In this CCH special episode, we bring together two expert historians for a gripping confrontation of perspectives, examining—and challenging—the significance of two defining Canadian battles of the Second World War: D-Day Phase One and the Battle of the Scheldt. These were not just moments on a battlefield, but crucibles of chaos, courage, and consequence, where the fate of thousands—and the trajectory of the war itself—hung in the balance. Each historian steps forward to argue why their battle stands as a pivotal moment in Canada’s military history, setting the stage for a compelling and thought-provoking exchange.
ALEXANDER FITZGERALD-BLACK is the Executive Director at the Juno Beach Centre Association, the charity that owns Canada’s Second World War Museum on the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy, France. He holds a Master of Arts in Military History (University of New Brunswick) and a Master of Arts in Public History (Western University). His first book, Eagles over Husky: The Allied Air Forces in the Sicilian Campaign, 14 May to 17 August 1943, was published in 2018. He has co-written multiple exhibitions at the Juno Beach Centre, including From Dieppe to Juno: The 80th Anniversary of the Dieppe Raid and Rising to the Challenge: The RCAF in the Second World War. Most recently, his book chapter “The Air Support Rollercoaster: Canadian Soldiers’ Morale in Normandy” was published by the Naval Institute Press in Airpower and the Normandy Campaign, edited by Mike Bechthold.
Megan Hamilton is a Canadian historian currently studying in the UK. She's in the final year of her PhD at King’s College London, which is being completed in partnership with the Imperial War Museum. Her research studies Second World War army training across the British Empire, examining how the Imperial armies trained and learned together. She was part of the team that put together the IWM’s current temporary exhibit, 'Emergency Exits: The Fight for Independence in Malaya, Kenya and Cyprus,’ which is open in London until the end of March 2026. She is a regional director for the Second World War Research Group and a graduate teaching assistant at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.
You can donate to the Juno Beach Centre's fundraising drive for a Juno Beach Memorial at the below link!