Government of Canada delegations travelling to mark the 80th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid Français
OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 16, 2022 /CNW/ - Veterans Affairs Canada
It has been 80 years since the Dieppe Raid, a particularly devastating part of the Second World War for the Canadian military. The sacrifices and achievements of those who gave so much to help restore peace and freedom to the world will never be forgotten.
Today, an official Government of Canada delegation will travel to France to take part in a series of events to mark the 80th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid. The delegation will be joined by the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and Darrell Samson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.
The delegation will include Veterans of the Second World War, representatives of Veterans and Indigenous organizations, a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Canadian youth and parliamentarians.
Three of the Veterans who will be part of the Government of Canada delegation served in the Second World War. Moreover, one of these Veterans – Gordon Howard Fennell – took part in the Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942.
Veterans Affairs Canada will also host commemorative events in Canada to mark this milestone. An official Government of Canada delegation will participate in commemorative ceremonies in the Dieppe Gardens in Windsor, Ontario. Veterans Affairs Canada is also planning a commemorative ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
The delegation travelling to Windsor, Ontario, will also include Veterans of the Second World War, local Veterans and Indigenous representatives, members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Youth, and parliamentarians. Four of the Veterans who will be part of this delegation served in the Second World War, including John L. Date, who took part in the Dieppe Raid.
"It's vitally important that we continue to recognize and honour the extraordinary service and sacrifice witnessed 80 years ago on the beaches of Dieppe. As the living memory of this seminal moment fades, we as Canadians must ensure that the legacy of those who served Canada is never forgotten."
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
I am honoured to have the chance to travel to Dieppe with the Canadian delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid. I look forward to hearing the stories from our Veterans first-hand as there is no better way to learn about their service and carry their important history forward.
The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
- 19 August 1942, was Canada's bloodiest day of the Second World War. There were more than 3,350 Canadian casualties by the end of the Dieppe Raid. Sadly, 916 Canadians were killed and approximately 1,950 more were captured and became prisoners of war.
- Code-named Operation Jubilee, the Dieppe Raid was the first significant action seen by Canadian soldiers in Europe during the Second World War.
- Two Canadians, Honorary Captain John Weir Foote, a chaplain with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, and Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Cecil Merritt, the commanding officer of the South Saskatchewan Regiment, were awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions during the Dieppe Raid.
- The nearly 5,000 Canadian soldiers who came ashore during the raid were supported by roughly 1,000 British commandos and 50 American Army Rangers.
- The Canadians who fought in the Dieppe Raid were among the more than one million men and women from our country who served in uniform during the Second World War.
SOURCE Veterans Affairs Canada
Media Relations, Veterans Affairs Canada, 613-992-7468, [email protected]; Erika Lashbrook Knutson, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs, [email protected]
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