Dieppe 70 years

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Komskies

Very interesting. It's cool hearing about people's relatives with combat experience. My Grandfather also served in WWII. He was part of the PPCLI, and took part in the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945. I don't believe he experienced any combat first-hand though.

My grandmother and grandfather to the day they died expressed their gratitude to the Canadians. They were so proud their two sons were Canadian

[wookster]

My dad was too young to enlist in ww2 (he's 86 today) and for that I'm thankful because you just never know what might have happened if he had been able to. Two of his older brothers went overseas...one to Italy and the other to France and Holland. Both survived the war, but unfortunately aren't with us today. Extremely proud of them.

That bell commercial really reminds me of how my one uncle was. Very quiet and appreciative of anyone whom acknowledged him being over there.

[Bill Bumface]

My Grandpa's brother survived the war, and was en route home when polio took his life. It just reminds you what easy lives all of us born in Canada post WWII have had. Like no other time in history...

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

easy lives all of us born in Canada post WWII have had. Like no other time in history...

I couldn't agree more.

People have no idea how tough life was earlier or how tough it is in other parts of the world.

[jofillips]

komskies - your grandpa would still have seen things by following the canadian army that would send most of us to the loony bin...

personally i'm still positive the dieppe raid wasn't conducted ONLY for enigma.

[SweetDoc]

The grandfather of a close friend was in WWII in Italy; he was a sniper. There was a situation where he and his spotter were witnessing a couple Nazis beating and raping a civilian woman; I believe they were doing something to her child as well but can't be sure. They wanted to fire and kill them right away but their CO ordered them to hold off as not to reveal their location; apparently there was a specific Nazi they were supposed to off.

Anyway they could still see it happening inside a house and couldn't watch any longer and went against their orders, left their guns at the sniper location, snuck into the house and killed the Nazis with knives. They then returned to their location to continue their duties.

The family knew he was in the war but didn't know he was a sniper or anything that happened, he never ever talked about anything that happened until his last couple of years he started to let it out. In the end there just wasn't enough time to get all of his stories before he passed.

I have so much respect for the veterans of WWII and understand their sacrifice. I am ashamed that as a young person and teenager I didn't want to participate in the ceremonies in school and didn't give credit where credit was due. I wish one of the veterans would have slapped me upside of the head and sat me down and told me some of these personal stories so I really understood where our freedom comes from.

If I am ever in the presence of someone disrespecting a war veteran I am going to slap them off their chair even if I take a beating after.

[mr.jim.lahey]

[mr.jim.lahey]

Went all through Normandy last fall, including Dieppe and the D-Day beaches. Dieppe is a beautiful place and there are reminders everywhere of the brave sacrifices made by so many Canadians that horrible August day. I think every Canadian should at some point visit a Canadian War Cemetery. It is very moving and humbling. Watched Dieppe Uncovered last night and found it extremely interesting. The first four pictures are Dieppe and the last three are from a Canadian War Cemetery in Beny-Sur-Mer near Juno Beach. There are 2044 Canadians buried there. Never Forget.

[bigtmac19]

Was in Dieppe all weekend, there at the end of a tour with Essex & Kent Scottish Regiment current members, former members, one veteran and Prince Michael of Kent. Toured the battle sites of the Essex Scottish as they advanced through Holland during the liberation. My Dad was captured at Dieppe. He died last year on August 28th, so it was a hard day on Sunday, but it was amazing!! Brought my sons, it meant a lot to them.

[wookster]

^^Mr. Lahey - those are some great pictures!^^

[Aeneas]

[Komskies]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

*snip*

Some shots from very rainy Belgium and France last June.
They kept coming out huge , so I just picked small square.

If you upload them on tinypic.com, there is a Message Board size option (think its 640x480).

[Aeneas]

Originally Posted by Komskies

If you upload them on tinypic.com, there is a Message Board size option (think its 640x480).

I used imgur, and chose the message board option there. I then chose the resize/crop option, but could only seem to crop not re size.

Will have another look at it, it is most likely me.

[Aeneas]

I think that might be worse, changed them all to 640x480.

[bigtmac19]

Just visited every place in your pictures over the last 10 days. Battlefield Honours tour

[Aeneas]

Originally Posted by bigtmac19

Just visited every place in your pictures over the last 10 days. Battlefield Honours tour

Excellent. What did you think of the cemetary at Thelus?
Small, but it really impressed me. All alone in the middle of that farmers field.
Once you get in among the trees there, though; what a peaceful place.

We are planning a trip for 2014. Will try to get out to some of the places I have missed like Courcelette.

Nice to see you went to the German cemetary at Neuville St Vaast. Such a massive place. When combined with La Targette it really gives you a horrific idea of the losses at Vimy before the Canadians arrived.

[bigtmac19]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

Excellent. What did you think of the cemetary at Thelus?
Small, but it really impressed me. All alone in the middle of that farmers field.
Once you get in among the trees there, though; what a peaceful place.

We are planning a trip for 2014. Will try to get out to some of the places I have missed like Courcelette.

Nice to see you went to the German cemetary at Neuville St Vaast. Such a massive place. When combined with La Targette it really gives you a horrific idea of the losses at Vimy before the Canadians arrived.

I agree I found that cemetery particularly special from the story behind it to the location, I was consistently amazed by the number of small cemeteries in the middle of farmers fields. Did you visit the British Cemetary, Essex Farm? Really loved that place! Westerbork was another moving place.

[Aeneas]

Originally Posted by bigtmac19

I agree I found that cemetery particularly special from the story behind it to the location, I was consistently amazed by the number of small cemeteries in the middle of farmers fields. Did you visit the British Cemetary, Essex Farm? Really loved that place! Westerbork was another moving place.

Essex farm we will likey see 2014. Likely be approaching Ieper/Ypres from the direction of Bruges, so we will stop at Vladso German cemetary, Diksmuide(the tower, and the Dodergang) and Essex farm on the way. John McRae Albertina marker and all that.

Last year we only had one full day in the salient, and the night before we met a small army of older ex British servicemen at the pub right by the Menin gate. Well that night got completely out of hand.

So a rather late start on our full day, and just a half day on either side of it meant we could not get to everything.

[Rudee]

Originally Posted by jofillips

just reading over the details of that programme it still doesn't seem operation jubilee was conducted JUST to grab an enigma machine.

If you watched the program, you would clearly see it was. The larger raid was a smoke screen of sorts to hide the fact that what they were truly targeting was any parts or information relating to the newer 4 rotor Enigma machine.

[Aeneas]

Sorry to bump, however the guy who did the Dieppe documentary and wrote a book about it, will be giving a lecture at the Military Museum Tuesday 3 December 1900.

David O'Keefe, I believe. Will try to post a link.

I will be going, would be nice to meet up after if anyone is interested.