The Royal Winnipeg Rifles D-Day Landing Memorial is a monument that honors the service and sacrifice of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles (RWR), a Canadian infantry regiment that participated in the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. The monument is located in Courseulles-sur-Mer, a town on the coast of Normandy, France. It was erected in 1964, on the 20th anniversary of the landings.
The monument consists of a teak crusader’s sword, inverted and embedded in a base of Manitoba granite. The sword symbolizes the “Great Crusade” that General Eisenhower referred to in his order of the day to the Allied troops. The inverted position of the sword suggests that the battle was over and won. The granite base bears the emblem of the RWR, a rampant devil with a torch, reflecting their nickname "Little Black Devils"21.
The RWR were among the first Allied troops to land on Juno Beach, as part of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. They fought bravely throughout the Normandy campaign, taking part in battles such as Caen and the Falaise Gap2. The monument pays tribute to their courage and contribution to the liberation of France and Europe.