Photographs: Training For Combined Operations, July 1942 (1)

 Canadian Troops and Sailors Train for a Significant Exercise

Likely for the Dieppe Raid, Held in August, 1942

IWM (H 21355) - Canadian troops loading equipment on landing craft*.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205493918

*and because small landing craft are involved in the exercise, so too may several members of the RCNVR be involved, i.e., about half of those who had volunteered earlier for Combined Operations to serve on small craft and dangerous duties overseas (and who had arrived in the UK prior to the raid).

Please click here to read an article entitled Why Dieppe?

 
Introduction:

As readers perhaps already know, there are many books written about the Dieppe Raid, aka Operation Jubilee, held on August 19, 1942. And for every book one can find about the raid there are likely 1,000 photographs at the Imperial War Museum or other archives in several countries around the world, especially in British Commonwealth countries, e.g., Canada.

Recently I located about 2 dozen photographs at IWM under the same heading, 'Training For Combined Operations,' taken by Lts. Arthur James Tanner and Walter Thomas Lockeyear, (British) War Office Official Photographers in July, 1942. The chief subjects are Combined Operations Commander Lord Louis Mountbatten, Canadian troops, sailors from the RN and RCNVR*, and the occasional landing craft.

I encourage readers to make the effort to locate more photographs taken by Art Tanner and Walt Lockeyear (if I can be so bold as to use their first names). Some help finding their WWII collections is provided under the next photograph shared below.

*about 100 members of RCNVR - those who had volunteered for Combined Operations in late 1941 while under going training at HMCS Stadacona (including my father Doug Harrison, volunteer no. V8809) - were in the UK at the time, though only about half were assigned to take part in the Dieppe Raid in August (not including my father). 

Training For Combined Operations, from Imperial War Museum:

IWM (H 21350) - Original wartime caption: Vice Admiral Lord

Louis Mountbatten discussing the scheme with troops taking part.

Please click here to view the above photograph at the IWM. The page includes a 'search line'* with the number H21350. Click on the 'magnifying glass icon' or the small-sized photo (or its heading) to go to a larger, cleaner original version of the photograph.

Or, click here to quickly go to the larger, cleaner original version.

*re 'search line.' If you are reading a book re WWII that includes numbered photos from IWM, delete H21350 and replace it with the number your book supplies. Go to the original photo and note the links suppled to other related material including names and links to the official photographers (e.g., Lts. Tanner and Lockeyear), giving you access to other WWII photos they took at various times during WWII. (Warning - searching for sets of particular photos re the Dieppe Raid (August, 1942), Operation Torch (invasion of North Africa beginning in early November, 1942) and/or 1000s of other topics can become addictive!)

Information on back of each photo was also provided by IWM. I have shared the 'back photo' of only three photographs because in all cases except one the back is the same as the original caption. Below is the exception, because it acts as a fitting introduction to the full set of photographs:

Lord Louis Mountbatten, the second commander of Combined Operations, continues the discussion re an upcoming scheme (or exercise):

IWM (H 21351) - Original wartime caption: Vice Admiral Lord

Louis Mountbatten discussing the scheme with troops taking part.

IWM (H 21352) - Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten

with personnel taking part in the exercise.

More about Lord Mountbatten and his role in Combined Operations can be found in a very important book entitled The Watery Maze. Please click here to view several details about the book.

IWM (H 21353) - Canadian troops taking part in the exercise,

listen to a talk by Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten.

IWM (H 21354) - Troops waiting to embark on landing craft. It

will be noticed that they are wearing Mae Wests (inflated life belts).

IWM (H 21356) - Canadian troops waiting to go aboard landing craft. One

has a portable wireless set or "Walkie Talkie" as American troops call it.

IWM (H 21357) - Canadian troops waiting to embark

on landing craft for the exercise.

IWM (H 21358) - Air Force and Royal Navy wait to go aboard land-

ing craft for the exercise. The RAF man has a portable wireless set.

IWM (H 21359) - Canadian troops embarking in landing craft for the exercise.

IWM (H 21360) - Canadian troops embarking in landing craft for the exercise.

Soon to follow, more photographs related to 'Training For Combined Operations, July 1942' as found at the Imperial War Museum (IWM).

Link to Imperial War Museum in London, England here.

Please click here to view photographs related to Canadians in Combined Operations and their role in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, beginning July 10, 1943.

Unattributed Photos GH