RAF involvement on the ground/sea at Dieppe.

Whilst looking for casualties for another incident on 19/08/1942, I came across the following;

001 HARDING LJ 644368- 19/08/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE
002 MACKINNON WR 1052068- 19/08/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
003 MCKINNON H 997459- 19/08/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
004 PRIOR LN 653713- 19/08/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE

These men do not hold aircrew rank and therefore I can only assume that they were attached to an army or navy unit in some capacity. Otherwise how else did they end up in France?

Any thoughts.

Nick

 

Nicks,

I'm familiar with that Cemetery and its in Belgium.

From CWGC:

The British Expeditionary Force was involved in the later stages of the defence of Belgium following the German invasion in May 1940, and suffered many casualties in covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk. Commonwealth forces did not return until September 1944, but in the intervening years, many airmen were shot down or crashed in raids on strategic objectives in Belgium, or while returning from missions over Germany.

 

Been Googling and found that Cpl L J Harding was serving with 12 Balloon Centre at the time.

Not sure that helps much.

 

Apart from the date I don't get the Dieppe connection, the graves are over 150 miles away from Dieppe.

 

I recall reading a book years ago called Green Beach by J Leasor, where an RAF person goes on the Dieppe raid either with special equipment or to get special equipment. the upshot of the book is that whilst the RAF person is on this mission there is a group of Canadian Infantry briefed to kill him if he looks like getting captured.
I wonder if the your guy was on a similar mission and got killed. Interesting very Interesting

 

From 'Flight Global' dated 2 September 1943

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING NOW PRESUMED KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE.

L A/C. W R. Mackinnon.
L A/C. H. McKinnon.
L A/C. L H. Prior.


From 'Flight Global' dated 19 August 1943

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING NOW PRESUMED KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE.

Cpl. L J. Harding.

 

There was an RAF presence aboard the HQ ship HMS Calpe and, presumably. the duplicate HQ ship HMS Fernie. Were the RAF ORs associated with signals?

Calpe was divebombed and sustained casualties, including Air Commodore Cole.
Fernie was also attacked, no word on casualties.
Another Hunt Class destroyer, HMS Berkeley, was sunk, but this isn't identified as an HQ ship so it's less likely that RAF personnel were on board.

Best option might be to check RN casualties for 19 Aug 42 on Geoff's search engine and see if any of them turned up in the same cemetery?

 

There are 5 Canadian casualties from the Dieppe operation,washed up and buried on the West Friesian Islands (Dutch). Probably the most northerly coastline that bodies were washed up upon and reflected the influence of the English Channel currents sweeping north.

Never heard of the RAF involvement at Dieppe, other than in the air.

 

I recall reading a book years ago called Green Beach by J Leasor, where an RAF person goes on the Dieppe raid either with special equipment or to get special equipment. the upshot of the book is that whilst the RAF person is on this mission there is a group of Canadian Infantry briefed to kill him if he looks like getting captured.
I wonder if the your guy was on a similar mission and got killed. Interesting very Interesting

Flt Sgt Jack Nissenthall was to Pourville what Flt Sgt Cox was to Bruneval. Also see this version by our own Ron G.

 

Thank you all for your replies.

 

Having checked through the GRO records they were all members of 12 Balloon Centre, therefore are we looking at a landing craft loss/es?

 

I forgot that detail - unlikely they were signals.

 

Never heard of the RAF involvement at Dieppe, other than in the air.[/QUOTE]

Should have referred to RV Jones's account, Most Secret War which has an important reference to F/S Nissenthall's role on the Pourville sector.

I have seen a layout which showed the inland objectives at Pourville. I cannot remember if the installations were on the Dieppe side of what is now the Colonel Merritt bridge.Col Merritt's force had an impossible task to climb the hill with tanks to group up with the main assault on the Dieppe town beaches.At the bottom of the hill in Pourville,tank concrete obstacles were in place which would have been quite a formidable task to pass.

 

I think the radar station was on the cliffs to the left from the Canadians' point of view.

 

Idler
Many thanks for the link very good reading

 

I remember reading this many years ago but can't think if it would be any help.


Dieppe: The Greatest Air Battle: Amazon.co.uk: Norman L.R. Franks: Books