Canada's Naval History

Second World War (1939-1945)
The Navy in European Waters - D-Day and the Normandy Landings

Over 100 Canadian warships and some 10,000 Canadian sailors supported D-Day, the 6 June 1944 landings in Normandy. Canadian ships and sailors helped protect the invasion fleet, cleared German minefields, and ferried Allied troops across the Channel.

Artifact Record

Chaudières Embarking for Normandy Assault

In Harold Beament's painting, members of the Régiment de la Chaudière board the Canadian infantry landing ship HMCS Prince David prior to D-Day.

A former passenger liner and armed merchant cruiser, Prince David had been converted to a Landing Ship Infantry (Medium), and given its own flotilla of landing craft for transporting soldiers ashore. Prince David would transport the Chaudières and British troops across the English Channel before loading them into Landing Craft Assault (LCAs) for the final run to the beach. Many of Prince David's landing craft were subsequently lost to either damage by German beach defences or mortar fire.

Chaudières Embarking for Normandy Assault
Painted by Harold Beament
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
CWM 19710261-1000