Operation Overlord was more than D-Day

Although there are many holes in my knowledge of my grandfather's experience of the Normandy invasion, I felt I could not let the 75th anniversary go by without acknowledging it.

He was not career military, but my maternal grandfather, Lt./Col. George Washington Smith, O.B.E., E.D., C.D., was the commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Engineers during WWII. I heard many stories of his time overseas when I was little because my father was absolutely fascinated by them, but it wasn't until I watched the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan with my mother years later that I learned that the 3rd Battalion landed in Normandy on D-Day plus four (June 10th) and it was only a few years ago that I received documentation that they were also involved in the preparations for the invasion.

I did know that my grandfather was the recipient of a high military honor when he was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

But even my mother did not know specifically why my grandfather was awarded the O.B.E. She thought it was for the 3rd Battalion's work on an important pipeline, but it was actually for the part that my grandfather and his men played in preparations for Operation Overlord, the codename for the Normandy invasion.  I learned this when I received my grandfather's service file from Library and Archives Canada a few years ago*.

The form below was not actually part of my grandfather's service file, but the diligent archivist at LAC who made the copies of the file for me noticed that there was no documentation in the file of this award. He took it upon himself to find this recommendation for the medal by Brigadier General Storms because he knew it would be meaningful to his descendants.

This officer has commanded this unit since 1941 and, due to the fact that it is entirely composed of French Canadian personnel, 80 per cent of which have no knowledge of the English language, the organization and preparations of the unit to perform its task in France has been a most difficult one.

It was under Lt-Col Smith that the Engineer Base Workshop was built in preparation for Operation OVERLORD. This installation at Liphook, Hants, was deemed urgently required and decided on very late in the planning stage. the estimated time of completion was six months. The work was completed in two months and served the purpose of rebuilding, examination and packing of all types of engineer equipment used in France from the start of operations. That this work was accomplished so successfully was to a very great extent due to the inspiration of this officer.

I have to admit that I was taken aback a bit by the reference to the difficulties of working with a French Canadian unit. Although my grandfather was English-speaking he spoke fluent French, so I don't believe that language played any part in making his command more difficult. In fact, the men of the 3rd Battalion were known to be very hard workers and certainly, the honor of the O.B.E. belongs as much to them as to my grandfather, a sentiment with which I am sure he would agree. One of the news clippings that my grandmother saved makes reference to their work ethic, telling of their building "army camps for other units at breakneck pace which almost exceeds the supply of materials". Obviously, though, the O.B.E. is a great honor which made all my grandfather's friends and family proud.

A few months ago I learned, I think from Gail Dever of Genealogy à la Carte, that there is a project of the Canadian Research and Mapping Association called Project '44. "Project '44 is an online commemoration project" set to launch this summer. The website "will combine basemaps, unit positions, and war diaries into an online experience focused on the First Canadian Army and the Victory Campaign."  I am very excited to see what I can learn from this project about the experiences of my grandfather and the 3rd Battalion in Normandy. And when I do, I will of course share that here with you.

*If you are researching someone who was killed in WWII you can find there service files on Ancestry for free. If you want a service file for someone who survived WWII, you can find instructions here on the Library & Archives Canada website.