Queen's Own Rifle - First Hussars Memorial Le Mesnil-Patry

On 11 June 1944, the First Hussars and Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada attacked Le Mesnil-Patry with little preparation. Advancing across open fields, they were ambushed by the 12th SS Panzer Division, which had intercepted Allied plans. The result: 34 tanks lost, over 100 casualties, and brutal close-quarters fighting. Some captured Canadians were later executed. The day became the Queen’s Own Rifles’ “Black Day.” Though the attack failed, it disrupted a German counteroffensive and helped secure the sector weeks later during Operation Epsom. A monument near Saint-Julien Church honors the fallen—names etched in gold.