The Dieppe Raid
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, 2012 Mud and Canadians Take Vimy Ridge Death at In 1917, Canadians took part in a First World War battle that even Passchendaele today is a national point of pride. The scene was Vimy Ridge—a long, In the fall of 1917, Canadian troops in heavily defended hill along the Belgium fought in the Third Battle of Western Front in northern France Ypres, better known as the Battle of near Arras. The British and French Passchendaele. had tried unsuccessfully to capture it earlier in the war. On April 9, 1917, The autumn rains came early that year it was Canada’s turn. to Flanders Fields. The fighting churned the flat terrain into a sea of muddy clay. Early that morning, after months Trenches filled with cold water and of planning and training, the first collapsed. Shell holes overflowed with group of 20,000 Canadians attacked. muck. Men, equipment and horses that Through the snow and sleet, Allied slipped off the duckboards (wooden artillery laid down a “creeping walkways in trenches and on paths) barrage”—an advancing line of precise were sucked into the swampy mess— shell fire. Soldiers followed closely Photo: LAC PA-004388 often never to be seen again. behind the explosions and overran A tank advancing with infantry at Vimy Ridge. the enemy before many of them could The Canadians took over from the leave their underground bunkers. approximately 11,000 of our men first time the four Canadian divisions, battered British forces who had been Most of the ridge was captured by were killed or wounded. uniting more than 100,000 Canadians fighting there since July. On October noon that day, and the final part from coast to coast, served side by 26, the Canadians began to advance was taken by April 12. Canada had It has been said that Canada “came side and achieved one of the greatest on the enemy through often waist-deep done it but victory came at a cost— of age” as a country that day. For the victories in our country’s history. mud. They were pounded by German artillery and machine-gun fire. It was a nightmare of dirt and death. Finally, on November 10, 1917, Passchendaele was captured. Once again the Canadians had proved their valour, by National Peacekeepers’ Day succeeding where others had not. Canada is unique in many ways. An example of this can be found What was the cost to capture those on Sussex Drive in Ottawa. Lots of few kilometers of land and the ruined countries have war monuments but remnants of the town? There were almost 16,000 Canadian casualties. Reconciliation—Canada’s salute to Photo: LAC PA-002156 peacekeepers—is the only national Canadian Pioneers laying duckboards memorial in the world dedicated to over mud. peace support efforts. This awareness of the importance of preventing wars, not just fighting them, is also behind another original Canadian creation— Photo: DND IS2002-9012C National Peacekeepers’ Day. Canadian Peacekeeping Monument. On August 9, Canadians stop to honour those who have served and made sacrifices in Standing Up for our country’s peace support efforts over the years. This date was selected as it was on this day in 1974 that a Canadian Forces transport plane was shot down in the Middle East, killing nine Canadian peacekeepers—our country’s largest single-day loss of life Freedom in Libya in a peace support operation. Canadian Forces members have Our air force patrolled the skies, put their lives on the line in refuelled NATO warplanes and many places around the world bombed pro-Gadhafi forces that over the years. In 2011, they were threatening civilians. Our found themselves facing a new navy cruised the Mediterranean The Dieppe Raid challenge—helping to protect Sea off the Libyan coast, the people of Libya from the protecting the NATO fleet, The year 1942 was a grim time during the Second World War. Germany repressive regime that had ruled boarding vessels to search for occupied much of Western Europe and its armies were advancing in North their country for decades. smuggled weapons and helping Africa and the Soviet Union. The Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin, pushed for the to stop coastal raids on the city opening of another front to help relieve the pressure on his battered forces. The After a popular uprising in this of Misrata. It was dangerous Allies did not yet have the resources to invade Europe, but they did decide to North African country was met duty—HMCS Charlottetown launch a major raid on Dieppe, France. There they would try out amphibious with violence by Libyan dictator came under enemy fire during landing techniques, gather intelligence and hopefully force the Germans to Moammar Gadhafi, the United the