Guy Simonds

Guy Simonds was born in 1903 in Suffolk England and was a child when he moved with his family and settled in British Columbia. Too young to fight during the First World War Simonds was still connected to the conflict through his father, Cecil, who fought and was injured in 1918 but survived the war. Simonds military career started when he studied at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, where he was commissioned in 1926 and joined the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery as a Second Lieutenant.

At the outbreak of war in 1939 Simonds was posted to England, and in 1940 became the commanding officer of 1st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. Then, in August 1941 he was made acting Brigadier General Staff of I Canadian Corps and was eventually attached to the British 8th Army by orders of General Andrew McNaugton. Simonds was then promoted to the rank of Major General in April 1943, just a few short months before the invasion of Sicily.

Simonds led the First Canadian Division through their campaign in Sicily and frequently caught the eye of General Montgomery, who was impressed with his role and his combat results. Simonds would help oversee the invasion of mainland Italy during Operation Baytown in September 1943 but would fall ill later that month. He would return to command 5th Canadian Division until he was recalled to England in 1944 to take part in the Normandy Invasion.

Sources:

Dancocks, Daniel G. (1991). The D-Day Dodgers. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Inc.

“Guy Simonds” Juno Beach Centre. https://www.junobeach.org/canada-in-wwii/articles/lieutenant-general-guy-g-simonds/