Hamilton - Dieppe Memorial

 

Location:  Halton Region, City of Hamilton   N 43° 17.505 W 079° 47.461                                          On Beach Boulevard at Manor Avenue between the road and the Waterfront Trail.  Main entrance to the memorial is off the trail, as if coming ashore from the lake.

August 19, 1942, seventy years ago today, the anniversary of the first major assault by Allied Forces on Europe.  Over 5,000 Canadian troops lead the charge of Operation Jubilee onto the beaches of Dieppe.  The entire operation was a complete disaster, with no objectives being reached. 

More than 900 men were killed in three hours, over 2000 were captured and served out the remainder of the war in POW camps.

The raid has turned out to be not only a disaster, but the subject of many controversies and theories as to the real reason behind the poorly planned operation.

On 19 August 2003, the 61st Anniversary of the raid on the French port of Dieppe in 1942, the City of Hamilton dedicated the Dieppe Veterans' Memorial Park to the 582 soldiers of The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) who stormed ashore that morning. 

The main entrance is located on Waterfront Beach Trail. There is a low wall at the top of the walkway symbolizing the seawall at Dieppe. Inside this low wall is the Ceremonial Plaza. This area contains plaques with all the names of The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry that died that day. There are also plaques naming all other people from Hamilton that died that day, as well as those who were awarded the Victoria Cross.

 

Marker text:

Front centre:

TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN PROUD MEMORY
OF THE 197 OFFICERS,
N.C.O.s AND MEN OF
THE ROYAL HAMILTON
LIGHT INFANTRY (W.R.)
WHO DIED ON THE
ESPLANADE, ON THE
BEACH AND IN THE
TOWN OF DIEPPE
19 AUGUST 1942

 

 

 

Front left:

Plaque 1:

DIEPPE VETERANS’ MEMORIAL PARK

Dedicated 19 August 2003

The Dieppe Veterans’ Memorial Park is

Dedicated by the City Of Hamilton to the

young men of Hamilton and surrounding

communities who died on the stony

beaches of the Port of Dieppe, France,

on 19 August 1942

A total of 913 Canadian sailors, soldiers

and airmen were killed during this raid.

The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry

(Wentworth Regiment) lost 197 soldiers

during this battle.  Their names appear

here along with other Hamiltonians who

died while serving with other Canadian

units at Dieppe.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

 

Plaque 2:

RHLI

Major Waldron, Norris Alton

Capt. Bowery, Richard Charles Waudby

Capt. Matchett, George Elwood

Capt. Poag, Herbert Victor

Capt. Skerrett, George Donald

Lieut. Baisley, Reginald Stanley

Lieut. Bell, Llewellyn Clarke

Lieut. McIlwain, Donald Melford

Lieut. Tinsley, George

Lieut. Wright, Ian Hamilton

Pte. Abbott, John Randolph

Pte. Acton, Earl

Pte. Alexander, James

Pte. Allen Kenneth William

Pte. Anderson, Kenneth William

Pte. Anderson, Lloyd Martin

Pte. Andrews, Alfed

Pte. Ball, Melvin

Pte. Barber, Arthur Oliver

Cpl. Barber, Wesley David

Pte. Barnes, Fred Arthur

Pte. Beaulieu, Joseph Mathias

WOII  Bell, Herbert Edgar

Sgt. Bennett, William Joseph

Cpl. Bisset, Albert William

Pte. Bleeman, Murray Irving

Pte. Bohnert, Leo

Pte. Book, Clarence

Pte. Bowman, Albert Edward

Pte. Brant, Elmer Joseph

Pte.Brennan, Kenneth Percival

Pte. Bruce, Ronald

Pte. Butler, Leslie James

Pte. Butler, Robert Charles

Pte. Carlton, John Alfred

Pte. Carter, Leonard Edward

L/Cpl. Chadwick, Stanley

Pte. Chilcott, Willaim James

Pte. Clarke, Ivan

Pte. Clausen, Roy Liege

Pte. Coat, Thomas Chester

L/Cpl. Cole, Albert George

Pte. Coleman, Edward Bruce

Pte. Coleman, Howard Albert

Cpl. Coltman, James

Pte. Conick, Paul

Pte. Copeman, John Levi

Pte. Cornelius, Francis

Pte. Cottington, George Stevenson

 

Plaque 3:

RHLI

Pte. Cronin, John Bryan

Pte. Cronin, Michael Terrance Joseph

Sgt. Cruikshank, George McAdam

Pte. Day, Charles Henry

Pte. Dieus, Harvey Eckhart

Cpl. Emberson, Charles Joseph

Pte. Flanagan, Joseph Patrick

Pte. Fletcher, Fred

Pte. Forbes, Wesley Sylvester

Cpl. Foster, Clarence William

Pte. Freeborn, John Fulton

Pte. Fritsch,John Steve

Pte. Gajewski, Paul

Pte. Garrison, Thomas Joseph

Pte. Gibbons, Alfred Thomas

Pte. Gibbons, Harry James

Pte. Gordon, Thomas

Pte. Goulais, Michael Clarence

Pte. Gralick, John Mark

Pte. Grant, William Alexis

Pte. Greaves, Thomas Edward

Pte. Greene, Wilfred Laurier

Pte. Grey, Gordon Samuel

Pte. Griffiths, William Hnery

Pte. Gubbins, Russell Whitfield

Pte. Gurden, Gordon William

Pte. Hankinson, Leonard

WOII Harris, Lloyd Arthur

L/Cpl. Harris, Sauel Howard

Pte. Haycock, Kenneth Albert George

Pte. Heifetz, Leizer

Pte. Henderson, James

Cpl. Henderson, Murray Herbert

Pte. Henry, Norman Walter

Cpl. Hodson, Arthur Edwin

Pte. Holmes, John Bernard

L/Cpl. Howarth, Leonard

Pte. Hughes, Patrick

Pte. Hysert, Francis Overton

Pte. Irven, William John

Pte. Johnson, Alfred Edward

Pte. Jones, Arthur

Pte. Jones, Charles Seymour

Pte. Judd, Herbert Raymond

Cpl. Juhlke, William Harold

Pte. Karas, Rudolph Ciril

Pte. Kellar, Clarence Malcolm

L/Cpl. Kennedy, William

Pte. Kerslake, George

Pte. King, Maxwell Jacob

 

 

Front Right:

Plaque 1.

