

    Жыл бұрын

    And he's on the wrong side of the road!

  • @craigfroese231
    @craigfroese231 Жыл бұрын

    Hey J.D. Thanks for sharing these three videos on Canadians in Normandy. I use them in my Canadian History class. This summer I took a bus full of students to Normandy and we stopped in Autie and the Abbey Ardennes to pay our respects.

  • @284Winchester
    @284Winchester2 жыл бұрын

    That cemetery is absolutely beautiful the way they keep the grounds.

  • @canuck52
    @canuck522 жыл бұрын

    This was an excellent episode. To provide some balance about what happens in war however, I am reminded of one of the few instances my father (deceased now) related to me about the war. He was in the Canadian infantry and he remembered his Sergeant volunteering to take 3 German prisoners to the rear. A few minutes after leaving the Sergeant came back without the prisoners. They clearly didn’t go to the rear. You could tell my father was shaken by this, his summary comment about the Sergeant was “He was an evil bastard!” I suspect there were atrocities on both sides, and perhaps atrocities by the winners don’t have the same investigation and publicity. I’m not sure of this but I am guessing based on my dad’s story that it was wasn’t all peaches and cream on the Canadian side either.

  • @Wotsitorlabart

    @Wotsitorlabart

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@albefuctivino1488 Canuck's father was clearly a better man than that.

  • @pondlife1952
    @pondlife1952 Жыл бұрын

    That film has staggered me beyond belief. Thank you for making it; I will be visiting them this year, I can assure you. My dad, in a Scottish regiment but fighting in Italy, with Canadians, often talked in glowing terms about them. He died age 102 a couple of years ago and the piper at his funeral was a Newfoundlander who was amazed seeing my dad’s name, and told he me he’d played at the British Cemetery in Anzio in Italy for Armistice Day only to read out the name of my dad’s brother. Never found. Thanks Canada!

  • @steveo5138
    @steveo51382 жыл бұрын

    About 10 years ago I met a veteran of the battles at Buron and Authie. He lived in Grand Bend in Ontario. He was a member of the North Nova Scotias. He was a tall man, even by today's standards, and said he was the butt of a lot of jokes by his comrades, because of his height. He was surprised when I revealed to him I'd read Mark Zuehlke's excellent books about Normandy and so I knew what happened to his regiment on the 7th of June. We talked about the battle and he began to share all those little details that you don't read in the history books. Memories he had not shared for a long time. It brought it all back to him. And suddenly he was there again. And all at once he was overcome with emotion. He stopped talking, as the fate of his comrades came back to him, the ones who days before had joked about his height. As the days passed there were fewer and fewer of his comrades left, and yet for three months he survived without a scratch. Then in September, he was badly wounded in the first days of the battle for Dunkirk. And invalided home. But I will never forget that day we spoke, you can read so much about past events, but nothing surpasses meeting someone who was actually there. Thank you for this first class production. The visit to the cemetery was a good place to end your journey. (Although this was for the First Worl War. I wondered if you paid a visit to the Vimy Ridge War Memorial, while you were over there.)

  • @michaeldouglas1243
    @michaeldouglas12432 жыл бұрын

    Paul and J.D. , outstanding episode. Situations like this massacre we as lovers of history, know deep down they happen but until it is placed as knowledge do we actually comprehend. Hidden cruelties of war

  • @jimcronin2043
    @jimcronin20432 жыл бұрын

    Your episodes which portray individuals' stories and small unit experiences during the war are a real service to us. We mostly have read of the grand strategies, generals, etc. of the war but may have neglected to keep in mind that which happened to the ordinary soldiers. And the memory of that is very important.

  • @TheHistoryUnderground

    @TheHistoryUnderground

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you. I appreciate that.

  • @jakhaughton1800
    @jakhaughton18002 жыл бұрын

    Here in the UK we have many tributes to the Canadian Service men and women in Surrey. My father was good friends with Colonel Adlard. He planted a maple tribute to his fellow Canadians. As a small child Col Adlard never was condescending or belittling to my brother and I. A wonderful gentleman. The baseball pitch (?) can still be seen at Milford Common near Godalming, Surrey

  • @jasongrenierjasongrenier
    @jasongrenierjasongrenier Жыл бұрын

    So many young men gone. May they Rest In Peace with their sacrifice never forgotten. Thanks for making this video. It is both informative and heart wrenching.

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