Hamilton soldiers and other Allied forces to be honoured in Dieppe raid service
Published August 14, 2023 at 1:36 pm
More than 6,000 Allied forces, including 582 from Hamilton, will be remembered Saturday for their courage and sacrifices when they mounted the largest raid of the Second World War.
The memorial service will mark the 81st anniversary of the raid on the French resort town of Dieppe. It will be held at Hamilton’s Dieppe Veterans Memorial Park at 1033 Beach Blvd. on Aug. 19 from 11 a.m. to noon. The public is invited to attend the service.
On Aug. 19, 1942, 582 members of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry took part in the raid. The event is considered a dark chapter in Canada’s military history because it resulted in heavy losses for Allied forces. However, many historians view the raid as providing critical lessons that eventually led to the defeat of the Nazis. The raid resulted in 197 members from the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry being killed, the single greatest loss of life of Hamiltonians to date, according to the City of Hamilton. Nearly 300 were wounded or taken prisoner. A total of over 1,000 Canadian soldiers, sailors and aircrew lost their lives during the raid.
The 2023 service is presented in partnership with the City of Hamilton’s Veterans Committee and the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Veterans Association.