A French woman tends to the grave of a 23-year-old Canadian soldier who was buried earlier that day; Bombardier Everitt Ivan Hill of the 2nd Anti-Tank Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, killed during the Battle for Caen. Under his name and date of burial is written "The French Will Never Forget the Canadians.“ Beneath that inscription, on a separate piece of paper, is written in French:

"Rest in peace under the beautiful French sky,

Son of Canada and glorious martyr.

You have given your life for our deliverance –

May your name be forever blessed in Heaven.”

Hill, originally from Little Britain, Ontario, enlisted with the Royal Canadian Artillery on 24 March 1941 and landed in Normandy on D-Day. He was later reburied at Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery near Cintheaux and was one of approximately 50,539 Allied casualties in the Battle for Caen. Approximately 226,386 Allied soldiers and between 400,000 to 450,000 Axis soldiers would be killed in the Battle of Normandy. Caen, Calvados, Lower Normandy, France. 18 July 1944. Image taken by Canadian Army Lt. Ken Bell.

(Source: bac-lac.gc.ca)