​​Canadian forces had quickly advanced from Normandy in pursuit of German forces withdrawing eastwards. Along the French coastline they had turned port areas into fortresses which the Allies, mainly the Canadian forces, needed to defeat.

​The Canadian forces had moved rapidly up to the Pas-de-Calais region and surround the two port towns of Calais and Dunkirk. On 10 September 1944 at 21:00 the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders (QOCH) of Canada had moved to the east of Dunkirk. They entered the small town of Bray-Dunes from the east. They had advance from De Panne, Belgium. The French-Belgium border was 4km to the east of Bray-Dunes.

​The QOCH quickly utilised the German Atlantic wall defences to seek cover from German artillery and mortar fire directed towards them. On the advance they had encountered machine gun fire aimed towards them, but no casualties were taken. They spent the night in the German concrete defensive positions that offered protection due to the thickness of the concrete.

​On 11 September the QOCH spent the day consolidating their new positions on the coastal line in which sand dunes were a key feature. It was noted that it was nearly impossible for the Canadian men to make slit trenches in the sand. During the afternoon and evening, patrols were sent out to recce enemy positions. At 21:25 the C Company headquarters position was hit directly by a mortar. Major Ronald Rainey Counsel was killed in this incident. He was original buried in the military section of De Panne cemetery, butreburied on 6 June 1945 in Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, Plot V, Row E, Grave 2.

​On 13 September the QOCH advanced south to Ghyvelde before the Fusilier Mont-Royal advanced on the town. The frontline was held in this position by the QOCH where on 17 September they withdrew. The siege of Dunkirk continued until the end of the war in 1945, with the German forces resisting attacks and holding out.​