Black Watch documentary airs Sunday

BY DEREK MARINOS



History is a big part of David R. O’Keefe’s life. The St. Lazare resident is a former officer with the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada and is the regimental historian.

O’Keefe has been blazing a trail in military history circles with his research and papers, and now he is doing the same on television as a documentarian.

His latest work, Black Watch: Massacre At Verrière Ridge hopes to shed new light on a dark day in Canadian military history.

The documentary takes an in-depth look at the Second World War assault by the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada on Verrières Ridge during Operation Spring.

The objective for the Black Watch was to take a small French town on the other side of the German held ridge, located in Normandy, France in broad daylight.

The Black Watch sustained heavy casualties, of the 320 soldiers fighting on July 25, 1944, only 20 could answer roll call that night.

O’Keefe hopes Canadians will embrace their history and in particular military history. He says the Massacre at Verriéres Ridge is a significant part of Canada’s military history.

“We are hoping that this chapter in Canadian military history does not fall through the cracks,� said O’Keefe, who also teaches at John Abbott College. “It is on par with Vimy Ridge and Dieppe in our historical legacy and should be treated as such.�

O’Keefe is a Gemini-nominated historian with nine documentaries to his credit, is a former officer with the Black Watch and is the current Regimental historian. The project is a collaboration with Emmy-award winner Wayne Abbott.

“Working with Wayne was great,� he says. “We make a great team. He is one of the best cinematographers I have seen. It was great to take history, and the vision I had for it, give it to Wayne and see it materialize on the screen. He is quite the talent.�

O’Keefe and Abbott are also working on two other projects, Ultra Files and War Crimes Investigation Unit. Ultra Files is about military intelligence on the battlefield during the Second World War and WCI looks at the work of the Canadian War Crimes Investigation Unit and their cases during the War.

Black Watch: Massacre At Verrières Ridge will air on the History Channel this Sunday at 8 p.m.