DDay Misidentifications #2: The “Juno Beach Landing” That Never Was

One striking World War II photograph is often circulated as proof of Canadian soldiers storming Juno Beach under fire on DDay. At first glance, it seems convincing: men leaping into the water with rifles in hand, an image full of action and drama.

Yet, the identification could not be more wrong.

The original print, preserved in the Imperial War Museum, tells a very different story. Its caption reads:

"41 Fd. Squadron Royal Engineers of the Czech Brigade on patrol in the flooded areas around Dunkirk from their base at Bulscamp near Furnes."

The truth is that this photo was taken by Charles Harry Hewitt on 3 March 1945, not June 6th, 1944. It is part of a series of fifteen photographs documenting the Czechoslovak Brigade patrolling the flooded terrain around Dunkirk, which remained in German hands until May 1945. The location given is Bulscamp (Bulskamp in Dutch), near Furnes (Veurne).

Looking at the full series, we see men preparing for patrols and even another angle of the so-called “landing” scene, suggesting it was posed for the camera.

However, this was not without risk: another photo in the sequence shows the Engineers taking cover, as German forces in Dunkirk continued to shell the area.

Conclusion

Far from showing Canadian troops at Juno on D-Day, this photograph actually depicts:

• Czechoslovak soldiers, not Canadians

• In Belgium, near Dunkirk, France, not on the beaches of Normandy

• In March 1945, not on DDay, 6 June 1944

A powerful reminder that even the most dramatic wartime images can be misidentified and that careful research is essential before drawing conclusions.

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I'm a certified private tour guide based in Normandy, specialising in D-Day and WWII battlefield tours. Since 2014 I've guided thousands of visitors across the landing beaches and families tracing a relative's footsteps. Along the way I've had the privilege of meeting many veterans and serving as President of the Normandy Federation of Guides. I guide because these stories matter, and because every visitor deserves to understand them properly.

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