Raid on Dieppe

[da bomb]

I have just found out recently that my Grandad on my mothers side, who was a Canadian, and his brother were involved in the raid on Dieppe.

As this was a mainly Canadian bash, does anybody know if there is a list of people who took part.

I only just found out that his name prior to the war was "Wiens", he was the descendant of German family, the army on enlisting him changed his name to "Weins" which then stuck after the war! So my mothers maiden name was of Army orientation!!

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by da bomb

... does anybody know if there is a list of people who took part.

Adam;

The approximate total Canadian Army strength embarked for Dieppe was 4963 all ranks (305 officers and 4658 other ranks), do you have any idea what unit your Grandfather and his brother served with? There is no master list per say of people who took part.

Cheers

[da bomb]

Not as yet, i was researching my great grandad, who was the Bandmaster to the Viceroy of India! and came across this, one of my relatives had related this information to my aunty, so i dont have a regiment to research yet.

[Rick W]

Finding a regiment is a start. Then look at the War Diaries, if you are lucky he will be mentioned in them.

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by da bomb

I have just found out recently that my Grandad on my mothers side, who was a Canadian, and his brother were involved in the raid on Dieppe.

Originally Posted by da bomb

... so i dont have a regiment to research yet.

Originally Posted by Rick W

Finding a regiment is a start.

Adam;

If your Grandfather and his brother both served with the same unit at Dieppe, the following are the Canadian Army units which embarked more than one person for Dieppe:

1.) - 2nd Canadian Infantry Division:

Serial 152 - Headquarters, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division (8 officers and 4 other ranks)
Serial 542 - No. 2 Canadian Field Security Section (1 officer and 7 other ranks)

Serial 171 - Headquarters, 2nd Canadian Divisional Engineers, R.C.E. (4 officers and 9 other ranks)
Serial 174 - 7th Field Company, R.C.E. (4 officers and 133 other ranks)

Serial 199 - No. 11 Field Ambulance, R.C.A.M.C. (9 officers and 116 other ranks)

Serial 180 - Headquarters, 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade (6 officers and 3 other ranks)
Serial 183 - The Royal Regiment of Canada (26 officers and 528 other ranks)
Serial 182 - The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (31 officers and 551 other ranks)
Serial 181 - The Essex Scottish Regiment (32 officers and 521 other ranks)

Serial 190 - Headquarters, 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade (6 officers and 6 other ranks)
Serial 187 - Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal (31 officers and 552 other ranks)
Serial 193 - The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada (32 officers and 471 other ranks)
Serial 191 - The South Saskatchewan Regiment (25 officers and 498 other ranks)

2.) - Attached Troops:

Serial 582 - 14th Army Tank Regiment (The Calgary Regiment (Tank)), C.A.C. (32 officers and 385 other ranks)

3.) - Detachments from the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division:

Serial 581 - 8th Reconnaissance Regiment (14th Canadian Hussars), C.A.C. (5 officers and 4 other ranks)
Serial 155 - 4th Field Regiment, R.C.A. (3 officers and 20 other ranks)
Serial 142 - 3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.C.A. (9 officers and 236 other ranks)
Serial 173 - 2nd Field Company, R.C.E. (90 other ranks)
Serial 175 - 11th (Lambton) Field Company, R.C.E. (1 officer and 57 other ranks)
Serial 172 - 1st (Lambton) Field Park Company, R.C.E. (1 officer and 23 other ranks)
Serial 176 - 2nd Canadian Divisional Signals, R.C.C.S. (5 officers and 29 other ranks)
Serial 34 - The Toronto Scottish Regiment (M.G.) (5 officers and 120 other ranks)
Serial 196 - 2nd Divisional Ammunition Company, (No. 4 Company), R.C.A.S.C. (1 officer and 37 other ranks)
Serial 232 - 2nd Canadian Divisional Ordnance Workshop, R.C.O.C. (7 other ranks)
Serial 117C - 2nd Divisional Ordnance Field Park, R.C.O.C. (3 other ranks)
Serial 203 - No. 2 Provost Company (2 officers and 39 other ranks)
Serial 466 - No. 4 Defence Platoon (for HQ 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade) (1 officer and 7 other ranks)
Serial 468 - No. 6 Defence Platoon (for HQ 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade) (1 officer and 12 other ranks)
Serial 186 - 1st Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada (4 officers and 107 other ranks)
Serial 192 - The Calgary Highlanders (1 officer and 21 other ranks)

4.) - Attached Troops - Detachments:

Serial 1150 - Headquarters, First Canadian Army (2 officers and 2 other ranks)
Serial 1- Headquarters, 1st Canadian Corps (5 officers and 1 other rank)
Serial 551 - No. 11 Canadian Field Security Section (5 other ranks)
Serial 577 - 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade Signals, R.C.C.S. (1 officer and 13 other ranks)
Serial 679 - No. 61 Light Aid Detachment (Type C), R.C.O.C. (1 officer and 4 other ranks)
Serial 479 - First Mechanical Equipment Company, R.C.E. (5 other ranks)

Originally Posted by Rick W

Then look at the War Diaries, if you are lucky he will be mentioned in them.

... and as Rick pointed out:

Since you are in the UK, a starting point for your research is: - copies of Canadian Army unit War Diaries can be found at The National Archives, Kew, under File: WO 179 (War Office: Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian (United Kingdom) Forces (Dominion Forces): War Diaries, Second World War).

Cheers

[maple_leaf_eh]

Was he decorated, killed, injured or captured in Operation Jubillee? If so there are plenty of references that will help.

As an aside, Lord Louis Mountbatten's death by an IRA bomb was quietly cheered in certain beerhalls in Canada. He played a not insignificant role in the raid, and was not well regarded afterwards by some Canadian veterans.

[mckenzieclan]

One area where I had luck was here:

http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibiti.../intro_e.shtml

The Hamilton Spectator kept a tremendous archive of all their war articles, and indexed them by topic... they are searchable. Not by name, but by subject. For example searching Dieppe casualty will get you many hits, but searching by a name will nto work because you have to load each page (as a .pdf) then you can search it.

My Grandfather was also at Dieppe, Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. He was wounded immediately upon landing, and through searching I found his name and photo listed among the casualty lists that were published daily by the newspaper.

At the very least your relative should be listed, along with his next of kin if he was wounded, killed or captured. Because my Grandfather was from Hamilton, the Hamilton Spectator also published his photo also.

Good luck, I found it a lot of searching but very intersting.

Scott