With a slight respite in the Canada Post strike, I finally got my contributor's copy of @mike-bechthold.bsky.social's Airpower and the Normandy Campaign! Looking forward to reading the contributions of @boneyabroad.com, @heatheratacts.bsky.social, @smoorebofb1940.bsky.social and many others!

If the Rogers Centre was closed, the roof would have blown off today.

A group of Yankees hasn’t been beaten in Canada that bad since 1812.

Thinking of pitching a book about US military history the thesis of which is that when America has won wars in the past it has had less to do with ‘warrior ethos’ than with some grown ups in charge who knew what they were fucking doing. Apparently this is an urgent thesis to restate.

My current read. The 80th anniversary of the end of the Asia-Pacific War nears. It ended in a cacophony of violence. And how it ended may not perfectly link to why it ended.

I watched The Last Rifleman last night. It was heartfelt, straightforward, personal, and handled some difficult moments well (12th SS veteran encounter). Have you seen it? If so, what did you think?

Quick stop last week in Whitby, ON at the former site of Camp X, a #WW2 training facility for Allied agents and a comms relay station that lasted into the 1960's. There is also a bust of Sir William Stephenson and a stone commemorating the local historian who helped unearth and keep the story alive.

I'm not much of a collector, but this one caught my eye. Front and back of my new Mark II helmet, named to a Pte. Sovereign (ID disc attached to the chin strap), who served with a Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps unit at 2nd Canadian Corps.

#CanadaDay "The job of clearing the approaches to Antwerp was given to the First Canadian Army. What Copp dubbed 'The Cinderella Army' was habituated to doing much with little and getting even less credit for its efforts. And so it would be in the Scheldt."

"... it is a central tenet of this phase of the Normandy narrative that the British were running low on infantry. But somebody's infantry had to maintain pressure south of Caen, at least until the Americans launched their attack. That task fell to the Canadians." Result: bloody Verrieres Ridge.

"Much of the angst over the slow pace in Normandy emanated from SHAEF itself: 100 sea-miles from the action, besieged by idle and frustrated journalists, and much less well informed than it ought to have been."

"Between their role in the deception campaign and the tenacious defence of their positions [on 7-10 June 1944]..., the Canadians had defeated the threat of a Panzer counterattack in the opening phases of Overlord. ... [T]hey changed the course of history."

Venting frustration: Apparently the strain between Canada and the USA right now is all in my head. And Everything will go back to the way it was after Trump is gone. Also, I am told a monument is only a good monument if it has a realistic-looking Canadian soldier featured. Vimy stinks I guess?

@balloons2drones.bsky.social – 9 years on. Thanks go to those who have supported the site, especially @brianlaslie.bsky.social, Mike Hankins, @alexfitzblack.bsky.social, @luketruxal.bsky.social, @spitfirefilly.bsky.social, @mariaeb.bsky.social, drrossmahoney.wordpress.com/2025/06/16/f...

🗓️ #OnThisDay 6 June 1944: Operation Overlord, the invasion of France, begins. In S5, @alexfitzblack.bsky.social of the Juno Beach Centre 🇨🇦 rages against the idea that this was the largest invasion in history. Listen now at: pod.fo/e/161258 #OTD #O#OnThisDay#OTD#OnThisDate #History #Podcast #WWII

"No British politician, official or military officer who had to deal with Canadians in the early 20th century ever found them tame, humble, or lacking in independence."

I came for #DDay and #Normandy, am fascinated by the insights into how Canada was sandwiched between two great powers jostling for dominance, but I'm staying for the subtle parallels between the interwar period and today.

Big day in Hamilton at HMCS Haida meeting up with a good friend, who happens to be a modern RCN Veteran, and his family. This destroyer is the only one remaining in the world of its class (27 built) and is known as "Canada's fightingest ship."

Reflecting on an incredible week commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day and the Liberation of the Netherlands. Honoured to have represented the #JunoBeachCentre at these events with some incredible #WW2 and modern Veterans. Plenty of laughs + tears wrapped around feelings of intense gratitude.

