Canadians of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry meeting Americans of the U.S. Army's 2nd Armoured Division, Elbeuf, France, 27 August 1944. On 27 August 1944, soldiers of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (RHLI) linked up with elements of the U.S. 2nd Armored Division at Elbeuf, a key crossing on the River Seine south of Rouen. This meeting came at the close of the Falaise Pocket battles, when Canadian, British, and American forces converged to trap large numbers of German troops retreating from Normandy. For the RHLI, part of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, Elbeuf was the culmination of a rapid advance east after weeks of attritional fighting around Caen and Falaise. Securing the Seine crossings at towns like Elbeuf and Rouen was vital to prevent the remnants of German formations from escaping intact across the river. The encounter between Canadian infantry and American armour symbolized the broader Allied success: a coordinated effort that shattered the German front in France. Within days, the Seine would be crossed, Paris had been liberated, and the Allied pursuit would carry into Belgium and toward the Netherlands.