mission, the first time that divert troops away from the Eastern Front. Nations (UN) authorized an has happened to a Canadian Almost 5,000 Canadians came ashore at Dieppe, Puys and Pourville in the early arms embargo and a no-fly zone warship since the Korean War. morning of August 19, 1942. The German defences were strong, however, and to help protect its civilians. things quickly went wrong. The Canadian Forces stepped In the end, the Gadhafi regime up immediately, first to help was toppled and a new era John Grogan of Ontario was there…. evacuate Canadians and other has begun in Libya. At the foreigners who were trapped mission’s peak, approximately “We knew what we were supposed to do all right. We were to get to land by the fighting, and then as 650 Canadian Forces members and get over the beach as quickly as we could and get up over the sea wall. part of a North Atlantic Treaty served in the theatre of But on landing, I guess the first thing I recall is that . the beach was Organization (NATO)-led air operations. Fortunately, no lined with people all lying there . I just couldn’t understand what they and sea campaign to enforce the Canadian lives were lost. were all lying there for. But they were dead . and the ones that I had UN resolutions. waved good-bye to that morning . all of these people . all dead in such a short space of time.” More than 900 Canadians were killed and almost 2,000 more were captured. The hard lessons learned at Dieppe helped save many lives when the Allies came ashore on D-Day two years later. Photo: DND IS2011-6002-055 A CF-18 Hornet fighter takes off from an Italian air base during the NATO air campaign. Photo: LAC C-014160 Aftermath of the Dieppe Raid. 2 The Canadian Forces Remembering the South in the Congo African War The year 2012 marks the 110th One of the most challenging missions anniversary of the end of the South ever faced by Canadian peacekeepers African War—the first time that large was the United Nations (UN) effort numbers of Canadian soldiers served in the Congo from 1960 to 1964. overseas. This large African country had been a Belgian colony for 90 years before Our young country sent troops to gaining its independence in 1960. South Africa in 1899 to help Britain Photo: CWM 19820205-003 © Canadian MuseumWar Unfortunately, the new nation was put down an uprising by Dutch Canadians on the veldt in South Africa. immediately plunged into chaos as settlers and bring the entire region a result of the political in-fighting, under its control. Fighting so far inter-tribal tensions, famine, mutiny from home in such an unfamiliar May 31, 1902. The Dutch settlers by the army, international interference setting was very challenging. The surrendered their independence in and the widespread violence that Canadians, however, soon earned a exchange for aid to those affected ensued. reputation for skill and tenacity in the by the fighting and for eventual self-government. By the end of the Photo: DND UNC63-23-9 Battle of Paardeberg and the Battle The UN soon sent in peacekeepers to conflict, more than 7,000 Canadians try to restore order and stability. It of Leliefontein. During the war, five Canadian soldier at a Congolese defensive Canadians earned the Victoria Cross, had volunteered for service with was a major undertaking—eventually position in 1963. the highest award for military valour. approximately 280 losing their lives a UN force of more than 20,000 (most from injury or disease caused by personnel would serve in the country, UN forces were not enough to stop The war ended with the signing of the harsh conditions) and more than including more than 300 Canadians. 250 being wounded. The UN troops found themselves the greater forces of upheaval rocking the Treaty of Vereeniging on in a new kind of peace support the Congo and they departed in 1964. mission. Violence and weapons were Two Canadian soldiers died during everywhere, but they were able to that mission. prevent break-away portions of the Sadly, the situation in the Congo country from splitting off. They also has remained troubled and Canadian ‘Hard-Over’ Harry helped push out foreign mercenaries Forces members have again been who were contributing to the serving in the country since the late Henry “Harry” DeWolf was instability. In the end, however, the 1990s to try to improve the situation. born in Nova Scotia in 1903. He became the most decorated Canadian naval officer of the Second World War. Under his command, HMCS Haida earned The First Ukrainian- the reputation as the “fightingest ship in the Canadian Navy.” It was responsible for sinking Photo: LAC PA-134298 Canadian General 14 enemy ships in just over a DeWolf on the bridge of HMCS Haida year.