And then there were none
For the first time, the annual Dieppe commemoration will have no Riley vets. The last known living vet cannot attend: ‘I am honoured ... but I’m also very, very sad.’
THIS SUNDAY’S 76TH
ANNUAL commemoration of the disastrous Second World War raid at Dieppe will have the usual rituals: a wreath laying, a moment of silence and performance of the “Last Post.”
But one important element will be missing at the Dieppe Veterans’ Memorial Park on the beach strip. For the first time, there will not be any Royal Hamilton Light Infantry veterans of the August 1942 military operation in attendance.
Of the 582 Rileys who stormed the beach that day, with 197 dying, only one is known to be alive today. And Ken Curry, 96, who lives in Victoria, British Columbia, is unable to make the journey to Hamilton because of declining health.
Last year Curry was one of two Dieppe veterans who came out, the second one
being Fred Engelbrecht of Hamilton. However, in May of this year, Engelbrecht died after suffering a stroke at the age of 98.
Curry said in a telephone conversation from British Columbia that he would like to attend but the journey to Hamilton would be too much for him.
“I went to the hospital this week, and they said I am in good shape, but my knees are shot all to hell,” said Curry who suffered a heart attack in the spring.
“I’m honoured that I am the last man, but I’m also very, very sad,” he said. “With all those other guys who are now dead, it’s very hard to be in this position. The lord is good, but I don’t know why he is keeping me on.” THE
ABSENCE OF VETERANS at the ceremony will be a poignant reminder of the Second World War generation slipping away from living memory. Those few who are still alive are well into their 90s.
The Battle of Dieppe was a controversial allied attack on the Germanheld city on the coast of France that was one of the biggest military disasters in Canadian history.
To this day, the failed attempt to grab a foothold on Hitler-controlled Europe is hotly debated. Many see it as an ill-planned suicide mission. Others note that the horrible raid was a necessary first step to set the stage for D-Day two years later.
A more recent theory argues the raid was a cover for an unsuccessful commando operation to steal cryptographic material for code breakers at Bletchley Park in England.
In total, 4,963 Canadians took part with nearly 3,367 of them being killed, wounded or captured by the Germans as prisoners of war.
Curry says he will never forget the day.
“The smoke, noise and shells were all around us, and the men running toward the seawall for cover were being mowed down left and right,” he says.
“I spotted a gully opening about a half a mile up the beach and made my way toward it. On arriving, a German soldier popped up from behind a rock, and for me the war was over — I was lucky he did not shoot me.”
He spent the rest of the war as a POW. L -C BRYAN ROBERTSON,
T OL 77, a former RHLI commanding officer who is also an ordained minister and honorary padre, will conduct the ceremony, just as he has each year for 15 years.
“Normally, we start out by welcoming everybody and introducing dignitaries, and then we honour any Dieppe veterans who are present. But of course things are going to be different this year.
“This is the end of an era. We’re down to one person who was on the raid, and he is unable to come to the service,” he said.
“I remember there being so many who took part in Dieppe and were still involved with the RHLI. One by one they’ve passed on.”
Robertson has led every service since the Hamilton Memorial Park opened in 2003. Prior to this, parades and other commemorations were held at different locations.
Asked if he fears awareness about the sacrifice of Dieppe will fade after all its veterans are gone, he said, “I think it’s going to keep on affecting Hamilton because I don’t think we are ever going to forget it.”
“I don’t think we’re ever going to forget the sacrifice that was made,” he said.
The Dieppe Memorial Park — which hosts the annual ceremony — came about largely from the efforts of Dieppe veteran Jack McFarland who died in 2016 at the age of 95. He lobbied for the memorial for many years, and eventually received $250,000 from the City of Hamilton to build it.
McFarland’s family spread his ashes on the beach of Dieppe in France last summer, on the 75th anniversary of the raid.
“The smoke, noise and shells were all around us and the men running toward the seawall for cover were being mowed down left and right.” KEN CURRY RHLI, Dieppe veteran In total, 4,963 Canadians took part with nearly 3,367 of them being killed, wounded or captured by the Germans as prisoners of war. “This is the end of an era. We’re down to one person who was on the raid and he is unable to come to the service.” LT-COL BRYAN ROBERTSON RHLI officer, conducting the Dieppe ceremony