Regina Rifle Regiment Memorial Bretteville-l'Orgueilleuse

On the evening of June 7, 1944—just one day after landing on Juno Beach—the Royal Regina Rifles reached this village. That night, they faced a determined counterattack by tanks and infantry of the 12th SS Panzer Division. The fighting raged through the streets as German Panthers pushed into the village. Against overwhelming odds, the Regina Rifles held their ground. By dawn, the enemy had been driven back, and Bretteville remained in Canadian hands.

This stand was one of the regiment’s defining moments in Normandy. It secured the Allied bridgehead west of Caen and demonstrated the courage and resilience of Canadian soldiers in the face of elite German forces.

The monument before you honors their sacrifice. The original stone memorial recalls the stand of “D” Company, which bore the brunt of the fighting here. In 2024, on the 80th anniversary of D‑Day, a new bronze statue was unveiled. It depicts a Regina Rifleman advancing with a Bren gun, symbolizing the determination of the regiment from the beaches of Normandy to the liberation of Europe. Around its base are inscribed the names of nearly 400 members of the regiment who lost their lives in the Second World War.

Together, these memorials ensure that the story of the Royal Regina Rifles at Bretteville‑l’Orgueilleuse will not be forgotten.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Koos Winkelman