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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

John Percival Downing

In memory of:

Sergeant John Percival Downing

June 6, 1944
France

Military Service


Service Number:

C/25840

Age:

31

Force:

Army

Unit:

Royal Canadian Engineers

Division:

5 Field Coy.

Additional Information


Born:

October 28, 1912
Humboldt, Saskatchewan

Enlistment:

January 20, 1940
Ottawa, Ontario

Son of John G. and Fanny Downing. Husband of Mina Isabelle Downing of Minnow Lake, Ontario.

Commemorated on Page 294 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information


Cemetery:
Grave Reference:

I. D. 9.

Location:

Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery is about 1 kilometre east of the village of Reviers, on the Creully-Tailleville-Ouistreham road (D.35). Reviers is a village and commune in the Department of the Calvados. It is located 15 kilometres north-west of Caen and 18 kilometres east of Bayeux and 3.5 kilometres south of Courseulles, a village on the sea coast. The village of Beny-sur-Mer is some 2 kilometres south-east of the cemetery. The bus service between Caen and Arromanches (via Reviers and Ver-sur-Mer) passes the cemetery.

It was on the coast just to the north that the 3rd Canadian Division landed on 6th June 1944; on that day, 335 officers and men of that division were killed in action or died of wounds. In this cemetery are the graves of Canadians who gave their lives in the landings in Normandy and in the earlier stages of the subsequent campaign. Canadians who died during the final stages of the fighting in Normandy are buried in Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery.

There are a total of 2,048 burials in Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery. There is also one special memorial erected to a soldier of the Canadian Infantry Corps who is known to have been buried in this cemetery, but the exact site of whose grave could not be located.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

Send us your images

  • Photo of JOHN PERCIVAL DOWNING– Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Memorial– The memorial is dedicated in memory of Canadians who lost their lives while storming Juno Beach on June 6, 1944. They were members of the North Shore Regiment, Fort Garry Horse, Royal Canadian Engineers and the Royal Canadian Artilery.  This memorial is located in St-Aubin-ser-mer, France.
  • Telegram– Telegram to kin re death. Collection War Museum Canada online
  • Grave Marker– Photo courtesy of Bruce MacFarlane
  • Cemetery– The Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, located at Reviers, about 4  kilometres from Juno Beach in Normandy, France. (J. Stephens)

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

To learn more please visit our help page. If you have questions or comments regarding the information contained in this registry, email or call us. For inquiries regarding the names and information found in the RCMP Honour Roll, please email the RCMP.

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