I’ve usually been requested what was the spotlight of my current journey to Normandy. My reply is straightforward: it was my go to with Nicole Hoffer at her dwelling, Canada Home on Juno Seashore. Why was the assembly so particular? Whereas the home is a non-public dwelling, it’s also one of the vital well-known homes in Normandy and an essential historic web site.
It was the primary home to be liberated, by sea, on June 6, 1944….the D-Day invasion of Normandy by the Allies. My go to with Nicole was completely in French and I realized some very fascinating issues about the home, the German occupation, and the Canadian position in Normandy throughout World Warfare II.
1. Canada Home On Juno Seashore
Canada Home, which is often known as La Maison des Canadiens, or Maison de Queen’s Personal Rifles of Canada, faces the japanese shoreline of Juno Seashore. It’s positioned in Bernières-sur-Mer, which is simply 2.3 kilometres east of the Juno Seashore Centre Museum. This half-timbered Normandy-style home is just not owned by Canada or Canadians. It’s owned by Nicole Hoffer and her two sons.
Per week earlier than I headed to Normandy on a current journey, I contacted Nicole. We selected a mutually handy day and time to satisfy at her dwelling and after I arrived, I used to be warmly welcomed by Nicole and one among her pals.
For about 45 minutes, we sat in the lounge and Nicole shared with me the historical past of the home and what had occurred earlier than, throughout, and after D-Day, June 6, 1944.
2. The Historical past Of Canada Home, France
(a) Possession
Léon Enault was a director of the shops of the Louvre and Hôtel Crillon in Paris and he owned a resort on the town within the early twentieth century. In 1928 he had the unique home constructed with two semi-detached houses for his two kids, Rogers and Denise. They had been every given half the home below one roof. This is able to turn out to be generally known as Canada Home.
(b) Denise Facet Of The Home
Over the following 8 years, there have been numerous house owners of this home till 1936, when Edmond and Cécile Hoffer purchased the left aspect of the home, the Denise aspect, known as “L’Étrille” and it has stayed within the household ever since. Their grandson was Hervé and he was the husband of Nicole, the present proprietor. Hervé died in 2017.
(c) Rogers Facet Of The Home
The Rogers aspect of the home (proper aspect of the home) additionally had many proprietors and in April 2023, “Villa Les Goélands” was offered to the Cœur de Nacre group. Cœur de Nacre covers 12 kilometres of shoreline and has 5 seaside resorts. Bernières-sur-Mer, the place Canada Home is positioned, is one among them.
3. German Occupation And Requisition Of Canada Home (1943)
Throughout the warfare, the Germans would ordinarily take over the native château however on this case, the one on the town had been destroyed, so that they selected the Hoffer’s home in 1943. Hervé’s mother and father didn’t reside in the home whereas the Germans occupied it. Nicole stated the household lived in Caen (21 km south of Bernières-sur-Mer) and solely used this Normandy home as a vacation home.
One of many explanation why the home was by no means destroyed throughout the warfare, whereas different properties had been, was as a result of German troops lived there and it supplied an essential strategic place. It was within the excellent location, overlooking the seashore and the English Channel, so they might see any enemy coming onto the Normandy shores. The entrance front room window was the best place to place machine weapons. The Germans occupied the home from 1943-1944.
4. June 6, 1944: D-Day Normandy Invasion
On the stone wall that borders the home, there are a selection of photographs from the D-Day invasion and the assault on Canada Home. As you’ll be able to see within the {photograph} close to the start of this publish, the home was broken however not fully destroyed.
(a) The Normandy Invasion Begins
Earlier than the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944, the troopers had seen photographs of the Hoffer home, however orders had been despatched to NOT destroy it. It was nonetheless essential for the operation as a result of it was in an elevated spot and supplied a wonderful place for seeing the water and any advancing troopers. Within the early morning of June 6, 1944, the Normandy Landings commenced and the Canadians of the third Infantry Division landed on Juno Seashore.
The Queen’s Personal Rifles of Canada started the primary assault touchdown on the “Nan” sector of Juno Seashore, after which the eighth brigade of the third Infantry Division (La Chaudière regiment) was tasked with taking on Bernières-sur-Mer which was closely defended by the Germans and their anti-tank partitions.
They had been supported by the tenth Canadian Armored Regiment (The Fort Garry Horse). Studying about all of those regiments and teams of troopers was a bit complicated. However their names are extremely essential as a result of they had been those that succeeded in liberating Bernières-sur-Mer.
(b) The place Is The Seawall Right now?
Canadian veterans of the Normandy Invasion who returned to the world usually requested what occurred to the seawall. It was crucial in defending them from gunfire as they moved inland and approached the home and city. The seawall is now gone as a result of the troopers superior and pushed it down and it was ultimately coated in sand.
(c) Casualties In Entrance Of Canada Home
By the point the Canadian troopers had taken over the city from the Germans within the late morning of June sixth, 93 Canadian troopers had been killed proper in entrance of this home. Many extra had been wounded. The troops occupied the home and captured the German troopers stationed there, together with ones they discovered hiding within the cellar. As soon as they had been all taken prisoner, the Allied troops shortly moved on…because the Battle of Normandy had solely simply begun.
