Remembering the Dieppe Raid

How are the town of Dieppe and the Jubilee Association planning to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the raid of 19 August 1942?

Stéphane Canu (SC): It is worth remembering that this raid was a tragic episode in our shared history with the British and, in particular, the Canadians since, besides the military defeat, it resulted in the deaths of more than 900 men on our beaches, most of them from across the Atlantic. It is the memory of those victims, first and foremost, and of all the victims of Nazi barbarity, that we want to honour. That involves, in addition to the official commemorative ceremonies, the necessary contemplation before the soldiers’ graves and at each site where the operations took place. But we are at a pivotal moment as, for the first time, in all likelihood there will be no veterans of the raid. This inevitably raises the question of how to preserve the memory of these young soldiers, who came to liberate Europe and France, and were struck down by enemy fire. We felt culture and art were the most effective way to keep that memory alive, so we mounted exhibitions and invited residents to get involved in the event, by taking part in workshops to make giant poppies for display around the town, or a participatory dance show, Chemin de Mémoire [“Remembrance Trail”], put together by Quebecois choreographer Simon Ampleman, which will be performed on 19 August as part of the commemorations. Young people from deprived areas of our town will also have the opportunity to visit Auschwitz and Dieppe, Canada.

Martine Pietrois (MP): A series of promotional events will be put on, including a performance of the show Contes de Guerre [“War Stories”], by Quebecois author Nicolas Paquin, at Dieppe Casino, on the evening of 19 August. A signing of his books La Mer était Rouge and Avant d’oublier, les Canadiens français à Dieppe will also be held. Five hundred bronze medals bearing the enamelled flags of the ten nations that took part in the raid and the words “80th anniversary” have been purchased and will be on sale, as will poppy jewellery, baseball caps, bags, pens and pencils printed with “1942-2022 – Lest we forget”.

Besides the specific events organised for this anniversary, how do you maintain the links between the town and Canada?

SC: Dieppe and Canada’s shared history goes back several centuries, when the explorers set sail from our port to discover new worlds. The raid sealed in blood what were already strong ties.

In Dieppe, it is not uncommon to see Canadian flags in people’s windows. There are streets named after soldiers who took part in the raid or with references to Canada. Our relationship with the town of Dieppe, in New Brunswick, Canada, so named in honour of the victims of the raid, is a close one. A memorial, managed by the Jubilee Association, tells the story of 19 August 1942. We have very strong ties in all spheres.

Our town holds the Terre de Jeux 2024 label, and we hope very much to host a Canadian sporting delegation in the run-up to the Paris Olympics.

What about the links between the Jubilee Association and Canada?

MP: We have links with the families of veterans like Denise Bernard, niece of Robert Boulanger, and Jacques Nadeau, with the Dieppe Military Veterans’ Association, the Baxter and Alma Ricard Foundation, historian Ronald Cormier, the Mont Royal Fusiliers Regimental Museum and the Canadian Forces College, Toronto. In addition, we work closely with the Canadian Embassy in Paris and the Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles-sur-Mer.