Operation Overlord told by Pat McLaughlin



*Operation Overlord told by Pat McLaughlin -June 1944-*

The liberation of France was what Canadian, Pat McLaughlin, had been preparing for - for two years. He had enlisted into the Canadian Army in 1941 for adventure and was sent to Scotland for commando training: *"Wading rivers, climbing mountains, crawling in mud, and one time we were sent on three-day scheme with no food whatsoever and told to live off the land. Well one day, we were so hungry that we dug earthworms, fried them, and ate them. Then I went back to my regiment and waited for the invasion." That time came on June 8, 1944 for McLaughlin - D-Day Plus 2. "The noise was terrific!* The big battleships firing their huge guns from a distance, and the smaller ships like destroyers and corvettes with their snappy, smaller guns created an overwhelming racket. This coupled with machine gun and rifle fire, made an almost impossible mission."



	Canadians Landing at St.Aubin-Sur-Mer on June 6, 1944 *"When I landed ashore at St. Aubin-sur-Mer, the water was up to my armpits*... On the beach, there was a British Beachmaster whose job was to get us off the beach. He was saying: 'Move off the beach you bastards, you'll be killed by a falling shell or run over by a tank!' "



	St. Aubin-Sur-Mer's Beach After the Landings "*Everything was in confusion. By that, I mean we knew exactly what to do, but the huge amount of men and material made it a little difficult for everyone to get their bearings and push inland. I saw many of my comrades who lay either dying or wounded on the beach of St. Aubin-sur-Mer after about two hours of fighting." "I noticed an elderly woman come out of her hourse with a pail and go to her cow and milk it.*All the tine the bullets and bombs were flying all around. In spite of all this, neither she or the cow were harmed in any way." "We then proceeded to the town of St.Aubin-Sur-Mer and held our position there for two or three days. *When their first counter-attack came, I was a twenty year old, nervous soldier.* I was in a slit trench with my sergeant and as the attack was coming, I looked at him. He gave me a big wink, which settled me down. We repelled the counter attack." "After the counter-attack, things were somewhat quiet other than the incessant artillery and mortar bombs which were coming in. We stayed in our slit trenches for a few hours then we were ordered to advance to take out an artillery compound. this we did with a loss of two men. We had quite a battle then, but we prevailed and took out the guns. *From then on it was advance, advance, and advance."*