Canadian Tours
1st Canadian Parachute Battalion & Juno Beach Tour
About This Tour
This tour tells two connected stories from D-Day: the extraordinary night jump of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, the very first Allied unit into Normandy, and the daylight landings of the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division at Juno Beach hours later.
Detailed Itinerary
The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Bradbrooke, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion jumped into Normandy as part of the British 6th Airborne Division, heading for Drop Zone V as part of Brigadier James Hill's 3rd Parachute Brigade. Hear the stories of their fierce fighting at Varaville, Robehomme, and Le Mesnil crossroads, actions that secured the eastern flank of the entire invasion in the critical hours before dawn.
The First Allied Unit into Normandy
C Company holds a unique place in D-Day history: they were the very first Allied unit to jump into Normandy, landing just before midnight on 5 June 1944, Allied time, ahead of every other unit that would follow that night and morning.
Pegasus Bridge
The tour passes over the famous Pegasus Bridge en route to Juno Beach, linking the airborne story of the early hours to the seaborne landings that followed at dawn.
Juno Beach
The tour continues to Juno Beach, where the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division and supporting units landed between Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer and Graye-sur-Mer across the Mike and Nan sectors. Follow their advance through Saint-Aubin, where the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment and 48 Royal Marine Commando fought to take the town and link up with Sword Beach, through Bernières-sur-Mer and Courseulles-sur-Mer, and on to Graye-sur-Mer, where the Canadian Scottish and Royal Winnipeg Rifles battled ashore against determined German resistance.
Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery
The tour finishes at the beautiful Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, the final resting place of the men whose stories, from the midnight jump to the beach landings, this tour has followed from start to finish.
Tour Highlights
- 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Drop Zone V
- Varaville, Robehomme, and Le Mesnil crossroads
- Pegasus Bridge
- Juno Beach landing sectors, Mike and Nan
- Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery
What’s Included
- Expert specialist guide
- Private vehicle
- 1st Canadian Para unit records