Dieppe

[barriefield-brian]

How to start? Ottawas official stand is that the 8th recce were not at the Dieppe raid but in their war diary there were in fact 5 officers and 4 other ranks present. The diary names the officers but not the or's. Anyone know how I can find the names? I have talked with many of the vets but they dont remember who went. My grandfather was maybe one but looking for proof. I know they liberated Dieppe but some were there on the raid. Any help would be appreciated. Thx Brian

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by barriefield-brian

How to start? Ottawas official stand is that the 8th recce were not at the Dieppe raid but in their war diary there were in fact 5 officers and 4 other ranks present. The diary names the officers but not the or's. Anyone know how I can find the names? I have talked with many of the vets but they dont remember who went. My grandfather was maybe one but looking for proof. I know they liberated Dieppe but some were there on the raid. Any help would be appreciated. Thx Brian

Brian
Here is the Order of battle..(Who went)

Who were the officers listed in the diary..??You may want to start there..
The Essex Scottish were there and only one officer survived the raid that wasn't killed,wounded or taken prisoner..
That was Major Father Mike Dalton..and the reason he survived ..he wasn't there..(If I knew the other names I would check Father Mikes diary..there are many men mentioned..)
The night they left on the raid,he was at a meeting for all the service padres and it was such a secret that no one told him they were leaving..just up in the middle of the night and the whole regiment took off.



Events | The Canadians in Order of Battle | The Dieppe Raid : Canadian Army units in the Dieppe raid

Canadian Army units in the Dieppe raid
Canadian Armoured Corps
Royal Canadian Artillery
Canadian Infantry Corps

• 2nd Infantry Division
o 4th Infantry Brigade
• Royal Regiment of Canada
• Royal Hamilton Light Infantry
• Essex Scottish Regiment
o 6th Infantry Brigade
• Fusiliers Mont-Royal
• Queens Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada
• South Saskatchewan Regiment
o 5th Infantry Brigade
• Three platoons of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
• Calgary Highlanders
o Toronto Scottish Regiment (Machine Gun)
o 14th Armoured Regiment (Calgary Regiment)
o Detachment of 3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
o Detachment of 4th Field Regiment
o Detachments from the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers, Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps, Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps

[Bill Miller]

Brian,

I know you have a lot of documentation on the 8th Reece. Do you have access to their Part 2 orders?? (lists of postings, awards, punishments, etc.). They are not normally accessible via regular archive War Diary requests since they contain so-called "private" information. Particularly tough to access "uncensored" for disbanded regiments with no current museum affiliation.

Anyway, if these officers and OR's were officially attached or loaned to another unit for the raid it would probably be listed in the Part 2's. You could make a request to the Archives under the access to information and privacy act ($5 fee). Make your request VERY specific for what you are looking for and also bracket the dates. Part 2's were often written "after" the fact, so they usually reference dates and events weeks after they happened. COncerning these individuals and the DIeppe raid you may want to concentrate on July '42 to Sept'42 (July in case they were attached/loaned prior to the raid for other reasons)

I've been lucky to get the Pt. II's for the 1CACR with only a handful of blacked out items, but it did take a few attempts, pleading letters and probably a more than sympathetic archivist.

Do the diaries mention any idea of why these fellows were at the raid?

Bill.

[jim sewell]

Attached are some pictures of the Dieppe Cemetery, 950 are buried here.

[barriefield-brian]

Thank you for the replies. Maybe the part 2 orders would shed some light. It was always said my grandfather was on the Dieppe raid but I wondered if they mixed up when they were liberated. Anyway here is a page from the war diary naming all the officers who were there. I dont know why they were there or if they were attached to another regt. for the raid. Thx Brian

[Bill Miller]

Brian,

That's a very interesting WD entry. FOr the CO to go along with the other officer's sounds like they may have been observers, but then again two were wounded?? If I read the entry correctly, "Capt. (Honorary) Alistair Buchan" was a padre!?...

I think the Pt II's are your best bet, outside of finding some private diary or other personal correspondence to back up this WD entry. DO you have the appendicies for the August '42 war diary? I'm really surprised that there isn't any further explanation considering they took casualties.

Bill.

[DougSowden]

Hi,
First time posting, and I joined to get the same sort of answers as given in this thread. Who were the 4 OR's from the 8th RECCE, 14th Canadian Hussars who were attached to the South Saskatchewans for the Dieppe raid?
My late father-in-law, Donald Edward Smith, told me that he was on the beach at Dieppe, and waited to be taken off. He also mentioned his admiration for Col. Merritt.
The names of the 5 officers from the 8th Recce are given, as shown in the thread...but no names for the OR's.
Is it possible that they were part of the bodyguard for the inspection of the German radar site inland? Don was a prairie-dog popping marksman from Sceptre, Sask. and may have been assigned for his rifle skills.
If someone gets the names of the 4 other ranks, I would appreciate knowing.
Thanks

[Eric B]

Hello

For those who have not read the revealing book about Dieppe " One Day in August" by David O'Keefe. I put it on the must read list. The truth about Dieppe is now known as it was a cover up raid to collect a copy and data on the German Enigma machine. The Allies at the time were desperate to crack the code at any cost. Dieppe was the closest German Naval port.

It became larger than intended to cover up the true reason from the Germans... and those in the know where sworn to secrecy for life.

I just discovered I had a relative with the British Commandos who was Naval intelligence. He most likely would have been one of those in the know.

Eric

[barriefield-brian]

Originally Posted by DougSowden

Hi,
First time posting, and I joined to get the same sort of answers as given in this thread. Who were the 4 OR's from the 8th RECCE, 14th Canadian Hussars who were attached to the South Saskatchewans for the Dieppe raid?
My late father-in-law, Donald Edward Smith, told me that he was on the beach at Dieppe, and waited to be taken off. He also mentioned his admiration for Col. Merritt.
The names of the 5 officers from the 8th Recce are given, as shown in the thread...but no names for the OR's.
Is it possible that they were part of the bodyguard for the inspection of the German radar site inland? Don was a prairie-dog popping marksman from Sceptre, Sask. and may have been assigned for his rifle skills.
If someone gets the names of the 4 other ranks, I would appreciate knowing.
Thanks

will look it up. have the part 2 orders that names all.

cheers brian

[Jon Skagfeld]

A propos this site:

Tomorrow is the 73rd anniversary of the raid.

I'll be expressing my respects in my own private way.

[barriefield-brian]

Here is the 4 other ranks on the Dieppe raid. Cheers Brian
Trooper Gratrix H.J.
Trooper Major L.R.
Trooper Poisson G.F.
Trooper Tyman A.F.