The raid was over. Soldiers about to head to shore during the Dieppe Raid. Lieutenant-Colonel Cecil Merritt earned the medal for courageously leading his men from the South Saskatchewan Regiment across the River Scie at Pourville in the face of heavy resistance. Once the regiment could go no farther, he then led a dangerous retreat that allowed most of the men to escape back to Britain.
Merritt himself was captured and spent the rest of the conflict as a prisoner of war. Honourary Captain John W. For eight hours, he continually braved enemy fire on the Dieppe beach to bring the wounded to first aid posts.
When his own landing craft was about to leave, he intentionally stayed behind to be captured so that he could minister to the many men who were going to be taken prisoner. But the fact that the Allies had come ashore in occupied France gave the French people some hope and the Dieppe Raid let them know that they had not been forgotten. While the losses were heavy and the raid did not meet most of its objectives, many historians feel that the lessons learned there played an important role in the success of later actions.
For example, the Dieppe Raid and subsequent wartime beach assaults contributed to improvements in Allied amphibious landing techniques. While the cost of gaining this knowledge was steep, it likely saved many lives on the beaches of Normandy when the Allies returned to the shores of continental Western Europe to stay on D-Day , June 6, Canadian soldiers captured at Dieppe. The men who participated in the Dieppe Raid paid a great price.
Of the 4, Canadians who embarked on the mission, only approximately 2, returned to England and many of those had been wounded. More than 3, Canadians became casualties, including a total of who lost their lives as a result of the raid and approximately 1, more who were taken prisoner. A total of British and American personnel also lost their lives. Those who were captured faced especially harsh treatment in prisoner of war camps and most would remain in captivity for more than two-and-a-half years.
The stench of blood and gunpowder wafted up from the shore. A blanket of bodies in their hundreds lay splayed across the rocks. The Dieppe Raid — also known as Operation Jubilee — raged, starting that morning. With World War II tearing Europe apart, especially on the eastern front, the Allies sought to launch an attack that would test German defences on the western flank. More than 6, men, including 5, Canadians, landed at Dieppe and on four adjacent beaches with the objective of destroying German coastal defences as well as some strategic infrastructure.
For more than 30 years, this group of enthusiasts has strived to keep the memory of the Dieppe Raid alive. In , in an old theatre near the seafront, they created a memorial to the event that brings together documents, uniforms and other commemorative items.
Portraits of men who took part in the attack line the walls. Robert Boulanger, a teenager from the province of Quebec , was one of those young soldiers. He had just turned On the morning of August 10, he penned a few words to his parents. I believe it because we can hear the cannonade and the explosions, even the shells whistling over our heads. An assault boat directly next to ours has just been hit and has gone under with all those who were onboard.
Oh my God, protect yourselves from such a fate! A bullet went right through his forehead. In the space of just a few hours, 1, men lost their lives while 3, were captured and held prisoner until the end of the war.
The operation was a total failure. There really was an obvious lack of preparation. Historian Olivier Richard, who has written several books about Operation Jubilee, shares this opinion. Only the commandos enjoyed any success. After nine hours fighting ashore, the force withdrew. Over one thousand were dead and two thousand prisoners were in German hands, more prisoners than the whole Canadian Army lost in either the North West Europe or Italian campaigns.
The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, largely made up of soldiers from the Hamilton area, had taken soldiers into the thick of the fighting. Many of the prisoners and many of those who got back to England were wounded.
Two Canadians received the Victoria Cross for their bravery. In the air above the landings, the RAF waged its most intense air battle on a single day in the whole war. Behind the failure lay a poor, overly complex plan, insufficient fire support from aircraft and artillery, and inadequate training of troops for their first test of battle.
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