Friday, August 30, 2024

Dieppe: The Canadians in Combined Ops Who Participated

             List Organized by Clayton Marks from London, Ontario, Canada


Introduction:

The number of times I have used Clayton Marks' self-published book entitled COMBINED OPERATIONS as an invaluable resource reaches into the mid-high-100s. Once again I turn to it to share information re the RCNVR/Combined Ops personnel from Canada who trained together in Hamilton, Halifax, Inveraray and Irvine (Scotland), bonded closely (many lifetime friendships formed) from mid-1941 to early1942 not knowing their first action would be manning landing crafts during the "suicide mission" aka the Dieppe Raid (referenced by one of the two Australian F.O. (Flotilla Officers) of LCTs) mentioned in the previous post. (War Correspondence: From One Veteran to Another (1))

F.O. Cyril Masterman wrote to Clayton Marks in 1990, perhaps in preparation for an 1992 Navy reunion at the same time as the 50th Anniversary of the raid in August 1942, Operation JUBILEE.

I have shared a lot of information on "1,000 Men, 1,000 Stories" about several of the sailors and officers who participated in the costly raid, and will share more in the future I am certain. As the names are listed I will provide just a few details about some of the brave men who survived and returned to British ports at the end of day, and some of those who did not, and some who were taken as prisoners of war on the beaches of France.

Light naval craft covering the landing during the Combined Operations daylight
raid on Dieppe. MGB 321 is nearest the camera (partly obscured by some sailors
in the foreground) whilst submarine chaser Q 014 can be seen in the middle

If readers know of other Canadians who served during the raid please contact me at gordh7700@gmail.com and I will add to the list shared by C. Marks in his book:

COMBINED OPERATIONS PERSONNEL

Dieppe - August 19, 1942

W. Alston            V-16521
R. Baxter             V-23771
G. F. Bayne         S/Lt.
W. Belontz          N/A
L. Birkenes         V-13848
W. A. Block        V-13852
J. E. Boak.           S/Lt.
D. H. Botly         S/Lt.
G. Bourcier         N/A
N. Bowen            V-6742
A. Bradfield        V-8869

The first draft of Canadians to sign up for Combined Operations were members of the Effingham Division (RCNVR), who trained at HMCS Stadacona in Halifax during the fall of 1941. The division volunteered "almost to the man" says my father in memoirs. (D. Harrison in sitting in the front row below, third from the left.) 

1941 Halifax, Effingham Div. Those in the Dieppe Raid are marked with an *
Photo from the collection of Joe Spencer. Used with permission

Row 1 (front) L - R: Woodley, Levere, D. Harrison, F. Davies, C. B. Sheeler,
J. Muirhead*, S. Dewey
Row 2 - Ray Ward*, R. Cavanaugh*, Gowan, P O Bigelow, P O Stevenson,
Muscles Martin, Don Westbrooke*, R. Brown*, Al Reneaird
Row 3 - E. Hampson, Bailey, Cabana, J. Martin, Lyle Miller, N. Mitchinson*,
J. Jennings, Jacobs, W. Moore, V. Smart*, R. Carrol
Row 4 - C. Rose*, J. E. Miller*, Al Adlington, J. Templeton, M. Redpath, Allen Kern, Don Linder
Row 5 - H. Brill, N. Hodge, J. W. Cole*, J. Stewart, L. J. Miller, G. Fuller, John Watson, W. Belontz*
Row 6 - Art Warrick*, D. Kerr, J. Costello, F. Howard, W. Lewis, R. Yokom,
Joe Watson, D. McPherson, Allen Finley

Chuck Rose (first name in Row 4 above) at Greenock Central Station, 
Scotland, '42. From the Joe Spencer collection. Used with permission

COMBINED OPERATIONS PERSONNEL

Dieppe - August 19, 1942

H. Brown            N/A
L. Brown            N/A
R. Brown            A-1637
A. Campbell       N/A
L. Campbell       V-17138         See research re Lloyd G. Campbell, died of wounds
R. Cavanaugh     N/A               See more photos of R. Cavanaugh by L. Evans
E. Chambers       N/A
J. Charity            4109-E
J. Cole                V-8989
W. C. Clifford     S/Lt.
M. Duffus           Lt.
T. Enwright         N/A
M. Grant             V-23921
W. Gray              V-22247
C. E. Henry        A-4282
F. Herring           V-6485
J. Hinscliffe        V-19249
D. S. Howes        3775
S. Ingram            V-23924
W. Katana            LSM
A. G. Kirby          4230
H. Kirk                 V-32126
L. Kirkpatrick      V-17474
J. E. Koyl             Lt.
L. Lance               N/A
N. Langevin         V-6976
W. Lank               N/A
E. Law                 V-23969
D. J. Lewis           S/Lt.
F. Logsdon           N/A
J. E. Miller           V-8913
N. Mitcheson       V-8986
G. Morrison          N/A
J. Muirhead          N/A
W. Mullins            Lt.
J. MacGregor        V-8385
B. McIntyre          V-8862
J. McKenna          N/A           Link to J. McKenna, died of wounds, Aug. 19th, 1942
A. J. McLeod       S/Lt.
R. F. McRae         Lt.             Link to passages by Lt. McRae re the Dieppe Raid

Pencil sketch of Lt. R. F. McRae while at German POW camp, 1942 - 45

COMBINED OPERATIONS PERSONNEL

Dieppe - August 19, 1942

G. A. Northgrave  S/Lt.
J. E. O'Rourke      S/Lt.
W. Owen              N/A
D. Ramsay           Lt.
G. Reynolds        V-5565
D. B. Rodgers      S/Lt.
C. Rose                V-8927          See photos re Chuck Rose from Chippewa, ONT 
N. Sheiler            N/A
W. Sinclair          S/Lt.
V. Smart              N/A
R. M. Smith        S/Lt.
J. Spencer            V-8929
K. Storey             V-35048
D. Townson         N/A
E. Walker            N/A
C. D. Wallace      S/Lt.
R. Ward               N/A
A. Warrick           V-8931
A. A. Wedd          S/Lt.
Don Westbrook   V-8833

Clayton Marks finished by writing: This is a list of personnel that was presented to the Mayor of Dieppe at the Reunion in 1992 and probably is not a complete list of all who served.

About the Dieppe Raid: More about the Naval Forces (e.g., list of H.M. Ships) and Organization of Flotillas to follow.

From COMBINED OPERATIONS by Clayton Marks, Pg 31

Please click here to read more about the Dieppe raid

Unattributed Photos GH

No comments: