Photographs: Dieppe Raid 1942 - Operations RUTTER/JUBILEE (5).

Canadians in Training and Actual Operation 

[The article above, from the July 13, 1942 issue of The Winnipeg Tribune*,
is a rare one. It is written by the well-known Canadian war correspondent
Ross Munro, and refers to "invasion manoeuvres" prior to the Dieppe
Raid as part of "advanced combined operations training."]

*For more details, please link to Articles: Dieppe Raid 1942 - Operations RUTTER/JUBILEE (2).

Introduction:

During the Second World War, on 19 August 1942, the Allies launched a major raid on the French coastal port of Dieppe. Operation Jubilee was the first Canadian Army engagement in the European theatre of the war, designed to test the Allies' ability to launch amphibious assaults against Adolf Hitler's "Fortress Europe." The raid was a disaster: More than 900 Canadian soldiers were killed, and thousands more were wounded and taken prisoner. Despite the bloodshed, the raid provided valuable lessons for subsequent Allied amphibious assaults on Africa, Italy and Normandy. 

(Link to The Canadian Encyclopedia for more information)

The following account of the Dieppe Raid was written by Al Kirby (RCNVR, Combined Ops), Woodstock, Ontario:

(Link to previous section of Kirby's account.)

As the smoke cleared away, we began to see the beach, and as the large flashes from the continous explosions lit up the scene, we assumed that this was evidence of the pounding that our boys were giving the Jerries.

Looking up into the azure of the morning sky over France, I was attracted by the sight of a formation of bombers heading our way. Just as I was trying to decide whether they were theirs or ours, a group of Spitfires came hurtling down from above them and a wild dogfight took place. It was really more like a rat kill than a dog fight, as the Dornier Formation scattered and the Spits went after them piecemeal, diving, twisting and turning, as the fighters spat cannon fire into them.

Then one of the bombers began to burn, rolled onto its side and screamed blue murder for the sea. I couldn't take my eyes off the sight as the plane streaked into the water with a mighty splash, then a great roar of cheering went up from the sailors in the assembly of landing craft. Now, as I shifted my gaze around above me there seemed to be dog fights going on all over the sky.

Parachutes were descending into the water and landing craft in the vicinity of their landing went immediately to pick them up. There seemed to be at least fifty or sixty aircraft in the sky at once, most of them R.A.F. fighters. They were having a field day up there as they seemed to be shooting down aircraft all over the place.

Hop and I pulled our weapons out from under the focs'1 and took them out of their boxes, checked the magazines and got ready to take a pot shot at any of them that may venture near us. Leach warned us not to shoot at anything that we could not definitely identify, as most of the planes were ours right now. However, he did tell us that any aircraft below 3000 feet would be an enemy, as our planes were all instructed to keep above this altitude.

As the battle continued ashore, we were able to see the flashes and the smoke, but we were too far away to hear the noise above our own engine noises.

Eventually hunger and thirst began to push themselves to the forefront. Fortunately, we had brought with us a four gallon can of water, but we had no food. I asked Leach if he would mind if I tried to beg something from the destroyer. He then produced a box, which he had brought with him, containing sandwiches, so we each had two, then they were gone.

My left hand, which I had burned on the smoke generator as we pulled off the beach, was now beginning to bother me a little. It didn't look bad but the skin was now very stiff, like cardboard, and if I tried to bend it the pain was noticeable.

Page 54 - 55, Combined Operations by Londoner Clayton Marks

* * * * * *

The following eight photographs are from The Canadian Encyclopedia as found at this link: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dieppe-raid .

CAN.EN1 Wrecked Allied tanks and landing craft lie strewn across a beach at
Dieppe, France, following the failed raid there on 19 August, 1942.

CAN.EN2 Bodies of Canadian soldiers of the Calgary Regiment lie dead on
the beach at Dieppe, France, following the disastrous Allied raid.

CAN.EN3 A painting by Canadian war artist Charles Comfort, of the Allied raid
on Dieppe in 1942.

CAN.EN4 Infantrymen of The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of
Canada boarding landing craft before the raid on Dieppe on 19 August. 

CAN.EN5 No caption* available at The Canadian Encyclopedia

* Editor found the following caption re the photo: A11230. A naval motor-launch seen with four of the landing craft personnel (large) used during the Combined Operations daylight raid on Dieppe. The landing craft are numbered (left - right) LCP (L) 85, LCP (L) 41, number not visible and R 145.
Lt. L. Pelman, RN official photographer, Admiralty Official Collection, Imperial War Museum (IWM).

CAN.EN6 The beach at the village of Puys, east of Dieppe, where Canadian
soldiers landed on 19 August, 1942.

CAN.EN7 A photograph on an interpretative panel in France, showing the bodies of
Canadian soldiers piled up on the beach at the village of Puys, following the raid.

CAN.EN8 The graves of Canadian soldiers -- buried head-to-head
in the local style -- at the Canadian War Cemetery at Dieppe.

The next photographs are found at Legion Magazine along with another informative article about the Dieppe Raid. (Please link to article for more information). 

Legion1. Soldiers arrive in England after the raid.
PHOTO: LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA197138

Legion2. A Canadian escorts a German captured during the raid. An unidentified
Canadian soldier, who is armed with a Thompson machine gun, escorting a German
prisoner who was captured during Operation JUBILEE, the Dieppe raid. England,
19 August 1942. PHOTO: LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA210156

Legion4 A German officer (third left) surveys the damage.
PHOTO: LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—C017293

Legion5 Captured Canadians on the move.
PHOTO: CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM—19900076

Legion6 A German soldier points to Canadian soldiers lined up in the street
after being captured. PHOTO: REGIMENTAL SENATE OF THE ROYAL
HAMILTON LIGHT INFANTRY

Legion7 The beach after the raid. PHOTO: LEGION MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

Legion8 Enemy fortifications are examined two years after the raid.
PHOTO: KEN BELL, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA134448

More photographs related to the Dieppe Raid to follow.

Please link to Photographs: Dieppe Raid 1942 - Operations RUTTER/JUBILEE (4).

Unattributed Photos GH