Government contributes to Regina Rifles D-Day statue project

A group of current and retired Regina soldiers will make a trip to France this summer to unveil a statue and commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

The Royal Regina Rifles – known during the Second World War as the Regina Rifle Regiment – was one of the first groups of infantry to land on Juno Beach as part of Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944.

The successful landings in Normandy, France marked a major turning point in the war by allowing the Allies to establish a beachhead in mainland Europe and begin to push back the Axis forces.

A replica of the statue that will be placed on the Normandy beach where the Regina Rifle Regiment landed on June 6, 1944. (980 CJME)

Nicknamed “The Johns” because a large number of their members were farmers, the Rifles landed on the western side of the beach, destroying gun positions and clearing the village of Courseulles-sur-Mer as the troops pushed further inland.

Of the 458 members of the regiment who died over the course of the war, 102 lost their lives on D-Day alone.

On Friday, the Government of Saskatchewan announced a contribution of $40,000 to help current and retired members of the regiment mark the battle’s 80th anniversary and create a permanent memorial to ensure the heroic actions on D-Day will never be forgotten.

“To commemorate the anniversary and honour the sacrifice made by so many Saskatchewan soldiers, a bronze statue will be erected in Normandy,” the government explained in a statement.

“A group of active and retired Royal Regina Rifles servicemen and women will accompany the statue to Normandy, participate in the unveiling and continue on a 10-day battlefield tour, stopping at significant places in France, Holland and Belgium.”

Lt.-Col. (Ret.) Ed Staniowski, the lead planner for the project, said the government’s contribution will be a big help in the effort to create a permanent memorial to the regiment’s actions on D-Day.

“This grant contributes significantly to our efforts to honour the sacrifice of men from across the province who stormed Juno Beach on 6 June 1944 and to recognize the service of the members of the Regiment who proudly carry on the traditions of the Royal Regina Rifles today,” Staniowski said in a statement.

The statue – created by Alberta sculptor Don Begg – will be previewed at the Legislative Building in Regina by members of the Royal Regina Rifles Trust on Saturday.

After a stop at the Peepeekisis First Nation – which contributed more than 40 soldiers to the war effort – the statue will be taken to France, where it will be officially unveiled in June.