By Robert Washburn
As Port Hope High School students Mac Evans and Kaitlin Calbery lay a wreath at the Canadian Military Cemetery Beny-sur-Mer as part of the official ceremonies taking place later this week marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, it is a good time to reflect on the contribution local men and women made during this historic battle. In an effort to end four years of German occupation, Allied forces invaded Western Europe on June 6, 1944. Nearly 150,000 troops landed on an 80-kilometre stretch of beach along the coast of Normandy, 14,000 were Canadians. Facing a barrage of artillery, machine guns, mines and booby-traps, the invasion was a success, turning the tide of the war. But, it was not just the troops on the beaches playing a role. Continue Reading →