The Juno Beach Centre's He Lived Where You Live postcard campaign is back for a third time. Find out why we sent 1,945 postcards to Canadian homes across Canada. www.junobeach.org/he-lived-whe... #VEDay80 #CanadaRemembers #LestWeForget

On this day in 1917 the Canadian Corps advanced together into battle and captured Vimy Ridge. It was easily their most famous (but not most important) victory of the First World War. A thread on the myths and reality of this celebrated battle: 1/

"I've been called a socialist, also a conservative. I've always thought private industry could do anything better than public or government enterprise. But some things need to be done by the nation as a whole, and we did them the best we could." - C.D. Howe, Canada's "Minister of Everything"

Our response is to fight, to protect, and to build.

Grateful to have access to discussions about new historical works like this on this app. Thanks, @alanallport.bsky.social!

The art of the deal: bitch and whine when your victim finds a soft spot in your armour and hits back.

It's incredibly depressing to see the vitriol on display in many responses to a pair of national heritage institutions marking the end of Prime Minister Trudeau's tenure as Prime Minister on social media. If you don't have anything nice to say... Shut up!

A reminder that doing the right thing can include some fairly selfish acts. The USA has Ukraine over a barrel, as they had the UK in 1940-41. The difference today seems to be a willingness to support the aggressor due to personal, not national self-interest.

Much talk of FDR, Churchill, Lend-Lease, 1940 and so on at the moment. It is probably important to remind ourselves that the Roosevelt administration flirted with the idea of abandoning Britain in the early years of the Second World War and might have done had events worked out differently. 🧵

Woah!

Arsehole. While we're at it with trolley problems, how about one with Putin? Or another with Putin having started the tram in the first place?!

As I said...

Imagine where we would be in the world today if Roosevelt had treated Churchill in December 1941 like Trump treated Zelenskyy during his visit today. I shudder at the thought.

A special moment for Canada!

Proud of this statement and proud of our country on this, the 60th anniversary of our flag. The 🍁 has represented Canada on battlefields for over 100 years. It could never be replaced with the Stars and Stripes! www.junobeach.org/dispatch-on-...

This has been a long time coming! Thanks to @mike-bechthold.bsky.social for inviting me to submit my chapter on how the Canadian Army experienced air support in Normandy.

This trade war means that Canada needs to destroy the USA in every match up at the 4 Nations Face Off this month. #CrushEm

It's not bad that I like SAS Rogue Heroes, right? Because I really, really like it. In the way I like Inglorious Bastards.

The start of my history reading list for 2025. Looking forward to rumoured titles by @okeefehistorian.bsky.social and @alanallport.bsky.social as well.

Quite the story as #RCAF100 comes to a close. Byron Rawson, a tragic hero. erinotoole.substack.com/p/canadas-mo...

My loot for Christmas 2024. A decent summary of my interests.

I would like to offer Ginette Petitpas Taylor my sincere appreciation and heartfelt gratitude for the outgoing Minister's steadfast and timely support of the #JunoBeachCentre these past two years. From the beginning she displayed genuine warmth and a profound understanding of our mission.

Back on June 6th, I never got the chance to meet Bill Seifried, a #WW2 veteran from my town of Guelph, ON. He served in the Regina Rifle Regiment from September 1944 to war's end. Today I had the pleasure of meeting Bill and his family, with greetings from the Juno Beach Centre.

Does anyone else listen to this classic on Christmas Eve? #Christmas #ChristmasTradition #RAF #RCAF

The memorial at Abbaye d’Ardenne, where 20 Canadian soldiers were murdered by the 12th SS Panzer Division (Hitler Youth) in June 1944. A moving pilgrimage site for Canada in Normandy.

The Typhoon pilots Battle of Normandy memorial in Noyers-Bocage, France. Among the names listed on the wall behind this centrepiece are nearly 40 Canadians. #RCAF

Great conference on the RCAF today at the RCMI. Great to reconnect with Ted Barris, Randy Wakelam, @alexfitzblack.bsky.social and others!

The main subject of my talk at the RCMI symposium on #RCAF100 tomorrow. Rising to the Challenge: The RCAF in the Second World War, the Juno Beach Centre's temporary exhibition, 2024-2025.

I just put the finishing touches on this presentation. Looking forward to the event on Saturday! See the RCMI website if you want to join us.

If you are a historian and have a subject you would like to present, please do get in touch. I am always looking for new guests and content on my YouTube Channel WW2TV I'm especially looking for Masters/PhD candidates and graduates, and as always more women talking about war stuff!

Am playing around with ChatGPT this afternoon. Asked it to generate an image of Juno Beach. Here is what it drew.