Dieppe Raid, Operation Jubilee

Here you go

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_dieppe1.html#alliedforce

Looks a rather good site actually

 

Thanks, Drew.
Yes, rather good site.
Not the author's fault that he doesn't give any convincing justification for the operation.

 

I've been doing some digging and found out the following on some of your pictures:

 

Transported on TLC-2

W/D No. T-62171

Churchill III

Sub Unit: 13 Troop, C Squadron

Turret No. 13 in a circle

Commander: Corporal G.H. Wiggins
Driver: Trooper F. Hilsabeck
Co-Driver: Trooper E. E. Farr
Gunner: Trooper D. M. Jenkins
Loader/Radio Operator: Trooper D. W. Scratch



Cheetah's belly was exposed as it climbed over the sea wall and was hit by a shell.

Trooper Hilsabeck later described what he recalls as a shell hit them in the belly:

'Turned red hot right at my feet, so it came mighty close to coming through.... It blew all the fuses in the tank, so we rolled back down in behind the wall. I got all the fuses changed with a flashlight, got it started up again and then we went up over the wall.... Once we were upon the promenade we were like a buch of rats in a treadmill. We didn't know where to go or just what to do.'

 

I believe this was taken on Rue De Sygogne which leads up from the West side of the beach at Dieppe.

 

The Tank Landing Craft reached the beach in front of the cassino between Rue Alexandre Dumas and Boulevard du Marechal Foch and was carrying 9 Troop, B Squadron which it managed to unload (3 Churchills-Buttercup,Blossom, Bluebell and a Daimler Scout Car called Harry). Unfortunately no sooner than this happened the landing craft came under very accurate artillery and mortar fire which wiped out the crew and leaving the landing craft to burn.

Blossom: (Churchill on the left)

W/D No. T-68561R

Churchill III

Turret No. 9 in Square

Commander: Lieutenant M. J. A. Lambert
Driver: Trooper L. G. Twa
Co-Driver: Corporal W. H. Wigley
Gunner: Trooper H. A. Embree
Loader/Radio Operator: Trooper J. L. Whitely

Blossom under the command of the Troop Commander Lt. Lambert tried to follow the first tank but came off the chespaling laid by the first tank and broke its right track in the rocks and came to a stop.

Lt. Lambert remembers:
'We were doing a turn to get lined up with the wall, where Sergeant Morrison (The first tank) had gone over, when our right track broke... We had never run into that kind of stuff before... Once we had broken our track we were pretty much sheltered by the cassino and, therefore, the mortar and artillery shells that came lobbing over, because of their trajectory, landed behind us in the water... A couple of times things popped in, on one occasion, something hit me on the hat badge, either a bit of rock or shrapnel, and then fell down my gunner's neck, it was hot because Embree reacted quite vigorously!'

Blossom stayed in the same position for the rest of the morning but continued to fire on a 37-mm gun in a blockhouse and other targets around the west headland area.

Lt. Lambert continues to describe the blockhouse's build quality and what little effect his gun had on it:
'It was like chipping away with a hand pick... or spitting at it, we were terribly undergunned.'

Bluebell: (Churchill on the right)

W/D No. T-68759R

Churchill III

Turret No. 9 in Square

Commander: Corporal D. L. Brownlee
Driver: Trooper M. Holden
Co-Driver: Trooper G. Volks (Returned to UK)
Gunner: Trooper A. R. Watson
Loader/Radio Operator: Trooper W. C. McBryan

Bluebell towed Harry (Daimler S/C) of the TLC and tried to manoeuvre around Blossom but got stuck in the chert, directly infront of the cassino and could only move a few feet back and forth. However it did continue to fire its gun. Looking through the tanks telescopic sight the crew observed a German sniper (By the muzzle flash) on the cassino roof. Amongst many other targets the sniper drew the attention of the 6 pounder which demolished the area where he was firing from. Trooper Volk was ordered to get out of the tank and unhitch Harry which they had towed ashore, and to see if he could clear any of the rocks away from the tracks to free up the tank. Volks was wounded whilst doing this and was evacuated back to the UK as a casualty. He was one of only two tank crew members who made it back to the UK on 19th August 1942.

 

Came ashore from TLC-6

W/D No. T-68560R

Churchill III

Turret Number: 6 in Square

Commander: Squadron Sergeant Major G. M. Menzies
Driver: Trooper N. A. McArthur
Co-Driver: Trooper T. A. Dunsmore
Gunner: Trooper W. G. Stewart
Loader/Radio Operator: Trooper F. H. Noel

Bert was the second tank of TLC-6 and soon stopped. Trooper Stewart realised the turret was not working correctly and had difficulty in getting it to traverse because of the waterproofing. Trooper Dunsmore, went outside and cut the waterproofing away from the turret. Bert made its way up towards the area east of the cassino later in the morning and had its left track blown off by enemy fire. Possibly from the 37mm gun mentioned in an earlier post.

Now disabled Bert was still in a postion to give support and covering fire to around 20 men from the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry who crossed from the cassino and moved into the town. Three of the crew were later rescued by Coporal Heck's tank Bill and the other two were picked up by Lieutenant Dunlap's tank Bob.

