Dieppe Raid, Operation Jubilee

Hi Tom,

25th Tank Brigade under command of British 46th Infantry Division, and 21st Tank Brigade under command 1st Canadian Division started the assault on the Gothic Line at exactly the same time on August 25th. By September 3rd the line was broken suffering relatively few casualties in the process.

If only Shermans, with their limited climbing ability, had been available to support the infantry the outcome would have been quite different, and it is not unreasonable to assume that Operation Olive possibly would not have taken place. Fortunately, thanks to one of the lessons learned at Dieppe Churchills were, otherwise they would have been long gone.

Perhaps it may be of interest to start a topic on the march up Italy’s east coast. What say you?

Cheers, Gerry.

 

Gerry -
we were never engaged in that party as it appeared to be all the 4th and 10th Indians and the Polish divs job assisted by a regiment of 9th Armoured Bde - they all did an old time Cavalry Charge near Ancona - scared the hell out of Von Etterlin - we sqweezed the Poles out just over the Metauro-before Cattolica
meanwhile - after the Liri - we went swanning off towards Florence to confuse Kesselring - that the two Canadian Divs would hit him there- and in fact he pulled 1st Para and 26th PZ;s from the coast as he thought the Canadians were doing a Landing there- to the Florence area then Leese came up with Olive so we turned around at Siena - over to Fabriano - and onto the Metauro at Iesi - we had left the 1st Cdn Armoured bde at Florence- throwing cigarette packets into the Arno to keep up the pretence - then WE had to change our numbers to theirs - it was a hoot !

Mind you Petrol was way cheaper in those days- two bdes of Tanks at 4 gallons to the mile - frightening to-day !
Cheers

 

Following on my comment about Jack Nissenthal (The VC that never was) I have just received the following short piece from an MD in the US that gives some background to his post-war career.

The more I learn about Jack, the more bitter I feel that he was never publicly thanked or awarded for his wartime activities.

Ron

My memories of Jack Nissen (as we all knew him) date from my childhood through young adulthood in South Africa. Jack and Dell had a record store and nobody could understand why they did what they did because, bless them both, they didn't have a head for business and they were right next door to a store whose owners did.

It turns out that, the way I understand it, Field Marshall Smuts had invited Jack to come to South Africa straight after the war and set up radar in South Africa. However, during the sea voyage from England, Smuts and his ruling party were voted out of office and the new Nationalist party wanted none of Smuts's ideas.
Jack and Dell, as well as their two children, became family friends.

Two more modest people I would be hard-pressed to name. Always friendly, kind and hospitable. I will never forget Dell's booming cockney laugh. In over twenty years I did not hear an unkind word from either of them. When my father underwent orthopedic surgery, Jack was one of the first to visit him in hospital.

Our paths diverged in the 1970s: Linda moved to London, Jack and Dell to Toronto, and I myself emigrated to the US.

When Jack's book appeared it came as a complete surprise as they had kept completely silent about his WW2 exploits. His book was written so modestly that I had to delve a bit but it became clear to me that Jack had worked with Sir Robert Watson-Watt on the radar system which ultimately saved not only England but us all. That to say nothing of Dieppe.

It has not been my lot to meet the great and good (in South Africa the latter are in extremely short supply). Jack was, with the wisdom of hindsight, the greatest man I ever met. It was a privelege to have known him.

Peter Appelbaum

 

Ron

Interesting follow up on Jack Nissenthal.
What are the book details?

Cheers
Randy

 

Here is a good website regarding the man, which I found very interesting.

Jack Nissenthall at Dieppe




Regards
Tom

 

Tom
Here is a good website regarding the man, which I found very interesting.
Jack Nissenthall at Dieppe


Many thanks for giving the link to the Harry Palmer Gallery, I personally read it many moons ago, but I know that others will find it most revealing.

17thDYRCH
Interesting follow up on Jack Nissenthal.
What are the book details?


Have started looking for details and will report back SAP

Ron

 

Ron,

Slightly off topic, but I am currently reading the book "Ultra goes to war" and this book explains the great lengths gone to to keep Ultra intelligence from being compromised.

It is little wonder that such daring deeds were not rewarded as there was a total blackout and many people were not given the due credit and awards that they deserved.

Regards
Tom

 

Tom

Helluva a story about Jack Nissenthal. Thanks for the post.

Ron
Noted with thanks. He had some history here in Canada so hopefully the book details will lead to something.

cheers from Canada

 

Tom
It is little wonder that such daring deeds were not rewarded as there was a total blackout and many people were not given the due credit and awards that they deserved.


I do appreciate that at the time and perhaps up to 30/40 years after there was a need to keep these matters hushed up but now, 65 years later ?

Jack Nissenthal, RIP, truly the VC that never was !

Ron

 

For 17thDYRCH and other interested members

Winning the Radar War
Publisher: Macmillan, 1987.
ISBN 0-7715-9510-7
Publisher: Collins, 1987
ISBN 0-00-2150428-5 (Paperback edition).
Publisher St. Martins Press, 1987.
ISBN 0-312-01535-6 (U.S. edition).
Publisher: Robert Hale and Sons, 1987.

No technology was more important than radar in the winning of the Second World War. This book tells of the race to develop radar in the words of Jack Nissen who was involved in the radar war from the very beginning. (See also Green Beach, 1975, by James Leasor)

"The account of the Dieppe raid alone is worth reading as (a) narrative of one survivor's heroism in a decimating battle." (The Virginian Pilot & Ledger Star, 3 April 1988.)

J.Nissenthal & AW Cockerill

Ron

 

Ron

Many thanks for the book details.

Cheers from Canada

 

daviidwilson

Welcome aboard !

Ron

 

that tank is in windsor ontario now, the cheetah

 

that tank is in windsor ontario now, the cheetah

The only Cheetah I know in Windsor happens to be strip club.

Where is it displayed Travis? Is it a replica or a renamed Churchill III? It is highly unlikely that the original Cheetah, abandoned in 1942 on the Dieppe esplanade, was ever recovered. If it was, I'd love to know the story.

 

Travis, welcome to the forum from just north of Windsor. So, Canuck has not seen the tank but may have visited the 'ballet'. Look forward to finding out the location of the Cheetah.

cheers

 

I find it strange that Canuck can pin point the location of a strip club but can't see a bloody great Churchill Tank in Windsor - probably because it's not moving !
cheers

 

They do say it makes you blind.!!!

 

I find it strange that Canuck can pin point the location of a strip club but can't see a bloody great Churchill Tank in Windsor - probably because it's not moving !
cheers


:sign_rofl:

 

I find it strange that Canuck can pin point the location of a strip club but can't see a bloody great Churchill Tank in Windsor - probably because it's not moving !
cheers

A point well taken Tom.
If only they had equipped the Churchill with a brass pole and some tassles.

In my own defence, it has been a long time since I've been to Windsor and at that age I was less interested in 'static' displays. I just knew that strip club reference would come back to haunt me.

 

A point well taken Tom.
If only they had equipped the Churchill with a brass pole and some tassles.

.

Who ... what ... huh? I came in at the last post on thread called 'The Raid on Dieppe'.

I have more to learn about WWII than I thought!

Dave