Dieppe: Photographs Taken at Newhaven After the Raid (3)

Commando Units and Allied Troops Return From the

Dieppe Raid, Mixed Emotions Upon Their Faces

Look familiar? It is. At the end of the previous post I shared the first

two photos in official photographer Lt. Humphrey Spender's series

entitled "Arrival Back From Dieppe." Above is the first.

The reverse side of the first photograph in the series provides a few

significant details re location, date and official photographer. IWM

All photos in the series are from the Imperial War Museum (IWM)

Those who visit IWM (using above link) can also visit 'Associated

Themes', e.g., British Army in Britain 1939 - 1945, 38,378 records!

Introduction:

In this post I share one official photographer's complete series (H22618 - H22633 by Lt. H. Spender) related to British troops returning from the Dieppe Raid on August 19, 1942. It is followed by a short series (8 pictures) entitled "Back From Dieppe." The first five photos in the series were taken by Sgt. Bill Wooldridge, and the last three were by Lt. Spender.

Not only does the photographer change but the location changes to Portsmouth before returning to, and concluding at, Newhaven. I do not believe that the moving about is a glitch.

Many official photographers (for the Royal Navy and other Allied forces) were in similar and widely different locations over the course of WWII and sent home thousands upon thousands of black and whites for eventual sorting and release. That Sgt. Wooldridge and Lt. Spender had similar assignments in two ports on the south coast of England at the same time is certainly not out of the ordinary. Now that I've become a little more familiar with methods re tracking down photos that have some direct link to the 1,000 (approx.) Canadians who volunteered for Combined Operations I have seen headings change re a long series of photos, locations in a series move from one place to another, and more. 

(What discourages me at times is that I cannot spot Canadians easily, because in many exercises and operations our trained sailors were sprinkled among RN crews on RN landing craft.)

Here we are in Newhaven as landing craft return from Dieppe. Soldiers and sailors show mixed emotions, that is clear, as they safely, worriedly, cheerfully disembark, with some wounded among them.  

Spender is spent! Photographer Wooldridge in Portsmouth now takes the lead:

Object description: Destroyer ORP Ślązak (Silesian) of the Polish Navy

arriving back at Portsmouth from Dieppe, 19 August 1942.

Credit to official photographer Sgt. Bill Wooldridge IWM

There is more than one spelling mistake on the reverse side of the photo : )

Much has been written about Dieppe. I share below a few details concerning the wounded:

Tremendous sacrifice

Although extremely valuable lessons were learned in the Raid on Dieppe, a steep price was paid. Of the 4,963 Canadians who embarked for the operation, only 2,210 returned to England, and many of these were wounded. There were 3,367 casualties, including 1,946 prisoners of war; 916 Canadians lost their lives.

Devastation on the beaches of Dieppe after the raid.

Photo: Library and Archives Canada C-014160

In addition to the 4,963 Canadian troops taking part in the raid, there were 1,075 British troops (52 fatalities), 50 of the 1st U.S. Ranger Battalion (one fatality) and 20 of the No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando.

Air and sea support was provided mainly by British forces. Their casualties were: Royal Navy—75 killed or died of wounds and 269 missing or prisoners, and Royal Air Force—62 fatalities.

From The Dieppe Raid  veterans.gc.ca

Bill Wooldridge's photos continue:

The series now concludes with three photographs by Lt. H. Spender:

Of course, not all that were retuned to Newhaven or Portsmouth or other ports were joyous or thankful or wounded or worried about a mate. Some were prepared for burial and laid to rest just off Lewes Road, north west of Hewhaven's harbour, in the town's cemetery. Please click here to view Dieppe: In Memory of Joseph McKenna, RCNVR (4B)

More photographs will soon follow related to the Combined Operations memorial that can be found at the National Memorial Arboretum near Alrewas, in Staffordshire, Great Britain. Reportedly, 950 - 1,000 members of the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (perhaps more from other branches of the Canadian Armed Forces but that is unknown to me at this time) volunteered for Combined Operations beginning in November - December, 1941. Among the first fifty to step forward or sign on was my father, Doug Harrison of Norwich, Ontario, and the rest of his mates in the Effingham Division, training at the time in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the Canadian Navy base HMCS Stadacona.

Once in the U.K. (Jan, 1942) they took part in their first training experiences (e.g., completing physical exercises with and like commandos at HMS Quebec, becoming familiar with various types of landing craft at RAF Dundonald/Auchengate) to prepare for operations that lay ahead, like Operation CHARIOT (raid at St. Nazaire), Operation RUTTER (cancelled raid at Dieppe), and Operation JUBILEE (raid at Dieppe, August 19, 1942; "it should have been cancelled as well," said my father).

Combined Ops memorial at National Memorial Arboretum.

May 30, 2026. G. Harrison

Please click here to view Dieppe: Photographs Taken at Newhaven After the Raid (2)

Questions or comments can be addressed to Editor, Gord H. - gordh7700@gmail.com

Unattributed Photos GH