| Rank | Sergeant |
| Service # | A21710 |
The son of Captain P. C. Jardine, Saskatchewan Regt., serving in England.
Prior to the war Roy was playing Senior A hockey for the Chatham Maroons in the Michigan-Ontario League.
A veteran of a hundred battles of puck and stick began the CDN 2/09/42(P). Jardine played right wing in 1938-39 and 39-40, he went overseas in 1940. His biggest battle would take place on the pebble-strewn beach of Dieppe. Born in western Canada he came to Chatham prior to the war to play hockey for the Chatham Maroons. Roy was a favorite of the fans and made many friends before he enlisted in the Essex Scottish Regt. at the Chatham recruitment station.
Eighteen days before the attack went in at Dieppe Roy mailed a letter to the Kent Regt. Chapter of the IODE addressed to Mrs. W. L. Cucksey, 102 Grand Ave., West, Chatham, a ‘thank you’ for the “Army Week” gift they sent to the former Chatham Maroon hockey player. He wrote:
“Our life over here has settled into a sort od existence. In fact we have become so accaccustomed to it – we sometimes wonder if we ever knew any other.
Naturally we are all looking forward to the day when we can get into a scrap and justify all the months and years of training.
In the meantime we continueto live reasonably normal life punctuated at intervals by extensive manouvers. At time they are decidedly annoying, but at least they are a welcome change.Letters and parcels from home do their bit towards keeping us happy and of course all service organizations over here attend very well to recreation matters.
In short we have no complaint whatsoever. Of course that is barring the fact that we would like to be home again – but what person away from home doesn’t wish that?
Needless to say I am thankful for your organization for their thoughtfulnessin sending me the army Week gift. Apart from the value of the parcels it gives us a grand feeling to know that – even though we are thousands of miles away – the folks at home have not forgotten us.”
CDN 2/09/42.
Curators note:- The “extensive manoeuvres” Roy refers to in his letter were in fact full dress rehearsals for the raid on Dieppe. During one of the rehearsals German Naval units attacked some of the landing craft and there was thought that the mission should be scrapped.
According to the CDN 14/09/42 Roy was recovering in the Canadian Army hospital in England his father reported.
My Day at Dieppe 19 August, 1942.
Well we left England in the evening and slipped across the Channel in the dark. Just at dawn we sighted Dieppe and then the fun started. Aircraft went in first and shot up the defenses besides bombing the town.
About 20 feet out our officer turned and said, “Lets go boys, this is it.” Just then the gate dropped and we charged the beach. I was second to hit the beach and our boat was the first one in. The beach was separated from the town by a mass of wire. We dashed up it to and started to cut the wire. This brought a downpour of fire on us. A sniper spotted me and droped one bullet close enough to kick dirt all over my face and then whizzed one by so close it felt warm on my cheek as it passed. That was enough to convince me so I moved in a big hurry.
From then on things happened pretty quickly. The Germans began to bomb the beach with four-inch shells and also laid down a pretty heavy artillery baraage. About this time the tanks were landed and began rolling up the beach. This was the signal for the shelling to really start. The Germans blazed away from their positions on the cliffs and the tanks blazed back at them. I was able to get a couple of Bren guns and plenty of ammunition and dug me a little hole in the gravel and set up a little nest of my own.
You really get a thrill out of seeing the Germans through the sights of a Bren gun. I fired one until it got hot. Then used the other one until it was the same way. About this time the first was cool again so I switched back again. A mortar bomb fell behind us and I got a piece in my leg.Another fellow asked me if I needed help and I said ‘sure, go dig up some more ammo’.
By this time it was about 11:00 a.m. and we were due to evacuate the beach. We slipped down to a tank carrier where I was hit., first in one arm, and then the other. We got a row boat off the tank carrier and four of us, with one oar, began sculling like mad for England. The Germans steadily at us and I stopped a slug with my shoulder. It hoisted me out of the boat into the drink but strangely enough, did not hurt. Just when it looked like we were going to have to row all the way to England, a boat appeared and picked us up. In no time I was perched on a bench with a belt of Navy rum and a smoke. I felt fine. We made England at 20:30 that night.
Story found in the Chatham This Week by John Rhodes 6 August, 2008. Transcribed by J. R. Hind 5/05/2014.
During Roy’s day on the beach at Dieppe he sustained 11 wounds
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