Dieppe

[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.