Was your relative at D-Day?

In partnership with LAC the Canadian Research and Mapping Association (CRMA) is digitizing over 200 maps of the First Canadian Army for Project’44.

Project’44 is an online commemoration project set to launch this summer for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The website will combine basemaps, unit positions, and war diaries into an online experience focused on the First Canadian Army in Normandy.

In conversation with Julien Brown, CRMA - Treasurer / Research and Development, I learned that they aim to bring together resources from a variety of sources with innovative mapping technology linked to text. If you know the unit someone of interest served with you will be able to follow their experience day by day. It may be possible in the longer term to incorporate a social component with individual's pictures and other documentation. Interest has already been expressed from The Netherlands.

CMRA is aiming to raise $500K to complete Project'44 and make a start on Victory'45 to mark the 75th anniversary of the last year of the SWW.  However the process of registering as a charitable organization to allowing issuing charitable donation receipts is not yet complete.

If successful there is the possibility of extending the project to cover the advance in Italy and the Korean War.

To keep up to date on progress enter your email address in the box at the bottom of the page at https://www.project44.ca/project-44