Three Canadian Field Ambulance Units - Nos. 14, 22 and 23 had been attached respectively to the 7th, 8th and 9th Infantry Brigades for the initial landings. As the assault battalions pushed inland, the ambulance units followed along behind, gathering the wounded and evacuating them to dressing stations established behind the advancing lines. By 1100 hours, No. 14 Canadian Field Ambulance established a dressing station at Banville-sur-Mer while No. 22 established a matching facility at Beny-sur-Mer shortly after 1800 hours.
A wounded man of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division is
evacuated by members of the Regimental Aid Post, with help from the regiment’s Padre, near Caen, Normandy, 15 July 1944. (NAC PA-140192.)
Closer to the beach, the medical units of No. 102 British Beach Sub-Area were responsible for administering and maintaining Juno Beach. They landed two field dressing stations, two field surgical units, one field transfusion unit, one surgical team, a field sanitation detachment, Pioneer Company stretcher-bearers, and a casualty evacuation unit. The British medical units set up two advanced surgical centres at Bernières-sur-Mer and at Graye-sur-Mer and were operational by 1100 hours.
Canadian nurses served in Normandy with both the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. The first Canadian Nursing Sisters in Normandy landed at Juno Beach on 19 June 1944 as members of No. 2 Royal Canadian Air Force Mobile Field Hospital. Three Canadian Army General Hospitals and three Canadian Casualty Clearing Stations based near Bayeux and Caen all had female nursing staff.
The Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps landed 235 members on Juno Beach on June 6th, 1944. The RCAMC suffered 7 killed and 3 wounded on D-Day.
Nurses with No. 10 Canadian General Hospital land at Arromanches by amphibious truck on July 23. (PA10874 Public Archives)
