South France, 1944

The Second World War

Date

15 - 27 August 1944

Geographical parameters

(no geographical parameters defined)

Context

(no eligibility parameters defined)

A fleet action/campaign honour formally entitled “South France 1944” ^{Footnote 1}

Description

His Majesty’s Canadian Ships Prince David, Prince Henry and Prince Robert had started their careers as luxury liners with the Canadian National Railway’s subsidiary company CN Steamships. With the outbreak of the Second World War, in 1939, the ships were converted to Armed Merchant Cruisers and served as such until 1943 when two of them were converted to Landing Ships Infantry (Medium) with a capacity for carrying 550 infantry each. The third ship, Prince Robert, became an anti-aircraft escort.

Following service off the coast of Normandy in June 1944, the two Landing Ships Infantry were dispatched to the Mediterranean to assist in the assault on the south coast of France in Operation “Dragoon”, in August 1944. The two Canadian ships, part of a larger task force, were assigned to land commandos on the western flank of the designated operational area. HMCS Prince Henry was carrying 279 officers and men from the First Special Service Force, a joint Canadian - American unit. This unique organization was charged with capturing two islands near Toulon named Port-Cros and Levant. The Prince David, for its part, was to land 248 French commandos on the French mainland to take the defences at Cap Nègre. Both operations were successful with the Prince Henry subsequently transporting 65 wounded Canadian and American commandos to Corsica.

Awarded to:

Ships not currently in commission

• HMCS Prince David ^{Footnote 2}
• HMCS Prince Henry ^{Footnote 3}