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Canadian Soldiers murdered in Normandy in 1944

We owe a debt of gratitude to Howard Margolian whose book Conduct Unbecoming: The Story of the Murder of Canadian Prisoners of War in Normandy puts a human face on a little known facet of Canadian history. In June 1944, during the height of the Allied offensive in Normandy, more than 150 soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Division lost their lives after being captured by troops of Nazi Germany’s 12th SS Panzer Division ‘Hitler Youth’. Through Margolian’s carefully-documented research, we know most of their names and the horrific circumstances of their deaths. They were mainly unmarried young men in their twenties, who came from every province of Canada, although the majority were from Ontario (30%) and Manitoba (28%). 77 percent were of British extraction, 9 percent Cree or Mi’kmaq, and of the remaining 15 percent, there were five francophones, four Ukrainians, three Scandinavians, two Poles, two Rumanians, one Russian, one Dutchman, and one German. They came from different circumstances, but they had some things in common. Like their 3rd Division comrades, they had “their unit, their training, and the conviction that their sacrifice, should it be necessary, would be for the greater good.” According to Margolian, there was “one other thing that bound these men to one another.” They were all Canadians.

In order to honour their sacrifice, we have added their names here for remembrance. Perhaps through the collective memory of Canadians across this country, we can tell their stories in full. Consider this page a beginning. For a related student activity, see the teachers' guide entitled "The Murders at the Château d’Audrieu: A Case Study."

Click on soldiers' surnames to view more information:

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Last updated: December 13, 2010

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