 

Headquarters Fighting (F) Troop C Squadron, Calgary came ashore from TLC-1.

W/D No. T-68559

Churchill III

Turret Number: F2 in circle

Commander: Lieutenant B. G. Douglas
Driver: Corporal J. H. P. McCann
Co-Driver: Sergeant A. S. Wagstaff
Gunner: Trooper K. Smethurst
Loader/ Radio Operator: Trooper D. G. Scott

Calgary landed between 0525hrs and 0530hrs on the eastern side of Red Beach near the harbour. It was under the command of C Squadrons Reconnaissance officer, Lt. Douglas. After landing it turned right and move along the beach running parallel with the sea wall towards the cassino, searching for some where to cross onto the promenade. About half way along White Beach its left track was suddenly blown off. After loosing a track Calgary took on the role of a pillbox and used its 6-pounder on targets like the cassino and tobbaco factory.

Trooper Scott in Calgary remembers:
'We were sitting with no cover and so had a good view of the beach. Lieutenant Douglas found enough targets to keep Smethurst busy until we had used up all our ammunition. Once we observed horses pulling mortars or guns along the top of the cliff to the Chateau, Smethurst hesitated because he really did not want to shoot the horses. Meanwhile we were attracting a lot of gun fire. We took some direct hits on the turret, hard enough that the paint was melting and running down on the inside. The heat inside, along with the smell of the smoke and cordite, was almost unbearable, so much so that Sergeant Wagstaff, who was down in the co-drivers seat, was put out of action. We stayed in the tank until we was ordered to surrender.'


TLC-5, Blossom and Bluebell can be seen in the distance

I think the Churchill half submerged to the turret maybe Boar from 8 Troop, B Squadron but I can't confirm this at the moment.

 

Cheers Owen,

I have a list of all the armour and crews from 14th Canadian Army Tank Regiment involved in the Dieppe Raid.

Regards
Andy

 

I can say I'm 90% sure now that the half submerged Churchill is indeed Boar from 8 Troop, B Squadron.

Came ashore from TLC -3

W/D No. T-32049

Churchill I OKE (Flame Thrower)

Turret Number: 8 in Square

Commander: Sergeant J. Sullivan
Driver: Lance Corporal A. A. Poirier
Co-Driver: Trooper A. R. Birston
Gunner: Trooper E. Paquette
Loader/Radio Operator: A. L. Chick

Boar was the second tank to leave TLC-3 after the first tank (Bull) exited too early into 10 feet of sea water. Boar made a heavy landing due to TLC-3 having her ramp broken off by Bull, as a consequnce of the heavy landing Boar broke her flame-thrower fuel tank off. The driver of Boar could feel when the rocks were starting to get caught up in the track wheels and knew to clear them out he had to drive in a straight line.

Boar made the promenade after travelling west down the beach and then turned inland near the cassino. Boar remained mobile throughout the morning and was eventually ordered back to the beach to cover the withdrawal. The crew were ordered to immobilise the tank and use it as a pillbox.

 

Hey Drew, I really appreciate all the background info, certainly puts flesh on the bones so to speak.
Matt

 

These are not commemoration pics but `gloating ones` They are taken from German newsreels at the time and many were used to make up a pamphlet that was dropped on the Portsmouth area shortly after the raid. I know because my Father landed Canadian troops near the Casino and we have one of the pamphlets dropped by air a few days after the disaster. What made people wonder about a security breach at the time was that many of the pamphlets were dropped over the wooded areas behind West Meon in Hampshire......actually the areas where many of the troops had spent some time in tents waiting for the raid to go ahead. !!
Sadly the `dead troops ` are just that. Casualties who were killed before they could get off the beaches. Many of the modified tanks carried special exhausts to allow wet landings, (seen in one picture). However they ran into the problem of getting a grip on the loose shingle and many either threw tracks or could not get off before being knocked out. They did provide some sort of protection for following waves but this was not the place to loiter.
The magazine `After the Battle` did an exceptional article some time ago on the Raid and many of the pictures you show were included.
In reality the Germans held thier own memorial service later to honour their dead which amounted to several hundreds but nowhere near as many as lost by the Canadians and British and there was also a token American presence among the invaders.
Patrick

 

... and there was also a token American presence among the invaders.
One of whom is in this picture:
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=18602&d=1248473105

 

Here is a previous thread on the subject which makes interesting reading.
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/ww2-battlefields-today/11866-dieppe-just-too-late-65th-anniversary-3.html


Regards
Tom

 

My dad was originally with the Calgary Regiment RCA. They discovered he was claustrophobic and he got an administration job with rank to go with it. After borrowing a bike to go to London and the officer that owned it not being notified (In other words they stole it) he was given the choice of a) go to prison b) take the demotion and you like bikes. We will send you on a Dispatch Rider course. He made it half way to shore but the rest of landing was called off before he got his feet wet which probably saved his life. His name was Henrie Charron but I believe he might have gone under the name of Rene also.

Does anybody know where to get a full roster of even those that did not make it to shore?

 

Gerry My dad was a DR after they discovered he was claustrophobic. He did not appear in a book I found which had the roster. I would like more info on him if I can Charron was his last name. He went by Rene or Henrie. Any way for me to research this? He joined the regiment in Borden.