Bloody Buron: The Battle of Buron, Normandy - 08 July 1944

Bryan Hayter worked as a marketing and communications co-ordinator for a consulting engineering firm; he lived in Elora, Ontario.

Many war books have focused on the broad cut and thrust of battles and campaigns, often to the exclusion of the intimate view of individuals in action. Allan Snowie has produced an excellent microcosmic view of one group of Canadians carrying out one of the most difficult post-D-Day battle assignments. He has captured the feel of men at war by concentrating on one single event in the life of a battalion. Using field maps, on-the-scene photographs, soldiers’ and official diaries, and the recollections of a group of survivors, Captain Snowie has given authenticity and a sense of immediacy to the narrative.

His subject is the Highland Light Infantry of Canada and its fight for the Normandy village of Buron on July 8, 1944. The main players in the hard-slogging fight were young men from the rural routes, towns, and small cities in the Guelph-Kitchener area.

By using the above-named materials, Snowie makes these soldiers more than anonymous names. Admittedly a lot of the photographs are of the type favored by war-time public relations officers (all smiling faces and homely scenes), but there’s enough action shown to get the real point across. An occasional shot of exhausted, drained men leaning against a wall speaks volumes.

The greatest impact of the book, though, is its ability to bring together these kinds of opposite images in both word and photograph. These are men, just slightly out of boyhood, whom one can imagine playing out typical roles in southwestern Ontario life. Their move from hometown to combat with a high likelihood of being killed is the one that provides the jolt. High marks, then, go to Captain Snowie (a veteran of post-war naval service, incidentally) for bringing a familiar human face to his war narrative.

As a piece of writing, Bloody Buron is well crafted. A nice blend of words from the various sources is used to keep the action going. Selective editing has helped to create this dramatic tension.

The author has provided lots for those who like to pore over details. A glossary, lists of all who fought with the battalion, details of awards, and a bibliography complete the story without intruding on the flow of the narrative.

If one can put any kind of caveat on a book such as this, it is the fact that the author is an official historian, unlikely to stir up unpleasant truths in what is really a vehicle for remembrance and honor for those who served. With that said, it still stands as a fine work, likely to interest all who care to look back at a time of unparalleled sacrifice in our country’s history.