RHLI

Pte. Knight, Ray Douglas

Pte. Kotterman, George

Pte. Lake, William John

Pte. Lavis, Douglas

Pte. Lee, Gordon Joseph

Pte. Leeson, Roy Cleveland

Pte. Leigh, William Murray

Pte. Lendzioszek, John

Pte. Lillycrop, Thomas Robert

Pte. Long, Kenneth Gordon

Pte. Mack, Michael Walter

Pte. MacLellan, John Neil

Pte. MacLeod, Ernest

Pte. MacPherson, Alexander Duncan

Pte. Magdiziasz, Joseph

Pte. Magner, Paul Leon

L/Sgt. Marlow, Arthur Herbert Lucien

L/Sgt. Martin Franklin

Pte. McAndrew, Henry Frederick

Pte. McBride, Clarence Wilson

Pte. McCarroll, Charles Kenneth

Pte. McConnell, Andrew John

Pte. McConville, Lawrence Austin

Pte. McCourt, Hugh Francis

Cpl. McNamara, James

Pte. McParland, Orval

Pte. Megson, Robert Henry

Pte. Meiners, Albert William

Pte. Miller, Robert William

Pte. Minnett, Harry

Pte. Moore, Stanley Leonard

Pte. Mulholland, James

Pte. Napken, Jack

Sgt. Naylor, George Midgley

Pte. Newton, Robert John

Pte. Nickel, Herbert Rubin

Pte. O’Kane, John Gerald

Pte. O’Neill, Frank

Sgt. O’Neill, John Gerard

Pte. Owen, William George

Pte. Paterson, James Allan

Pte. Pendleton, Cecil Laverne

Pte. Pilley, Harry Graham

Pte. Prine, Willaim

Pte. Pringle, Alfred Meredith

Pte. Proulx, Albert

Pte. Purdy, Ivan Lavern

Pte. Reid, Jack Harry

Pte. Reid, Thomas Paul

Pte. Rhynard, Austin Joseph

 

Plaque 2:

Pte. Richards, Stanley

Pte. Richardson, John David

Pte. Rieger, Egbert Lorne

Pte. Robar, Charles Robert

Pte. Rolston, Wilfred Burton

Pte. Rust, William George

Pte. Salisbury, Donald Fredrick

Pte. Salisbury, William Edward

Pte. Scott, Maurice Alfred James

Pte. Sears, John

Pte. Sharpe, William Allison

Pte. Sinden, Bernard George

Pte. Slusar, Harry

L/Cpl. Smith, Francis Herbert

L/Cpl. Smith, Gerald Hamilton

Pte. Smith, Henry

Pte. Sommerville, Neil

Pte. Spring, Herbert Edward William

Pte. Staniuk, Peter Steven

Pte. Steele, James Lester

L/Cpl. Stewart, Harry Crawford

Pte. Stewart, James Thomas

Pte. Stokes, George Henry

Pte. Taylor, Francis Gordon

Pte. Taylor, Raymond

Cpl. Teasdale, George

Pte. Teasdale, Peter

Sgt. Teather, Charles Hadfield

Pte. Templeman, Martin

Pte. Thompson, Joseph

Pte. Trumbley, Robert Frederick Thomas

Pte. Tuck, Warren Harvey

Pte. Tucker, Walter

Cpl. Turnbull, George Pearson

Pte. Turner, Carl Orville

Pte. Turner, David

Pte. Vickers, Wallace Edward

Pte. Walker, JohnWilliam

Pte. Walsh, Philip John

Pte. Walters, Edward Richard

Cpl. Weaver, Frank Howard

Pte. Webb, Gerald

Pte. Whyte, Sidney James Clarence

Pte. Wilson Frank Francis

Pte. Withnell, Robert Edward

Pte. Woodey, Clifford Roy

Pte. Wright, Alfred

Pte. Zolyomy, William Joseph

 

Plaque 3:

Pte. P.C. Hanson  Essex Scottish Regiment

Capt. W.J. McCutcheon  Royal Canadian Artillery

F/Sgt. A.R. McDonald  Royal Canadian air Force

Pte. H.L. Spike  Royal Regiment of Canada

P.O.  L.A. Walker  403 Squadron R.C.A.F.

VICTORIA CROSS RECIPIENTS

Two Canadian soldiers who

participated on the Dieppe Raid of

19 August 1942 were awarded the

Victoria Cross for their individual

valour, gallantry, leadership and

self-sacrifice while under intense

and continuous enemy fire

throughout the day.

Lt. Col. Charles Cecil Merritt, VC

Commanding Officer

The South Saskatchewan Regiment

Capt. John Weir Foote, VC

Regimental Chaplain

The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry

NOUS NE LES OUBLIERONS JAMAIS

 

Rear:

Four plaques on the rear of the memorial give greater detail of the history of the battle and of the losses of other regiments at the Dieppe Raid.  For more information regarding the test of these plaques, please contact me directly.