CULTURAL MAPPING COMMUNITY STORIES

Captured Canadian troops, Dieppe, France. Credit: Library and Archives Canada PA-200058 died of their wounds. Those who survived and were not The Dieppe Raid evacuated spent the rest of the war as prisoners. The Essex The Dieppe Raid on 19th August posted on the cliffs in advance Scottish sustained the highest 1942 was the only large-scale of the main landing on the level of losses of any assault assault on the coast of German- beaches. These landings were group engaged in the raid. occupied France prior to the mostly unsuccessful. allied landings in Normandy in FOLLOWING THE RAID At 0520 hours on the 19th June 1944. Entrusted largely to Back home, the casualty Canadian troops, its objective, to August 1942, the main Canadian assault began figures from that morning be accomplished within one day dramatically touched virtually was not to hold a bridgehead, landing on Red and White Beaches supported by every family in Windsor but to test the feasibility of and Essex County as they seizing a harbour intact, then bombardment from both sea and air. The air battle was the lost fathers, sons, brothers, considered a prerequisite to the grandsons, cousins, nephews, landing of the vast allied force largest single day battle of the war. neighbours, school mates, needed to liberate Europe. work mates and friends. MP Of the 6,000 soldiers who The Essex Scottish Regiment Paul Martin Sr. noted, “that embarked from the English South was assigned to Red Beach, was one of the saddest days in coast 5000 were Canadian which reaches from the Windsor’s history.” and the remainder, British harbour entrance on the east This could have been the Commando troops with 50 to approximately 500 meters death knell of the Regiment American rangers and 20 free west on the main sea front of but it was rebuilt and went on French. Eight destroyers (7 British, Dieppe. Of the 553 members to become a key contributor in 1 Polish) escorted them. Assault of the Essex Scottish Regiment the major battles of 1944 and groups landed on the Western assaulting this location, only 1945 through Caen, Falaise, and Eastern flanks to disarm as 51 would be evacuated Dieppe once again, the many as possible of the German to England later that day, Scheldt, the Hochwald Forest, batteries and machine guns two of whom subsequently Groningen, and into Germany.

Bodies of Canadian soldiers lying on the beach following the Dieppe Scout car abandoned during the raid on Dieppe. Credit: Canada Department of Raid. Credit: Library and Archives Canada C-014160 National Defence. Library & Archives Canada C-029861