Canadians in Combined Ops Practice for Dieppe Raid.
Troops coming ashore from a landing craft under a smoke screen during
Combined Operations training at Inveraray, Scotland, 9 October 1941.
Photo Credit - W. T. (Lt) http://ww2today.com/
The first drafts of Canadian volunteers in Combined Operations arrived in the United Kingdom in late January, early February 1942 and were soon introduced to the type of training that would absorb their energies for the next two years.
They spent their first weeks and months at HMS Northney I - IV on England's southern coast (east of Southampton) and once somewhat familiar with assault landing craft they were sent to HMS Quebec (on Loch Fyne at Inveraray. Scotland, see top photo) for more intensive training on assault and mechanized landing crafts (LCMs).
Eight Canadians at their first training camp, HMS Northney on Hayling Island.
L - R: Al Adlington, London; Joe Spencer, Toronto; Chuck Rose, Chippawa;
Doug Harrison, Norwich; Art Bradfield, Simcoe; Don Linder, Kitchener;
Joe Watson, Simcoe; Jake Jacobs, address unknown. February, 1942
From the collection of Joe Spencer, RCNVR, Combined Operations
H17472. The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939 - 45. Commandos in
a landing craft taking them ashore during training in Scotland, 28 Feb. 1942.
Imperial War Museum (IWM).
Between the two operations, the Canadian sailors no doubt continued their training aboard various landing crafts. There were many Royal Navy and Combined Operations sites or establishments around the UK's coastline where such training could take place and - depending on the whims of COHQ (Combined Ops Head Quarters) - the Canadians could have spent time in Irvine, Scotland (e.g., Camp Auchengate) and/or HMS Northney, HMS Westcliffe (east of London on the Thames), Southampton, Portsmouth, etc.
113242. Personnel of Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps treating "casualties"
during the final rehearsal for Operation JUBILEE, the raid on Dieppe. England,
August 1942. Photo link - https://wartimes.ca/battle/world-war-ii/dieppe-raid/
113243. Canadian infantrymen disembarking from a landing craft during a training
exercise before Operation JUBILEE, the raid on Dieppe, France. England, August
1942. Photo link - https://wartimes.ca/battle/world-war-ii/dieppe-raid/
Specific Canadian army units are mentioned (the same units participated in the raid at Dieppe in August) and, undoubtedly, Canadian sailors (members of the RCNVR and Combined OPs) would have manned some of the various landing crafts that are referred to with some description.
In the first section of the article (above) it is noted that "It was the first time Americans had worked with the Canadians." I am quite certain that the Americans were Rangers (similar in several ways to Commandos) and it is recorded that 50 Rangers participated in Operation Jubilee.
As well, we read above that Canadian troops carried Sten guns, "an effective cheaply-produced automatic weapon" (made in Canada) as part of their arsenal of weapons. Three Canadian members of Combined Operations got their hands on some of the Sten guns while manning a landing craft loaded with tank mesh, below.
RCNVR will hold down the fort! The Wavy Navy in training, likely in S. England.
L - R: Chuck Rose, Chippawa Ont.; Al Kirby, Woodstock, Ont; Don Westbrook,
Hamilton, Ont. Photo likely taken sometime in July or August, 1942.
Photo Credit - Lloyd Evans (RCNVR, Combined Ops), Markham.
An earlier training exercise* took place on the Isle of Wight prior to Operation Rutter:
Caption: In 1942, Thorness Bay on the Isle of Wight. Exercising embarkation from
landing craft. A Churchill tank leaves a tank landing craft (TLC 121) during a
combined operations exercise at Thorness Bay on the Isle of Wight, 27 May 1942.
Photo Credit - ww2today.com
*I do not believe Canadians in Combined Ops participated in this exercise.
(For more details please link to http://ww2today.com/24th-may-1942-public-wants-a-second-front-to-help-russia.)
In 1942, Thorness Bay on the Isle of Wight. Exercising embarkation from landing craft.
Troops wade ashore from a tank landing craft during a combined operations
exercise at Thorness Bay on the Isle of Wight, 27 May 1942.
The news article from The Tribune continues:
We read above "These... manoeuvres were held secretly."
Information concerning where and when the upcoming raid would take place was also kept secret from most future participants. Canadians in Combined Ops like Chuck Rose, Al Kirby and Don Westbrook (seen together above in an earlier photo w Sten guns), manned landing crafts during the Dieppe Raid and may have only learned about their destination once underway.
My father's mate, Al Kirby of Woodstock, Ontario writes about discovering where he was heading in his landing craft on the morning of Operation Jubilee (Aug. 19) - during a stop in the English Channel to refill the fuel tanks.
