Hello chaps. I 've recently read a comment concerning the lack of interest from the people of Dieppe,regarding the 70th anniversary of the August landing.. I am born in Dieppe,so no need to say that i feel quite concerned by this remark.I will not speak for the young generation,most of you here are parents...But i'd like to say that not a year has past,since i was born,without i had a warmest thought on that very day;August 19th.. Every time i go back to Dieppe,i pay a visit to the Les Vertus Cemetery,with my children,to show them the price of the liberty we enjoy. A couple of years ago ,i lived in a beautiful small village in Normandie,called RY.Some of you may know,it is famous cause Gustave Flaubert's "Mrs Bovary" clearly is inspired by peoples of this place. I was a volunteer firefighter at this time,and i remember clearly that twice a year,on 14th of July,and at the end of August,we honored the memory of the 2 young Canadians dead while liberating the village.I believed them to be trapped in their Staghound armored car after being hit by a German AT gun.Believe me that when the Canadian flag was raised,you could hear a fly..... I leaved RY in 2001.This morning i was back in the village for a couple of minutes,and apparently,tradition is still alive and well,that's a good thing.So i took a pic for you. So be sure that Dieppe is not the whole France.
McEwan is spelt McEwen on CWGC. CWGC - Casualty Details McEWEN, ROBERT H. Rank:Trooper Service No:B/132699 Date of Death:30/08/1944 Age:22 Regiment/Service:12th Manitoba Dragoons, R.C.A.C. 18th Armd. Car Regt. Grave Reference1. A. 4. Cemetery:CALAIS CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY, LEUBRINGHEN Additional Information: Son of Harvey A. and Eva M. McEwen, of Owen Sound, Ontario. CWGC - Casualty Details FOSTER, BRYCE E. Rank:Trooper Service No:B/144304 Date of Death:30/08/1944 Age:19 Regiment/Service:12th Manitoba Dragoons, R.C.A.C. 18th Armd. Car Regt. Grave Reference1. A. 3. CemeteryCALAIS CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY, LEUBRINGHEN Additional Information: Son of Sidney and Annie Foster, of Port Rowan, Ontario. PS I've moved thread from The Barracks to 'war graves & war memorial research' section. Would be good to see war diary entry & photos of graves added to thread.
Robert McEwen, Bryce Foster Seb Thanks for the photo for me it is the these small local monuments that really give us pause to reflect on the impact of those men. The fact that so many small communities took the time [and take the time] to honour them is really quite moving. It is certainly possible that the actions of Canadians in Normandy are far better rememebered there than here. On the other hand it was in your backyard so to speak. For the most part only those of us who actively seek out information have any real knowledge of the events and of the sacrifices of the those Men. Even after much reading and study I am still woefully lacking in most respects. Matt
Seb, That comment was mine. Actually, it was something pointed out to me by a Gendarme in Dieppe who I spoke with. His view was that, for some, French pride made it difficult for them to accept having to be liberated by foreigners. A form of embarrassment really. You are obviously in a much better position to comment on that since you are clearly not in that group. To be fair, there were a number of Dieppe citizens who turned out for the event but most people seemed to be going about their business. I will freely admit that my expectation was that local people would turn out in large numbers so maybe it was an unrealistic hope. Thanks for posting that photograph. It means a great deal to many Canadians that those soldiers are remembered where they fell.
