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The Centennial Battlefield Pilgrimage started in earnest with a trip to
Dieppe. Captain Peter Boyle, who did the detailed itinerary planning and
arrangements for the tour, had extensive experience in operating tours in
Europe, and as a former soldier of The Royal Regiment of Canada was
intimately familiar with the Dieppe area. It was felt important to include
areas of historical interest beyond the scope of just regimental
activities. There were many reasons for this. For many tour members, this
was their first and possibly only trip to Europe to experience Canadian
military history tourism. Experiencing the other sites not directly
related to regimental history would also help put regimental history into
the broader context. And there was the reality that infantry battalions
fight small actions in tiny places that change dramatically over time; the
small battlefields that the Calgary Highlanders made famous have often not
been preserved or are difficult to get access to now.
Dieppe does have regimental connections, as scholars of unit operations
will note that 21 mortar men under their platoon commander went to Dieppe
but did not disembark - though two were Mentioned in Despatches for
bringing down a German aircraft while manning anti-aircraft guns. Another
Calgary Highlander serving as staff officer at a brigade headquarters was
killed on the main beach, his body never recovered.
After Blue Beach at Puys, the buses moved to the main beaches where a
brief stopover was spent finding lunch on the beachfront. A visit to the
West Headland and Pourville followed, and then a trip to the Military
Cemetery, where by surprise a remembrance service was underway by officers
of a NATO training school. |
"Blue Beach" at Puys, where The Royal Regiment of Canada landed on 19
August 1942. The greatest concentration of losses of the day were suffered
here, with 200 killed and 264 captured of 556 landed. The Germans had
defended the beach with just 60 men, and at no point felt the need to
reinforce the position. Photo by Nancy Desilets |
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A service of remembrance
and wreath laying was just about to start as the Calgary Highlanders
arrived at the Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery. The service put the timings
on the itinerary back, pushing a planned trip to the Pegasus Bridge off
until the next day - for anyone touring military sites in Normandy, in
June, flexibility is a necessity.
Photo by Nancy Desilets |
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