Some veterans joined Ontario’s lieutenant governor and many military and civilian officials at the ceremony hosted by Veterans Affairs Canada. Also involved was the Essex and Kent Regimental Association, which lost 121 members in the raid. Among those attending the ceremony was veteran John L. Date, one of the last surviving members of the Dieppe Raid. Date was born on February 1, 1922, in Sarnia, Ont. Immediately after landing on the beaches of Dieppe, he was knocked unconscious by an explosion. When he recovered, the battle was over and he was captured by the German army. He would remain a prisoner of war until near the end of the war, when Allied planes dropped leaflets ordering the German army to surrender Dete and his fellow prisoners. Three members of the regiment were at ceremonies in Dieppe, France, on Friday.
LISTEN|Reservists from the Essex and Kent Regimental Association join Windsor Morning:
Windsor Morning7: 1080th anniversary of Dieppe in France 3 Reservists from the Essex and Kent Regiment of Scotland talk to CBC Windsor Morning host Nav Nanwa about the 80th anniversary ceremonies of the Dieppe Raid in France. Fellow Second World War veteran Arthur Boone was also at the ceremony in Windsor. He was born on November 12, 1924 in Peterborough, England and now lives in Stratford, Ont. Boon landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He emphasized that while Dieppe was a disaster, it was an important learning experience for the Allied troops. “That’s why the raid started – to learn these things, find out the mistakes and correct them when we get back to Normandy.”
The national ceremony commemorates the raid
Theresa Sims, the Indigenous storyteller for the town of Windsor, sang and sang a welcome song to all in attendance. Master of Ceremonies Robert Löken delivered opening remarks, describing the situation in Europe at the time of the raid. Honorary Colonel Joseph Ouellette, of the Essex and Kent Regimental Association, also spoke, remembering the soldiers who paid the ultimate price. Some of the members of the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment at the national ceremony in Windsor, Ont., at Dieppe Gardens, named in memory of members of the regiment who lost their lives during the Second World War landing in Dieppe, France on 1942. (Elvis Nouemsi Njike/Radio-Canada) Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens also spoke at the ceremony. Dilkens talked about his experience seeing veterans he had met the night before and touched on the conflicts currently happening around the world, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We’ve come so far since those days on the beach in France,” Dilkens said. “Still, you can call, we’ve got a long way to go.” Col. Emeritus Joseph Ouellette delivers remarks at Friday’s national ceremony. (Darrin DiCarlo/CBC) Stones collected by the soldiers on the beach of Dieppe were part of the memory. They are the stones that bear the marks of the scratches of war boots. young men, frantically struggling to find some safe place on a beach that didn’t exist.- Honorary Colonel Joseph Ouellette Loken, for example, received a stone from a soldier, causing him to think about its significance. “It’s hard for me to hold this and not think about what everyone has been through,” she said. The Act of Remembrance was delivered in English, French and Potawatomi. Morgan Lawrence and Alessandra Pietrangelo then delivered the pledge of memory in the three languages on behalf of Canadian youth. Dieppe veteran John L. Date was guest of honor at the ceremony. He laid a wreath at the Dieppe Red Beach Memorial on behalf of all veterans of Dieppe, France. (Elvis Nouemsi Njike/Radio-Canada) The song The Last Post was played at 12:52 p.m. ET, followed by two minutes of silence at 12:54 p.m. The Rouse and The Reveille as well as The Lament. At 12:58 p.m., wreaths were laid by Date, Kusmierczyk, French Embassy Defense Attache Col. Bruno Heluin, Ontario MPP Andrew Dowie, Dilkens, Cmdr. Richard Hillier of HMCS Hunter, as well as members of the Essex and Kent Regiment and Regimental Association. Lily Zitko, Faiha Alhussainawi, Emma Hennessy and Lila Ezwawi also laid wreaths on behalf of Canada’s youth. Some of the wreaths laid at the Dieppe Red Beach Memorial on Friday. (Darrin DiCarlo/CBC) Silver Cross Mother Theresa Charbonneau laid a wreath at the Silver Cross Memorial on behalf of all Silver Cross Mothers. Her son, Andrew Grenon, was killed while serving in Afghanistan. God Save the Queen was played and the ceremony ended with Löken thanking everyone who made it possible.
“One of the most difficult and tragic days”
During the Dieppe raid on Aug. 19, 1942, the Allies originally planned to land ashore under cover of darkness, Veteran Affairs Canada said. But the landing was delayed. As the assault forces were en route, they encountered a small German convoy. Members of the Royal Canadian Medical Corps chase Allied soldiers off the beach after the failed raid on Dieppe, France during World War II. (The Canadian Press) The sound of the battle between the two alerted a German coastal defense force, Veterans Affairs said. As the Allies disembarked, the enemy waited. Canadians made up the majority of the troops in the attack and 916 of the 4,963 died. There were 3,367 casualties in total, including 1,946 prisoners of war. The Allies conduct a final exercise before landing in Dieppe, France. (Library and Archives Canada) In a statement Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Dieppe raid was “one of the most difficult and tragic days” for Canada during World War II. He called it a “disastrous setback,” but there were lessons learned that eventually led to victory over Nazi Germany. “On this day, we pay tribute to the thousands of Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice in Dieppe,” he said. “I invite everyone to participate in a commemorative event to mark this official anniversary and to honor the memory of those who defended our values of peace, freedom and justice.” An Allied plane is seen in the sky over Dieppe, France, on August 19, 1942, the day of the failed raid. (Minister of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada/PA-183771) A monument in the Square du Canada in the town of Dieppe remembers the Canadian contribution. The plaque reads: “On August 19, 1942 on the beaches of Dieppe, our Canadian cousins paved the way for our final liberation with their blood, thus heralding their victorious return on September 1, 1944.”
