I was just browsing the BBC Web Site and came across this image of the day. It states: Canadian troops returning from the combined operations raid at Dieppe, 19 august 1942. Allied troops pulled back after nine hours of heavy fighting on the French coast at Dieppe, north-west of Paris. The withdrawal brought to an end the largest operation to include the army, navy and air force at the same time. Photo: Keystone/Getty Images But the uniform of the guy sitting down looks Italian to me or am I mistaken?
Looks like troops returning from Dieppe...I've seen similar images and also remember 'commandos' often wore cap comforters and so could be one of those or also the US Rangers took part and be could be a septic.....
If I remember right it is a pic of No. 4 Commando after the attack on the Hess Battery. Probably taken by the official war photographer. Ross
That is a German garrison cap he is wearing. There is the German National Emblem on the front with a cockade below it. Perhaps it is a souvenir of his holiday to France?
Hi All AM your right that photo is in The Commands at Dieppe by Will Fowler in the photo is Gunner Len Ruskin and below on the right is Pte E.L Fraser of F Troop sporting a captured German field cap and a Kar 98K rifle... They landed at Newhaven... Cheers Tom
This raid led to Pows in German hands being shackled for extended periods. On 19 August 1942 Canadian troops supported by fifty US Rangers and 1,000 British Commandos, including No 4 Commando, mounted a failed attempt to attack key enemy locations in the Dieppe region. The No 4 Commando operation to destroy the Hess gun battery, at Varengeville Sur-Mer, three and a half miles west of Dieppe was a success. Only nine out of the 250 strong No 4 Commando were killed. One of the dead was Joe Watters from Bushmills. After the raid, Monsieur Govel collected the dead Commandos in a cart, took them to the cemetery in Sainte-Marguerite and buried them (Rodgers, p. 99). In the follow up, the German forces found a copy of the operational orders for the raid issued to Brigadier Southam of 6 Brigade of the Canadian 2nd Division. That document contained instructions on how German prisoners were to be tied up and brought back to England. Another Commando raid followed on Sark and some of the shackled prisoners were shot dead as they tried to raise the alarm. The series of retaliations then led to Canadian PoWs in Stalag VIIIB, Lamsdorf being shackled for long periods. The practice was halted in 1943 (Vance, 1995).
My father, James Watters, was born 8 days before Joe Watters was killed on the 19th August. We were told he stood on a mine. Would his remains (if any) be buried at Saint Marguerite? This raid led to Pows in German hands being shackled for extended periods. On 19 August 1942 Canadian troops supported by fifty US Rangers and 1,000 British Commandos, including No 4 Commando, mounted a failed attempt to attack key enemy locations in the Dieppe region. The No 4 Commando operation to destroy the Hess gun battery, at Varengeville Sur-Mer, three and a half miles west of Dieppe was a success. Only nine out of the 250 strong No 4 Commando were killed. One of the dead was Joe Watters from Bushmills. After the raid, Monsieur Govel collected the dead Commandos in a cart, took them to the cemetery in Sainte-Marguerite and buried them (Rodgers, p. 99). In the follow up, the German forces found a copy of the operational orders for the raid issued to Brigadier Southam of 6 Brigade of the Canadian 2nd Division. That document contained instructions on how German prisoners were to be tied up and brought back to England. Another Commando raid followed on Sark and some of the shackled prisoners were shot dead as they tried to raise the alarm. The series of retaliations then led to Canadian PoWs in Stalag VIIIB, Lamsdorf being shackled for long periods. The practice was halted in 1943 (Vance, 1995).
