​​Captain Colin McDougall, who led the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit, devised a clever solution to ensure that footage was taken despite the challenge of integrating photographers into the landing crafts. He set up 35mm Eyemo cameras on the backs of landing boats, which were triggered by Navy personnel. This allowed for the static recording of crucial moments during the landings, ensuring history would be captured.

​The Bell & Howell Eyemo, a 35mm camera powered by a clockwork motor, could only capture a few seconds of film at a time. Despite this limitation, the effort was successful, though not without its challenges. After the landings, several photographers, including McDougall’s brother, Jack McDougall, and Dispatch Rider Brian O’Regan, risked their lives to retrieve the film. Some cameras were destroyed in the chaos, but the recovered footage would become invaluable.

​One key figure in capturing D-Day footage was Sergeant Bill Grant, a photographer with the Unit. Grant made it ashore with the Canadian Queen’s Own Rifles. During the assault, his landing craft was hit by an explosion, yet he continued to shoot despite the danger. Grant also retrieved film from other “stick-on” cameras that were attached to landing crafts, making him a vital part of preserving the historical footage. His camera footage later became some of the most significant images of the invasion, although Grant himself remained hesitant to claim full ownership of the shots.

​Unfortunately, the original negatives of these films were destroyed in a devastating fire at a storage building in Quebec, which housed nitrate films. This loss means that further exploration of the archives to uncover additional films by the original photographers is impossible. Nevertheless, credit must be given to the Army and Navy photographers who risked their lives to document these historic events. Their contributions to preserving D-Day footage remain invaluable.