D-Day and Juno Beach

Heroes Remember

D-Day and Juno Beach

Transcript

It wasn't too long before we were in action. We didn't go over, when we left our premises there, at Tunbridge, just north of (Royal) Tunbridge Wells, we went into London, and we got on the Thames and we picked up landing crafts there, and we went around the straits of Dover. And when we went around the straits of Dover, of course this was a diversion as far as the, you know, the Germans thought we were still coming across that way. But they were putting smoke screens up all the time and we were hugging the coast right beside the straits of Dover. And we were just, we were just there at that time, and I was below deck, and all of a sudden the guns on the, on the ship opened up and I rushed up to find out what was going on. But it was another buzz bomb going over and they were trying to shoot it down. But we went on, and to, approximately, about Southhampton then we went straight across. We were fortunate when we got there because they had, had these, landing, well I, I don't know what you would call them, but we had a dry landing. We went right off the boat right onto these landing barges and... Interviewer: Were they the Mulberry Harbours? Yeah, that's what it, that's the word, yeah, yeah, and that brought us right up onto, onto the shore. And that first day, we drove around Juno Beach, and we drove around about half an hour, and we came to a spot and they said, "Okay, we are gonna stay here for the night." So they said to, "You've got to dig foxholes." So I am busy digging this foxhole, and it is very difficult because it's, there's roots and everything. And they said, "No, you shouldn't be digging here this is amongst the trees. And if a shell hits the trees it spreads out." So I am dog tired so I get a stretcher out of the back of the truck and I push it under the truck and I, I go to sleep. And I wake up the next morning and I look up from where I am, and I'm directly above my head is the gas tank. And if a shell had hit that, it was goodbye John.

Description

Mr. Weicker talks about his crossing on D-Day, and his first night on Juno Beach.

John Joseph Weicker

John Joseph Weicker was born on November 17, 1920, in Duncan, British Columbia. Mr. Weicker attended Duncan High School and completed his first year of university there as well. He attended Gonzaga University for his second year and returned to Victoria, BC, in 1941 to work at St. Joseph's Hospital as an apprentice pharmacist. Mr. Weicker got a call to join the army, however, was given an exemption because there was a requirement of four years apprenticeship before he could write the pharmacist exam. The Pharmacy Association allowed him to do one year apprenticeship and the other three years would be served while he was in the army. He was exempted until August. From there he did basic training in Vernon and at the Camp Borden Medical Training Centre. He was then sent to Chilliwack Military Hospital. While there he volunteered to go overseas. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Weicker was sent to Vancouver to Hastings Park where a unit was forming, 12th Field Dressing Station. In May 1942 his unit was sent overseas to Northern Scotland, and was eventually assigned to the 4th Armoured Division. There was no call for an apprentice pharmacist so Mr. Weicker was listed as a nursing orderly. On D-Day he crossed the Strait of Dover and made his way to Juno Beach. From there he went on to Falaise, Normandy. After the war ended he crossed the Rhine to Wilhelmshaven, Germany. After leaving the Army, Mr. Weicker completed pharmacy school and passed his pharmacy exams in 1947.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 02:26
Person Interviewed:: John Joseph Weicker
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Branch:: Army
Units/Ship:: 4th Armoured Division
Occupation:: Nursing Orderly

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D-Day and Juno Beach

Heroes Remember