Six Years of War, Volume 1
Dieppe from the Western Headland: Six Years of War, page 370
The following passage is found at the website entitled Six Years of War, Volume 1, in Chapter XI. It deals with one of many recorded accounts of action involving Canadians in Combined Operations during the raid on Dieppe in August 1942.
Unfortunately, the naval landing arrangements for BLUE Beach went awry. No operation of war is harder than landing troops in darkness with precision as to time and place, and the danger of reckoning upon exactitude in such matters was well illustrated at Dieppe. The Royals were carried in the landing ships Queen Emma and Princess Astrid, while the Black Watch detachment was in the Duke of Wellington. (The last-named ship's landing craft flotilla was almost entirely manned by Canadian sailors, and a Canadian officer, Lieut. J. E. Koyl, R.C.N.V.R., took command of it after the Flotilla Officer was wounded.) There was delay in forming up after the craft were lowered from the ships; this was mainly, apparently, the result of Princess Astrid's craft forming on a motor gunboat which, having got out of station, was mistaken for the one which was to lead them in. The Flotilla Officer of Queen Emmastates that the delay made it necessary to proceed at a greater speed than had been intended, and as a result the two mechanized landing craft (L.C.M.) which formed part of this ship's flotilla, and were carrying 100 men each, could not keep up. Ultimately, according to this officer, these two L.C.Ms., with four assault craft which had been astern of them, landed as a second wave. In fact, one of the L.C.Ms. developed engine trouble and consequently touched down in due course quite alone. Page 364
The Main Beaches at Dieppe: Six Years of War, page 370
Link to more details in Chapter XI from Six Years of War
My father, Doug Harrison, a member of RCNVR and Combined Operations from 1941 - 1945, wrote a short newspaper article for the Norwich Gazette (his hometown paper) in the 1990s that mentions an encounter with Lt. Jake Koyl earlier in 1942. Part of the article follows:
Lt/Comdr Jacob Koyl Earned My Respect
"Westbrook, Murray, Walker and Summers - Scotland"
After a short argument I refused (which is bad, real bad) and he took me to have a chat with our huge, no-nonsense commanding officer Lt/Comdr Jacob Koyl, later to be known as Uncle Jake. L/S Bowen explained his case about my refusal to Mr. Koyl. With that, Bowen was dismissed and the commanding officer laid his big hand on my shoulder and started to recite, without benefit of the navy book, King Rules (KR) and Admiralty Instructions (AI) about the seriousness of refusing an order. I knew I was in for rough seas as he continued to expound, his big hand bowing my shoulder. Lt/Comdr Koyl wore navy boots so big they looked like the boxes they came in. I know, because I was looking at them; this officer didn’t walk, he plodded.
At the end of his recitation, this man, who later had the undying respect of every Canadian sailor under his command, said to me, “I am not going to punish you so it shows on your records. All I want my officers and men to do is work together so we can get the job done over here and we can all go home, and that includes baggage party.”
“Harrison!”
“Yes sir!”
“You will be stowing kit bags and hammocks today, and every time a baggage party is required, you will be front and centre, and I’ll be standing by with my little eye on you.”
With that, he took his big hand off my shoulder, I straightened up, saluted, and said a little prayer. I was one lucky sailor; he could have come down much harder on me. The Canadian naval officer had played defense for the old New York Rovers farm team of the New York Rangers in the old six team NHL of 1939 - 40. I remember the dressing down he gave me and how his fingers sank into my shoulder to emphasize a point. A few years later, I remember talking to my sons in the exact same way....
....Much decorated Lt/Comdr Jacob Koyl died in November, 1987 and was buried where he had earned his honours - at sea.
“You will be stowing kit bags and hammocks today, and every time a baggage party is required, you will be front and centre, and I’ll be standing by with my little eye on you.”
With that, he took his big hand off my shoulder, I straightened up, saluted, and said a little prayer. I was one lucky sailor; he could have come down much harder on me. The Canadian naval officer had played defense for the old New York Rovers farm team of the New York Rangers in the old six team NHL of 1939 - 40. I remember the dressing down he gave me and how his fingers sank into my shoulder to emphasize a point. A few years later, I remember talking to my sons in the exact same way....
....Much decorated Lt/Comdr Jacob Koyl died in November, 1987 and was buried where he had earned his honours - at sea.
Unattributed Photo by GH
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