Kirby says:
What a relief to cut that engine noise, A big cheer came up from all the Camerons as they began a major shift to relieve aching muscles and sore joints. Hop and I jumped onto the upper deck and cut loose the gas cans and began pouring them into the two fuel tanks at the stern.
A small flickering light appeared from down inside the craft, as though someone was trying to light a cigarette. I shouted at the top of my voice, "For Christ sake, put that bloody light out, we're pouring gasoline up here and the fumes will be running right down inside the well. Do you want to die even before you hit the beach?"
I said that still thinking that we were headed for an exercise, and quite unaware of our final destination. As we emptied the cans, we threw them over the side hoping that they would sink. After fueling was completed, we could hear the engines of our accompanying craft starting and we all began to jockey about to keep our proper station.
Hop took over the wheel to give me a break after more than four hours of watching that little blue light on R-84's stern. Gradually, R-84 began to put a little distance between us and Hop poured on the power and we were back to the grind. I went down inside and sat on the top of the engine casing beside a couple of soldiers, who were now wide awake and chatting with some of the others.
"Anyone here from around Woodstock?" I said.
"Woodstock, Woodstock" was the reply. "Where the hell is Woodstock?"
"Southern Ontario," I answered.
"Ontario, Ontario! Is that in Canada? Never heard of it."
The fellow beside me leaned over and said quietly, "The Camerons were recruited in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, through Winnipeg."
I couldn't resist the chance to counter so I shouted "Winnipeg, Winnipeg! Where the hell is Winnipeg? It must be somewhere beyond Sioux Lookout, but I hear there isn't anything beyond Sioux Lookout!"
"Kill him, kill him," went up the shout, just as the Platoon Lieutenant called for silence and instructed everyone to listen while he went over the plan one more time. I listened intently as he continued.
"Now, we expect the beach to be heavily defended, so we have to get across about ten or twenty yards of stoney footing to reach a sea wall, our first cover, just as fast as possible. Taking cover behind this wall, we will organize our sections while No. 1 Platoon finds the breach in the wire along the top of the wall that has been left by the south Saskatchewans. It is essential that we go through that breach the very second that we find it because from that moment on, the breach will be a prime target for machine gun fire."
As I listen to him trying to make himself heard over the noise of the engine, a chill begins to creep over me as I slowly absorb the fact that we really are about to land on enemy territory. And even worse, the south Saskatchewan Regiment will be landing ahead of us so the defences will be already in action by the time we hit the beach. My God, why couldn't we be first, then by the time the enemy are in action we may be back off the beach and out of range.
Because my mind is racing about with the possibilities suggested by what I have heard so far, I only hear part of what he said afterwards, but I am astounded when he mentions meeting with the Calgary tanks at Four Winds Farm, about four miles inland and then continuing on to attack an airport nine miles from the beach. I am convinced that this must be the second front, and there must be hundreds of landing craft coming in behind us.
My mind swirls with the gravity of what I am hearing. Naturally, I am a little nervous about my own safety, but my overriding feeling is one that is much harder to describe. Transcending my fear is a feeling of betrayal at not being told about this by our own officer. Neither I nor any one of our group, would give up a chance to take part in a real operation against the enemy, no matter what the outcome may be, but I somehow feel cheated by Leach's refusal to let us in on any of the information, even at the last minute. I am certain that the Camerons knew about this before they loaded.
After a few minutes of trying to rationalize everything in my mind, I turned to the soldier beside me and asked "Where in the hell are we going anyway?"
Somewhat startled he fired back "Don't you know? You are supposed to be taking us there. If you don't know, how in the hell are you going to get us there?"
"I don't need to know in order to get there. I'm just following the boat in front of me", I replied, "don't worry about that, soldier, we'll get you there, on time and in the right place, but I'm curious about where that is."
"It's a coastal town called Deepy," he volunteered, "somewhere in France."
Shortly before 0400, the sky ahead of us suddenly lit up with a myriad of tracer paths knifing into the heavens. Though momentarily startled, we were more dismayed than surprised. We all realized that we were getting close to our target, as the Infantry briefing indicated a touch down time of 0500. Now it appeared that the enemy was awake and at action stations.
Shortly before 0400, the sky ahead of us suddenly lit up with a myriad of tracer paths knifing into the heavens. Though momentarily startled, we were more dismayed than surprised. We all realized that we were getting close to our target, as the Infantry briefing indicated a touch down time of 0500. Now it appeared that the enemy was awake and at action stations.
From pages 51-52, Combined Operations by Londoner Clayton Marks.
More articles that specifically relate to Canadians in Combined Operations will follow f found.
* * * * * *
The following news articles are from The Winnipeg Tribune as well, and are provided to add some context re the same day, July 13, 1942:
Please link to Articles: Dieppe Raid 1942 - Operations RUTTER/JUBILEE (1).
Unattributed Photos GH
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