by Tim Saunders
While the Allies critically studied the results of the Dieppe raid in detail, the German victor accepted his success far less critically. He came to the conclusion that enemy landings were to be defeated on the beaches and that such landings that succeeded would be limited and driven back by counter-attack. Arguably, causing the enemy to adopt a strategy based on static coastal positions was the greatest result of the Dieppe raid.
Padre Foote VC marches ahead of the column of prisoners with whom he elected to go into captivity.
The Germans buried the Allied dead with full military honours on the hill above Dieppe that they failed to reach.
CHAPTER TEN
DIEPPE TOUR
‘You who are alive on this beach remember that these men died far from home, that others, here and everywhere, might freely enjoy life in God’s mercy.’
ROYAL REGIMENT OF CANADA’S MEMORIAL, BLUE BEACH, PUYS
This tour of Dieppe’s 1942 battlefields will take most of a day, the exact duration depending on time spent exploring, relaxing on the attractive beaches or having lunch at one of the many hostelries. A tour is, however, a worthwhile investment of time to gain a fuller understanding of the ground that words, maps and pictures cannot alone convey. The area has changed much since August 1942. There have been the usual impacts of time on the battlefield; new buildings and roads but in addition, the Germans built between the raid and the final liberation of the Dieppe area in August 1944, replacement concrete defences and numerous additional casemates.
Before beginning the tour it is worth making a few points and passing on a couple of warnings:
1. Some of the sites visited and routes are not suitable for heavy vehicles. In some cases, even mini busses will have difficulty. Where this is the case look for the light vehicle only road sign. Partly because of this and the nature of the ground, there is quite a bit of walking to be done in this tour.
2. Beware of theft from vehicles, which seems to be endemic along this coast, even in the remote rural areas. Follow the usual police advice regarding valuables.
3. Please obey traffic and parking regulations. Parking can be difficult at many of the sites at weekends, particularly during high season and on Sunday afternoons.
4. The French authorities formerly ban walking immediately above or bellow the unstable and crumbling chalk cliffs. Certainly, do not be tempted to scramble on cliffs or steep slopes.
5. All the locations described can be seen from public areas, please do not be tempted to stray onto private land.
The tour follows a chronological route starting with the four flanking operations, followed by visits to the main beaches in Dieppe, finishing at the Canadian Cemetery. This approach requires more driving but it does follow the raid from first to last. The proposed tour can, however, be easily adapted to individual’s interests or indeed limitations of time.
THE START POINT for this tour is the main roundabout at the top of the town in Dieppe on the N27. Follow the green signs to Eu and Le Treport around the south of the town past the Hippodrome (racecourse), Neuville-les-Dieppe, the light industrial units and out onto the D925. After two miles across open country, turn left onto the D113E to Belleville-sur-Mer. In the centre of the village, turn right at the Mairie onto the D113 towards Berneval-le-Grande. One hundred and fifty yards after leaving the village turn left onto a narrow winding lane, in the steep sided valley that leads down to Yellow 1 Beach (See page 63). On reaching an open area, park your car. The beach is three hundred yards’ walk but there is very little parking and even less room for manoeuvring a car.
The route down to the beach has been improved and the gap in the cliffs enlarged but it is easy to gain an understanding of the difficulties that faced Major Young and his group of commandos, as they struggled up the chalk face to the immediate right of the gap (as seen from the beach).
Once up the cliff, the commandos joined the main track back up to where your car is parked. From the open area, they took the left exit, following the track up to the D113, where they met the French boy on a bicycle. Follow in their footsteps turning left on the road to Berneval. In the village turn left past a large floral traffic island and park by the church. It is from the church that Major Young first came under enemy fire.
From here it is best to walk onto Rue d’General Leclerc, heading north to the stretch of open country between village and the cliffs, as the village has expanded and the remains of the battery are to be seen in the gardens and are easily missed when in a car. On reaching the edge of the village a large casemate in a field can be seen. This is a part of the post-1942 development that replaced the open gun pits on this site, which were engaged by Major Young and his commandos. Take the track to the left around the village edge until reaching a cross tracks. The commandos followed this route to the right back down to Yellow 1 Beach. However, to return to the transport turn left on the track back into the village. Turn left onto the road and right back onto Rue d’General Leclerc.
