The 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, known as the Highland Brigade, was tasked with advancing inland from Juno Beach to secure key objectives, including the village of Carpiquet, on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Under the command of Brigadier D.G. ‘Ben’grim Cunningham, the brigade’s battle group included the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, the Sherbrooke Fusiliers, and supporting units. This combined force aimed to outflank German positions and facilitate the broader Allied advance.

On 7 June 1944, the North Nova Scotia Highlanders advanced inland and reached the villages of Les Buissons, Buron, and Authie, coming close to their D-Day objective, the city of Caen. However, as they pushed forward, they faced fierce resistance. In both Buron and Authie, they were hit by powerful counterattacks launched by the 25th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, a component of the fanatical 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend. These brutal engagements forced the Canadians to fall back slightly, and the front lines stabilized around Les Buissons.

Turning the village into a heavily fortified position, the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade held firm despite relentless German attempts to dislodge them. For nearly a month, they withstood repeated counteroffensives, artillery bombardments, and intense close-quarters fighting. Throughout this period, not once did the brigade abandon its position. The area near Villons-les-Buissons became known among the Canadian troops as ‘Hell’s Corner’ — a grim nickname reflecting the ferocity of the battle and the constant danger they endured.

It wasn’t until July 4 that the deadlock began to shift. A series of determined and costly Canadian assaults on the Carpiquet aerodrome, a critical objective west of Caen, succeeded in pushing back the German defenders and weakening their grip on the area. These hard-fought gains played a key role in breaking the stalemate and paving the way for the eventual capture of Caen.

As a tribute to the bravery of the soldiers of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, a monument was inaugurated in 1984 at Villons-les-Buissons.