One lesson the allies learned from the fall of France in 1940 was that civilian populations needed managing, to keep them away from military operations. As the allied troops came-a-shore after D-Day in June 1944, with them would be Civil Affairs units. These units were to act as liaisons between the allied combat troops and the civilians they encountered. The remit for the Civil Affairs units was wide and extremely varied, from keeping roads clear of refugees to feeding and housing local populations that war had ravaged.
Joining me today is David Borys.
David is a Canadian academic whose book Civilians at the Sharp End looks at the experiences of the Civilian Affairs units attached to the Canadian First Army. David is also the host of the popular podcast Cool Canadian History, a bi-weekly podcast on everything and anything to do with Canadian History.
167 - John Basilone
166 - Rodolfo Graziani
165 - P-51 Mustang
164 - Marshall and Stimson
163 - British Wartime Industry
162 - Tobruk
161 - Marine Aces of the South Pacific
160 - African American Medal of Honor Recipients
159 - The Aztec Eagles
158 - With the Old Breed: EB Sledge
157 - General Patton
156 - Churchill, Master and Commander
155 - Pearl Harbor
154 - Chemical Weapons
152 - U.S. Naval Gunfire Support in the Pacific
151 - Escape from Greece
150 - Eisenhower's Broad Front Strategy
149 - Australia's war with France
148 - Luftwaffe Special Weapons
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