The army once trained at Kitsilano Beach and here are the pics to prove it (PHOTOS)

Over 75 years ago Canadian soldiers were in the midst of fighting on European soil, but that didn't mean locals didn't see men in uniform.

It was determined that Kitsilano Beach would be the site of an unusual sight as soldiers barrelled off amphibious trucks and onto the sandy shore, practicing for landings in Europe. Photos from 1943 (and perhaps 1942) in the City of Vancouver archives show the charge, along with radio operators and large anti-aircraft guns on the popular beach.

At the scene were at least a couple of photographers, and they snapped pics of the sights as the troops charged off the vehicles and took positions on the beach. These include shots of radio operators and artillery.

Today, that all seems a bit unlikely (although perhaps a film set will create a similar vibe), but in wartime Vancouver it was part of life as people prepared for what was to come. The locally-based Seaforth Highlanders, who may be the group in the photos, would go on to participate in Operation Husky. Those were the landings on the Italian island of Sicily in 1943, as the Allies began to invade Axis-controlled lands.