From the church, take Rue Jeanne d’Arc to Yellow Beach 2 at le Pettit Berneval. On entering the village look out for a turning to the right named Rue 3 Commando. Turn down this route and park by the memorials to the British, Canadian, French and American raiders and liberators (photo A). It is recommended that visitors walks down the track from the square to the beach via the L’escalier de Berneval. This was the route that the commandos planned to take off the beach. Alternatively, drive back up Rue 3 Commando, across the viaduct and park in the first car park on the left. From here, a steep gully leads down to the beach, marked by a memorial to the commandos (photo B) who broke into France at this point. Return to your car and retrace the route through Berneval-le-Grande and back onto the D113 and Belleville. Drive through the village and through Bracquemont towards Puys. Take the narrow road signposted to the Plage.
Park at the sea front. The features in this small area are all easily recognisable from the pictures between pages 102 and 117 of this book. The large memorial, with it moving wording, was amongst the first to be inaugurated by Canadian Premiere Mr Mackenzie-King in 1946. (photo C)
Retrace your steps back to the D 113. Those who wish to shorten the route and go straight to Red and White Beaches should turn right and follow the road down into the port and cross the left bank via the swing and lift bridges. Those who wish to complete the full tour should turn left back to Bracquemont and return to the D925 via the D 100 or if in a small vehicle, navigate on the minor roads back to the D 925.
Commando memorial at Quiberville.
Follow the route around the south of Dieppe back to the start point roundabout. Go straight across, following signs to Petitt Appeville. Once out of the built up area the Four Winds feature is to the right, note the well concealed post-1942 casemates in the roughs between the golf course fairways. The village of Petitt Appeville at the bottom of the valley was the point of furthest penetration by the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa from Green Beach (see page 136) to which we will return later in the tour.
Once out of the valley by a mile take the D55 through Hautot-sur-Mer , signposted to Varengeville. Join the D75 and drive through Varengeville towards Quiberville. The view down the length of the beach (Orange II) is little changed from that shown in the pre-war photograph that was used to brief Lord Lovat’s No. 4 Commando. Park opposite the first beach huts. A modern memorial stands at he spot where the commandos rushed through the piled coils of dannert wire that stretched the length of the beach (photo E). From the road the visitor can see the route taken by Lord Lovat’s group along the foot of the Saone Valley.
The beach at Quiberville – Orange Two.
Retrace your steps back towards Varengeville, watching out for the signs to Phare d’Allie. Park at the road fork by the information sign. This was the Hess Battery observation post and a defended area in it own right, mainly manned by Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe personnel. The woods here are a nature reserve, so it is possible to explore the area for signs of battle; trenches and shell holes. The latter are
almost certainly exclusively from 1944.
Take the right fork and after a hundred yards, turn right towards Hotel du Terrace. This road winds its way through woodland villas to Porte d’Vasterville or Orange One Beach (photo F). At the T-junction, park in one of the bays provided and walk down the track to the beach. Again the gap has been widened but the scene would be instantly recognisable to Major Mills-Roberts and his Number One Group (see page 86). By retracing your route back to the vehicle and on through the woods you are more or less taking the same route as Major Mills-Roberts. Sadly the majority of the wood is enclosed by villas and their extensive grounds, which precludes any meaningful expedition through the wood. Drive south from the parking area and stop opposite a modern white villa on the left as the woods give way to open fields. It is from here that Major Mills-Roberts gave covering fire to the attack on the battery, which lies amongst the houses about two hundred yards to the front.
The easterly of the two gaps at the Porte d’ Vasterville or Orange One Beach.
Memorial to raid and eventual liberation of Berneval.
This stone pillar comemorates where No.3 Commando scaled the cliff.
Merchant Navy memorial.
Royal Regiment of Canada memorial at Puys.
The author’s wife, Kate and children, Jamie, Will and Victoria at the monument to the Royal Regiment of Canada at Puys.
Continue on in your car, following the road around to the left at a T-junction. Stop by the Command Post casemates, which are in the gardens on the left, just short of the junction with the main road. There is a plaque commemorating the attack on 19 August 1942 on the casemate that borders the road. The remainder of the battery is also in gardens or private land and little sense of its scale and layout can be gained from the road. If time allows, walking some of the lanes helps. See map on page 79.
