Back to SearchLocal Delegation to Travel to Dieppe, France, for 80th Anniversary of Dieppe Raid
DIEPPE, NB — A delegation from Dieppe, New Brunswick, will travel to France to take part in commemorative ceremonies from August 16 to 25 marking the 80th anniversary of this tragic military operation.
The New Brunswick delegation, consisting of Mayor Yvon Lapierre, councillors Mélyssa Boudreau and Lise LeBouthillier, Chief Administrative Officer Marc Melanson, and veterans Camille Richard and Robert Ladrière, will take part in the launch of an Association Foyer Duquesne documentary, as well as the commemorative ceremonies of the 80th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid.
The delegation will also travel to Juno Beach to attend other official ceremonies as guests of honour and visit Vimy, which saw battle during the First World War.
Dieppe, New Brunswick, was named in honour of the August 19, 1942 Dieppe Raid, and the historical ties between the two cities are significant. More than 30 partnerships have been created between both Dieppes since they officially proclaimed themselves Sister Cities in April 2000.
Conducted on August 19, 1942, at the port of Dieppe, France, the Dieppe Raid was one of the most devastating and bloody chapters in Canadian military history. Of the 4,963 Canadian soldiers who left England to take part in the operation, only 2,210 returned, many of them wounded.
Those who fought in the Dieppe Raid were ordinary citizens who became heroes in the name of freedom.
The City of Dieppe, in collaboration with the Dieppe Military Veterans Association, will also hold a ceremony on Sunday, August 21, at Place 1604 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid. The annual event will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a military parade honouring the Canadian soldiers who died in the raid.
The Polish-Canadian Brotherhood in Arms monument will be unveiled at Place 1604 during the ceremonies. This commemorative plaque recognizes the efforts of the ORP Ślązak ship’s crew, who rescued 85 Canadian soldiers during the Dieppe Raid in France. Many dignitaries from Poland will be in attendance for the occasion.
The ceremony will be followed by a reception at the Dieppe Golden Age Club. In case of rain, the event will be held at the Dieppe Arts and Culture Centre, at the same time.