Le Régiment de la Chaudière fut mobilisé le 1erseptembre 1939. Il quitta le pays le 21 juillet 1941 en direction du Royaume-Uni, où un entrainement intense de trois ans l’attendait. Puis vint l'invasion de la côte normande du 6 juin 1944. Le Chaudière débarqua sur la plage de Bernières-sur-Mer et perdit en ce lieu 105 combattants. Le Régiment de la Chaudière est la seule unité canadienne française à avoir pris part à la plus grande opération militaire de l'histoire.
Le régiment de la Chaudière was mobilized on September 1st1939. They left Canada on July 21st 1941 for UK where they underwent an intense 3 years training which ultimately led them to the beaches of Bernières-sur Mer on D-Day for OPERATION OVERLORD. 105 members of the Regiment lost their lives on this day alone on the shores of Normandy. Le Régiment de la Chaudière is the only French Canadian unit to have taken part in the greatest military operation of modern history.
On D-Day, the task of the Regiment de la Chaudière, was to pass through the Queen's Own Rifles and head south towards enemy lines.
They landed near Bernières at 8:30 in the morning after battling choppy waters and a rising tide that proved treacherous for the landing crafts as many struck concealed mines.
'A' Company had four of its five LCA's damaged. The occupants had no option but to throw over their equipment and swim to shore. The Chaudière's reorganized behind the beach wall while the QOR cleared the remaining German resistance in Bernières. They then moved to their assembly area in the wooded area on the south edge of Bernières . When the Chaudière's tried to move forward they came under machine gun crossfire. Under the covering fire of the machine guns of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa, the Chauds moved up the road and infiltrated the German positions.
By 1600 hours all the companies had reached their objectives and Le Régiment de la Chaudière's had completed the first phase of the mission. They continued to fight with courage and sacrifice, in North West Europe until the end of the war.
Régiment de la Chaudière
This portrait is part of a series entitled “Storming Juno”.
• It is an open edition and printed on water colour paper using archival inks.
• The size is 12”x18” (for easy to find standard framing).
• The print and certificate of authenticity is signed by the artist Silvia Pecota.
• It is packaged in a clear envelope + archival board and shipped flat.