[Dion]

From the August 12th letters to the editor edition of the Calgary Sun...

DATE TO REMEMBER

Just imagine, if you can, on Aug. 19 that it is 1942 and you and your best friend from Calgary are in a landing craft heading for the beach at Dieppe, France! Your mouth is so dry from fear that you could not spit if you wanted to, and soon one of you will join the 907 Canadians killed that day. Wilfred and Johnny, both from Parkhill in Calgary, signed up nearly two years previous, with the south Saskatchewan Regiment after hearing they were forming an infantry band. They were both excellent trumpet players and because of their strong Salvation Army upbringing they trained as medics and stretcher-bearers. After a few hours of what must have been hell, the order was given to withdraw. Wilfred, after seeing landing craft peppered by machine guns and blown to bits by artillery, stripped down to his army helmet and boxers and started swimming for England. Fortunately, my dad, Wilfred Honeychurch, was picked out of the channel by the British Navy. His friend Johnny Williams was not so lucky, they never found a trace of him. Of the 5,000 Canadians who took part in Operation Jubilee Aug. 19, 1942, 907 were killed, 586 wounded and 1,946 were taken prisoner! On Monday the 19th, I will be thinking of my father and all the other brave soldiers, mostly all long gone now!

DON HONEYCHURCH