Henry Duncan Graham Crerar Biography

Appointed Chief of Canadian General Staff

Appointed Chief of Canadian General Staff

Appointed Commander in Chief, Canadian Corps

Appointed Commander in Chief, Canadian Corps

Crerar's First Canadian Army became operational and assumed responsibility for the Allied sector around Caen.

This record states: And it was a part of the largest encirclement on the German Western Front during World War II.

This record states: Operation Tractable is the final offensive conducted by Canadian Army and Polish Army troops as part of the Battle of Normandy.

This record states: The goal of operation Totalize is to capture the strategically important French town of Falaise, and following that, the smaller towns of Trun and Chambois.

This record states: This operation was undertaken by the Polish 1st Armoured Division and the First Canadian Army against the Wehrmachts Army Group B.

The goal of operation Totalize is to capture the strategically important French town of Falaise, and following that, the smaller towns of Trun and Chambois

The goal of operation Totalize is to capture the strategically important French town of Falaise, and following that, the smaller towns of Trun and Chambois

The goal of operation Totalize is to capture the strategically important French town of Falaise, and following that, the smaller towns of Trun and Chambois

This operation was undertaken by the Polish 1st Armoured Division and the First Canadian Army against the Wehrmachts Army Group B, and it was a part of the largest encirclement on the German Western Front during World War II

This operation was undertaken by the Polish 1st Armoured Division and the First Canadian Army against the Wehrmachts Army Group B, and it was a part of the largest encirclement on the German Western Front during World War II

Commands an encirclement of the German Army Group B in the Caen sector

By August 10, Canadian troops had reached Hill 195, north of Falaise

The Canadian Armys offensive stalled on August 9, with strong Wehrmacht counterattacks resulting in heavy casualties for the Canadian and Polish armoured and infantry divisions

Operation Totalize is abandoned after failure to advance along the Caen-Falaise Road

Many of the bombers mistakenly dropped short of their targets, causing 400 Polish and Canadian casualties.

Operation Tractable began at 12:00 on August 14 when 800 Lancaster and Halifax bombers struck German positions along the front.

The Canadians attempt to encircle the 5th Panzer, 7th Army & Panzer Gruppe Eberbach.

Throughout the day, continual attacks by the 4th Canadian and Polish 1st Armoured Divisions managed to force a crossing of the Laison River.

Crerar's army continued the advance from the Caen sector toward Falaise and Trun.

Although the first days progress was slower than expected, Operation Tractable resumed on August 15; both armoured divisions pushed southeast towards Falaise

The drive for Trun by Polish and Canadian Armoured Divisions began on August 16, with preliminary attacks in preparation for an assault against Trun and Chambois. The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division break into Falaise, encountering minor opposition from Waffen SS units and scattered pockets of German infantry

Novel tactics by Polish 1st Armoured Division, under the command of Stanislaw Maczek during the drive for Chambois, enabled the Falaise Gap to be partially closed by August 19, 1944, trapping about 150,000 German soldiers in the Falaise Pocket

Surrender and capture of the remaining units of the German 7th Army which were trapped in the Falaise Pocket. Elements of the First Canadian Army relieved the Polish Armys survivors of this Battle and the Canadian Army was finally able to close the Falaise Pocket by linking up with the troops of the American 3rd Army on the other side

General Harry Crerar, commanding the newly formed First Canadian Army and Lieutenant General Guy Simonds of the II Canadian Corps, planned an Anglo-Canadian offensive with the code name of Operation Totalize

Surrender and capture of the remaining units of the German 7th Army which were trapped in the Falaise Pocket. Elements of the First Canadian Army relieved the Polish Armys survivors of this Battle and the Canadian Army was finally able to close the Falaise Pocket by linking up with the troops of the American 3rd Army on the other side

Surrender and capture of the remaining units of the German 7th Army which were trapped in the Falaise Pocket

Elements of the First Canadian Army relieved the Polish Armys survivors of this Battle and the Canadian Army was finally able to close the Falaise Pocket by linking up with the troops of the American 3rd Army on the other side

Calais is liberated by the Canadian 3rd Division

The German 15th army is encircled in the Beveland peninsula. Liberated by the Canadian 2nd Division

Seals the German 15th army in the Beveland Peninsula

Crerar commands Canadian & Allied forces into southern Germany