Ever for the reason that home has been liberated it has been generally known as “Canada Home” or “La Maison des Canadiens”.
5. The Hoffers Return To Their Home
As soon as the warfare was over, there was clearly intensive injury to the city and roads. The home was nonetheless standing but additionally had intensive injury. The French authorities paid for renovations to the home. It took a variety of years earlier than the Hoffer household may return and reside of their home. This didn’t happen till round 1950.
6. Guests To Maison des Canadiens
(a) Veterans Go to Juno Seashore In Better Numbers
Hervé inherited the home from his mother and father, Georges and Christian Hoffer within the Nineteen Seventies. Starting in 1984, (the fortieth anniversary of D-Day) an increasing number of Canadian veterans began visiting Juno Seashore. Hervé and Nicole met and chatted with many who stopped in entrance of their home and so they realized extra concerning the significance of their home. In addition they started accumulating souvenirs from the warfare, a lot of which had been items from visiting veterans.
In time, the home turned like a museum. Hervé and Nicole turned vice-presidents of the Canadian Battlefields Basis, which “undertakes applications to commemorate and promote public consciousness of Canada’s position within the two World Wars and different wars of the twentieth century.”
(b) Honouring And Remembering The Canadian Troopers
On June 6, 1977, members of the Queen’s Personal Rifles of Canada regiment and their family positioned a bronze plaque in entrance of the home. The motto of the regiment “In Tempo Paratus” is within the heading. It’s a Latin phrase that means “In Peace Ready”. The plaque reads:
In Tempo Paratus
This home was liberated at first gentle on D-Day, June 6, 1944, by the lads of The Queen’s Personal Rifles of Canada who had been the primary Canadians to land on this seashore. It could have very properly been the primary home on French soil liberated by seaborne Allied forces. Nearby of this home, over 100 males of The Queens Personal Rifles had been killed or wounded within the first couple of minutes of the landings. We are going to bear in mind them.
Along with the various Canadian flags, there are different plaques close by exhibiting the place the troopers landed, the place they made their offensive into France, and an inventory of troopers who died there.
7. Visiting Canada Home In Normandy Right now
By way of Fb, I realized about Canada Home. I noticed many photographs of tourists from all around the globe who’ve visited Bernières-sur-Mer and this crucial place in Normandy known as Canada Home. It’s far more than only a “vacationer attraction”.
Guests have included veterans, present troopers from the Regiment of the Queen’s Personal Rifles of Canada, tour teams, members of the family of troopers who stormed the seashores of Normandy, college teams, younger folks, households, and simply abnormal of us like me who wish to study extra concerning the Canadian’s position in D-Day.
(a) World Warfare II Artifacts And Souvenirs
In the lounge and eating room, many fascinating artifacts and souvenirs are on show together with photographs, tools, helmets, medals, newspaper clippings, and even a Morse code machine. There may be additionally a model absolutely outfitted in a uniform. These had been objects provided to Canada Home by veterans, regiments, or folks visiting the location. The embroidered flag above the hearth was donated by troopers of the Queen’s Personal Rifles who had been serving in Afghanistan.
8. Meritorious Service Medal
In 2015 the Canada Home Affiliation was established to assist the Hoffers proceed to keep up the home and its artifacts. In October 2022, Hervé (posthumously) and Nicole had been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the Canadian Ambassador to France, Stéphane Dion. This was on behalf of the Governor Basic of Canada, Her Excellency the Proper Honourable Mary Simon.
The medal was created by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and “acknowledges a army deed or exercise that has been carried out in a extremely skilled method or of a really excessive customary that brings profit or honour to the Canadian Forces.”
Within the picture above, Nicole is carrying the medal on the Juno Seashore D-Day Anniversary reception. I’m together with her and Captain (retired) Yves Germain Director of the Canadian Battlefields Basis.
9. Occasions At Canada Home On The June sixth Anniversary
At Canada Home on June 6 there are two D-Day anniversary commemorative occasions. The morning ceremony is attended by representatives of the Canadian embassy and army from numerous regiments, troopers in Nineteen Forties uniforms, and bagpipers. There may be the laying of wreaths in entrance of the home.
The night ceremony has pipers from Pegasus Pipes and Drums and the standard Lantern Ceremony. A paraffin lantern is introduced all the way down to the seashore and despatched into the English Channel. It’s a symbolic gesture of because of the Canadian troopers who stormed the seashores on D-Day and fought for our freedom.
My go to to Canada Home and the nice and cozy welcome from Nicole Hoffer has left me with an eternal reminiscence of the kindness of the French and a fair nice understanding of the historical past and sacrifices of the Canadian troops throughout World Warfare II.
Canada Home-La Maison des Canadiens
Tackle: 34 Promenade. des Français, 14990 Bernières-sur-Mer
Fb web page: https://www.fb.com/CanadaHouseLaMaisonDesCanadiens
Contact: contact@maisondescanadiens.fr or use the contact type on the web site
Web site: https://www.maisondescanadiens.fr
For extra details about June 6, 1944, take a look at this publish: D-Day and the Normandy Invasions
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