A sailing trip off the coast of Europe ended with a Fernie family discovering its own close connection to one of the Second World War害羞草研究所檚 most important battles.

In July, Deryk and Sara Yuill and their daughter Emily set off on a two-month journey in the North Sea and neighbouring English Channel in their boat, First Tracks. A chance meeting with tourists led them to Juno Beach in France, where they discovered that Deryk害羞草研究所檚 uncle Ronald Brewer had fought and died in the Second World War.

害羞草研究所淲e didn害羞草研究所檛 really have a plan other than we were on the boat for two months and we were generally headed west, with the goal of getting some distance into France,害羞草研究所� Deryk explained. 害羞草研究所淲e were going to see some things in Belgium, see some things in France. [We] didn害羞草研究所檛 really know what those things were going to be. We were just going to enjoy the summer.害羞草研究所�

Juno Beach is one of several beaches along the Normandy coastline of France that was the site of the D-Day invasions. On the morning of June 6, 1944, troops from England, Canada and the U.S descended on the coastal beaches to attack German blockhouses. This would mark the beginning of a series of military campaigns that allowed allied forces to gain a foothold in Europe.

The Yuills didn害羞草研究所檛 know about the family connection until they set foot on the beach.

害羞草研究所淒eryk knew his uncle died in the war, but he didn害羞草研究所檛 know when and where. He knew his uncle was on the [Fernie] cenotaph, but it wasn害羞草研究所檛 really talked about ever,害羞草研究所� said Sara.

Plans for the fateful trip were set in motion when the Yuills ran into some English sailors in Boulogne-sur-Mer, who were keen to visit the beaches.

害羞草研究所淭hey had this plan of going to the beaches and taking some pictures with this old flag that they had害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� Deryk recalled. 害羞草研究所淭heir plan kind of fit pretty well in with what I thought we needed to do to wrap up the summer.害羞草研究所�

The Yuills sailed to Ouistreham and boarded a bus to Juno. They toured the Juno Beach Centre 害羞草研究所� a museum dedicated to the soldiers that fought there 害羞草研究所� and visited the German bunkers on the beach.

During their visit, Deryk suddenly had the urge to look up his uncle害羞草研究所檚 name on his phone to see if he could find where he had fought and died. To his surprise he discovered that his uncle, Ronald Brewer, had spent his final moments on the very beach they were exploring.

They also discovered that he was buried only a few kilometres away from Juno Beach, in Graye-sur-Mer Cemetery. A Canadian-born traveller who was familiar with the area offered to take them to his grave.

Deryk said that learning about the family connection helped him understand the conflict better.

害羞草研究所淵ou start to really appreciate the importance and the magnitude of D-Day害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 hadn害羞草研究所檛 really considered everything that it meant, the scale of the undertaking. That was the day the good guys started to win.害羞草研究所�

Fernie research project provides further information

The family害羞草研究所檚 discovery dovetailed with a history project headed up by two local women back in Fernie, which sought to uncover details about the soldiers listed on the local cenotaph.

Fernie resident Sylvia Ayers launched the project back in 2018 as a way of commemorating First and Second World War veterans. She sought the help of Fernie Museum curator Lindsay Vallance, who began researching the men on the cenotaph, including Ronald Brewer.

READ MORE:

Between the journey to France and the research project, a story of Brewer害羞草研究所檚 life has begun to emerge.

Ronald Norman Brewer was born Aug. 1, 1922 in Travis, Alta., to Fernie carpenter Sidney Edmund Brewer and Fuller Brush Company employee Ilah Brewer. Brewer worked on his uncle害羞草研究所檚 chicken farm before enlisting for service on July. 21, 1941 in Cranbrook. He served as a sapper (combat engineer), blacksmith and driver for the Royal Canadian Engineers. He was killed by mortar fire on June 6, 1944 during the landing at Juno Beach.

害羞草研究所淗e was wounded by machine gun fire on the beach. Fifteen minutes later, he was killed by a mortar shell. His body was washed out to sea by the tide, but later recovered and he was buried,害羞草研究所� said Deryk.

Deryk害羞草研究所檚 mother Beverly Yuill was pleased with the discovery. She was only a young girl when her brother Ronald died, and all she had of him was a few photos.

害羞草研究所淚t just made me feel that this was all a reality. It wasn害羞草研究所檛 just in pictures,害羞草研究所� she said.

Beverly currently resides in Cranbrook, although she was raised in Fernie. She remembers accompanying her father to the Fernie Station to watch Brewer and other soldiers pass through on a train. The soldiers were not allowed to get off and visit with their families, but they were able to wave from the window.

害羞草研究所淩on was able to get a seat by the window. I guess any of the Fernie boys were able to do that so the families could see them,害羞草研究所� she said.

The family kept in touch with Brewer from overseas.

害羞草研究所淚 remember letters going back and forth between my sister, who was 13 years older than me,害羞草研究所� said Beverly. 害羞草研究所淚 remember her sending parcels and she would sew a cloth all around it because the paper could rip. I remember her stitching this up and mailing it. I think there was some baking in it.害羞草研究所�

The family received a telegram alerting them of Brewer害羞草研究所檚 death and a medal was sent to them in honour of his service.

As for Deryk, he has found that learning about his uncle害羞草研究所檚 story has made him much more interested in the history of the Second World War.

害羞草研究所淚 started getting a lot more engaged in the history 害羞草研究所� I found this really quite engaging and having this connection made it that much more so,害羞草研究所� he said.