Bény-sur-mer Canadian War Cemetery, the burial-place of the soldiers who fell on Juno Beach on D-Day
The Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery at holds the remains of 2,044 Canadian soldiers, mostly from the 3rd Canadian Division, who fell between June and July 1944 on Juno Beach at Corseulles-sur-Mer or during subsequent assaults on Caen.
The cemetery also contains the remains of 18 Canadian prisoners of war tragically massacred by the German SS-Panzer Hilterjugend at the Abbey of Ardenne, near Caen.
The cemetery also honours the memory of 15 Canadian airmen, as well as four British soldiers and one French Resistance fighter, for a total of 2,049 graves. Among them lies R. Guenard, a French Resistance fighter who fought alongside the Canadians and is buried with them, as no family is known to have him. His tomb, adorned with a discreet grey French cross, bears the inscription “Died for France – 19 – 7 – 1944”.
Eternal Rest beneath the maple trees
Located in the heart of the countryside, away from the D-Day landing beaches, the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery is nestled in the shade of majestic maple trees, the emblem of Canada.
Despite its proximity to the village of Reviers, the cemetery takes its name from the neighbouring town of Beny-sur-Mer, which is located just 2 or 3 kilometres inland from Juno Beach.
A huge maple leaf painted on the ground of the cemetery parking lot already conveys a powerful symbolism, linking this small corner of the Normandy coast to the homeland of the men whose remains rest just a few steps away.
An opening in the perimeter wall leads you to a maple-lined path that directs you to the moving Stone of Remembrance. This memorial is flanked by two sheltered pavilions, one of which bears a commemorative plaque in honour of the Cameron Highlanders Regiment of Ottawa. The upper terrace of these pavilions offers a clear view of the cemetery and its many graves.
The entrance to the necropolis is marked by the Carré du Souvenir – Memorial Square, which faces the central path that divides the necropolis into two main sections and leads to the Cross of Sacrifice, erected at its heart.
Lush flowerbeds adorn the individual graves, which are arranged in 16 plots. Two perpendicular paths, shaded by maple trees, divide the cemetery into three subsections.
France granted in perpetuity the plot of land on which the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery is located to honour and perpetuate the memory of these men who left their distant homeland to come and save France from the Nazi threat, thus creating an unbreakable link between our two countries.
Directions: Department of Calvados – Along D35, Reviers
Coordinates: Lat 49.303612 – Long -0.450584
