Today there will be a national memorial in Windsor’s Dieppe Gardens to remember the Canadians who died 80 years ago in a bloody raid on Dieppe, France.
Veterans Affairs Canada will host the event at 78 Riverside Dr. W., which CBC News will broadcast live. The event parade starts at 11:30 and the event itself starts at 12:10.
John L. Date, one of the last surviving members of the Dieppe Raid, will be there. World War II veterans David Adlington, Arthur Boon and Charles Davis are also invited.
The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario will be there, as well as numerous military and political officials. The Essex and Kent Regimental Association, which lost 121 members in the attack, will also take part.
Three members of the regiment attended the ceremonies in Dieppe, France today.
LISTEN: Reservists from the Essex and Kent Regimental Association join Windsor Morning
Windsor Morning7: 1080th anniversary of Dieppe in France
3 Reservists from the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment talk to CBC Windsor Morning host Nav Nanwa about the 80th anniversary ceremonies of the Dieppe Raid in France.
In Windsor, a bugler will play the Last Post at 1 p.m., followed by a flyover of historic aircraft from the Canadian Aviation Museum.
The Dieppe Raid took place on August 19, 1942.
The allies initially planned to land ashore under the cover of darkness, Veterans Affairs Canada said. But the landing was delayed. As the assault forces were en route, they encountered a small German convoy.
Members of the Royal Canadian Medical Corps evacuate Allied soldiers from the beach after the failed raid on Dieppe, France, during World War II. (The Canadian Press)
The sound of the battle between the two alerted a German coastal defense force, Veterans Affairs said. When the Allies landed, the enemy was waiting.
Canadians made up the majority of the assault troops, and 916 of 4,963 were killed. There were 3,367 casualties in total, including 1,946 prisoners of war.
The Allies conduct a final exercise before landing at Dieppe. (Library and Archives Canada)
In a statement Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Dieppe attack was “one of the most difficult and tragic days” for Canada during the Second World War.
He called it a “devastating setback”, but one that carried lessons that eventually led to victory over Nazi Germany.
“On this day, we pay tribute to the thousands of Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice in Dieppe,” he said. “I invite everyone to participate in a memorial event to mark this solemn anniversary and to honor the memory of those who have defended our values of peace, freedom and justice.”
An Allied aircraft is shown in the sky over Dieppe, France, on August 19, 1942, the day of the failed Dieppe Raid. (Minister of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada/PA-183771)
A memorial at the Square du Canada in the city of Dieppe remembers the Canadian contribution. The plate says:
“On August 19, 1942, on the beaches of Dieppe, our Canadian cousins marked with their blood the path to our final liberation thus heralding their victorious return on September 1, 1944.”
How to look
CBC Windsor will stream the event live on this page, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.
CBC News Network is also scheduled to televise the event live from Windsor.