Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery

The Dieppe Raid of 18-19 August 1942 was the first large scale daylight assault on a strongly held objective on the Continent since the Allied withdrawal of 1940. The objectives of the raid were the destruction the Dieppe defences and neighbouring radar and aerodrome installations, the raiding of a German divisional headquarters close by and the capture of prisoners. The largely Canadian military force undertook the main assault on Dieppe itself, with flanking assaults by Commando units and additional Canadian battalions to the east and west of the town intended to neutralise batteries that commanded the direct approach. Support was provided by more than 250 naval vessels and 69 air squadrons.

Only the assaulting parties on the extreme flanks came within reasonable reach of their ambitious objectives and casualties were very heavy, with more than 3,600 of the military force of 6,100 killed, wounded, missing or captured. Naval casualties numbered 550. Many of those who died in the raid are buried at Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery.

The Essex Scottish Regiment Dieppe Plaque

The original brass plaque commemorating the Dieppe Raid was placed at Red Beach in Dieppe, France in 1993 as a memorial to The Essex Scottish who participated in the 1942 Dieppe Raid and also the Allied Advance in 1944-45. The plaque was moved in 2006 near the entrance to the Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery when a new black granite memorial was dedicated at Red Beach.

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