RETURN TO NORMANDY:
80th ANNIveRSARY of D-DAY

Fundraising Update: The D-Day+80 Fundraising Campaign is well underway. In August, we revealed that we received a generous offer to match donations until Remembrance Day. We're pleased to share that the donor has kindly extended the date for donation-matching until December 31st, 2023.

June 1-8, 2024


Normandy, france

To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada will deploy a 65-member contingent to Normandy, France from June 1-8, 2024. As the only Toronto-based Infantry unit to have participated in the D-Day Landings, the QOR was part of the first wave of the assault on Juno Beach, Sector Nan White—a one kilometre piece of beach centred on the town of Bernières-sur-Mer.

The unit suffered the most casualties of any Canadian regiment, with 143 Riflemen killed, wounded, or captured—including 61 who made the supreme sacrifice. The QOR then advanced 12 kilometres inland to the town of Anisy, the furthest of any Canadian unit on that day. The commemorative trip will follow in their footsteps, with ceremonies in Anisy, Anguerny, Bény-sur-Mer, Giberville (Caen), and Le Mesnil-Patry, culminating in a morning ceremony at Canada House and Mess Dinner on June 6th.

This will be a privately funded trip with no government funding. As a result, the unit will be conducting a fundraising campaign in order to deploy its members to Normandy. The estimated cost per member is $3000 CDN, and we are kindly requesting support from the extended Regimental Family.

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SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN

Sponsor a Rifleman

  • Individual or group sponsorships of a serving member of the Regiment are available. Each sponsorship will allow one Rifleman to travel to Normandy in the name of one of the 61 Riflemen killed on June 6th, 1944.

  • The serving member and sponsor(s) will be given a Coin of Remembrance engraved with the name of the Rifleman being remembered.

  • The serving member will conduct research and attend the gravesite as part of the trip.

  • Sponsors will receive a tax receipt for the sponsored amount of $3000 CAD and will be made a Founder of the 1860 Club.

  • Sponsors will be welcome to attend the ceremonies during the trip, including the Mess Dinner on June 6th, 2024 on the beach at Bernières-sur-Mer.

Corporate Sponsors

Corporate Sponsors who wish to sponsor key aspects of the trip, in the form of a financial or service donation, are gladly welcome. Sponsors will receive a tax receipt for the donated amount.

Directed Donation

New or existing members of the 1860 Club will be able to make a donation directly to the D+80 campaign through this link. A tax receipt will be provided for the donated amount.

Please contact us for more information.

Donate Now

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

All events are subject to change.

June 1st  

  • 14:30 Pegasus Bridge Museum 

  • 16:30 Le Mesnil Crossroads and 1 Can Para Memorial

  • 19:00 Bernières-sur-Mer and Canada House (Dinner) 

June 2nd

  • 10:00 Juno Beach Centre 

  • 13:00 Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery

  • 17:00 Dinner in Anisy

June 3rd 

  • 10:00 Carpiquiet (Airport) 

  • 12:00 Commemoration in Giberville (Dinner in Giberville) 

 June 4th 

  • 11:00 Commemoration in Le Mesnil-Patry 

  • 14:00 Commemoration (Rue Bill Ross) in Anguerny (Dinner in Anguerny) 

 June 5th 

  • 10:00 Historical walk from Bernières-sur-Mer to Anisy  

  • 16:00 Parade in Anisy (Dinner in Anisy)

June 6th 

  • 8:00 Commemoration at Canada House 

  • 11:00 Ceremony at JBC (TBC)

  • 18:00 Mess Dinner 

  • 21:00 Lantern Ceremony 

June 7th  

  • 11:00 Ceremony in Caen (Battlefields Foundation)