From the 6 August, 2008 article in Chatham This Week
By John Rhodes.
On the 19th of August, 1942 Canadian soldiers making up the majority of the landing force for Operation “JUBILEE” a raid on the French port town of Dieppe would turn into a horrible disaster, what follows is one man’s account of his actions that day.
“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 defensives besides bombing the town.
About 20 feet out our officer turned and said ‘Let’s go boys, this is it.’ Just then the gate dropped and we charged on to 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 and started to cut the wire. This brought a downpour of fire on us. A sniper spotted me and dropped 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 motor shells and also laid down a pretty heavy artillery barrage. 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. I was able to get a couple of Bren guns and plenty of ammunition and dug me a little hole 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 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 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 fired 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 8:30 that night.”
Roy Jardine had sustained eleven wounds while involved in the attack and withdrawal from the attack on Dieppe.
Prior to the war Roy played hockey with the Chatham Maroons.
Also, on the beach that day was Captain James Ross Huff who was taken prisoner-of-war by the Germans and would not be liberated until 3 May,1945. For bravery in battle Captain Huff was awarded the Military Cross.
Gathering Our Heroes lists the following C-K names as fatalities on the Dieppe Raid:
ALEXANDER, S. J. A19237 – Royal Canadian Engineers.
DAVIDSON, R. D. A21692 – Essex Scottish Regt.
ERREY, V. G. A3762 – Essex Scottish Regt.
FAUBERT, G. R. A21366 – Essex Scottish Regt.
FOSTER, J. A. A21704 – Essex Scottish Regt.
HALL, A. H. A19167 – Royal Canadian Engineers.
LENNOX, A. A21567 – Essex Scottish Regt.
MILLEN, E. T. B67723 – Royal Regt. of Canada.
RIEDL, V. A22905 – Essex Scottish Regt.
STAINTON, T. A22099 – Essex Scottish Regt.
STEERS, W. J. A22205 – Essex Scottish Regt.
TAYLOR, W. G. A21888 – Essex Scottish Regt.
TOWLE, R.K. A22345 – Essex Scottish Regt.
There were 6,000 Allied troops on the Dieppe Raid
5,000 were Canadian of those:
807 Killed in Action.
28 Died of Wounds.
1,946 Prisoners of War – Taken.
72 Died as Prisoners Of War.
586 Wounded In Action.
- Hind
Curator – Gathering Our Heroes.