Drive east on the D75 to Pourville (Green Beach) and Dieppe. The wooded feature to the right is the Bois d’Hautot, which gave cover to the Cameron Highlanders in their move inland to Petit Appeville. As one drives down into the Scie Valley and Pourville note the hillside across the valley, which is the Four Winds feature, with two small prominent casemates on the crest. Nearer the cliffs, with the road snaking up it is the hill on which the radar station was positioned. Arriving in Pourville, turn of the main sea front road almost immediately and park in the beach side car park. This is the area of Colonel Merrit’s Battalion Headquarters and his last stand but the building has been replaced by a modern bar restaurant complex. Across the car park is a memorial featuring the 2nd Canadian Division’s badge. At the small church is another pair of memorials raised by the community to the South Saskatchewans and the Cameron Highlanders. From here it is a short walk to the main South Saskatchewans’ memorial and to the Meritt Bridge.
Drive along the beach road and up the zig zags to the Aire Touristique and park. From here the view down to the beach can be compared with the intelligence photographs. The problems facing A Company (the radar station) and D Company (the Four Winds feature) can be readily appreciated, as can the ground across the valley, where Cameron Highlanders advanced inland.
Continue up the road. As one reaches the plateau and the road starts to level out. German trenches that the RDF expert outflanked (see page 113) can be seen on the right but behind the six foot chain link fence on the left various large casemates associated with the radar station can be seen, including a mounted gun. At least one of the radar casemates can be seen broken on the beach below, having fallen from the cliff in the Seventies. The remains of this ruin can be accessed by walking from the either the Pourville or Dieppe beaches. Watch out for the incoming tide.
Drive on past the golf course and the college and look out for the left turn signposted Chateau Musee onto Avenue de l’Esplanade. Park in the designated bays at the cliff edge. From here, the classic view (see page 146) over the main Dieppe beach and the Esplanade dispels any doubts about the feasibility of an operation to attack a defended port with scant fire support.
To reach Red and White Beaches, retrace your steps back to the road and continue down into the town and follow the one way system, then the Toutes Directions followed by the Plage sign. This takes the visitor past the harbour’s Avant Port across which the Swing Bridge can be seen. Note the number and variety of restaurants in this area and the number of casemates built into the cliff and the prominent church on the Eastern Headland.
Arriving on the Esplanade, park where you can. Second to appreciating the view from the Western Headland, no visit to Dieppe is complete without a walk along the beach, the Esplanade and the lawns. Do not exclude the small garden at the foot of the Vieux Chateau which contains, amongst others, memorials to the prisoners of war and the naval forces (photo D). The tranquillity of this spot is in contrast with the hurly burly that surrounds the memorials on the main Esplanade.
2nd Canadian Division’s memorial at Pourville.
One of the monuments below the Vieux château.
The Essex Scottish memorial on Red Beach.
The tour of the Dieppe battlefields concludes at the Common Wealth War Graves Commission Canadian Cemetery. To reach the cemetery follow the one-way system off the Esplanade under the walls of the Vieux Chateau and at the junction with the main road, turn right uphill. At the second roundabout take the minor road to the west, this is signposted Canadiane Cimiterie on a local road sign rather than on the usual green and white CWGC sign. Once off the roundabout follow the normal CWGC signs to the cemetery.
The cemetery contains nearly nine hundred graves of soldiers, sailors and airmen. These are mainly but not exclusively, from 1940, the 1942 raid and the 1944 campaign. The vast majority are Canadians of 2nd Division; some 707 identified and unknown graves. Other graves represent virtually every service and branch of the force assembled under Combined Operations for the raid. This quiet hill top spot is a good point to contemplate the events that culminated in the raid and the deaths of so many men. It also makes a fitting end to the tour.
The classic view of the Esplanade from the western headland.
Additional Visits
Many of the wounded soldiers who were evacuated from the beach and subsequently died of their wounds are buried in the Brookwood CWGC military cemetery west of London. This showpiece cemetery is well worth a visit.
The second place to visit on the UK side of the Channel is the Newhaven Museum, which has a display relating to Operation Jubilee. This museum should be visited if at all possible by those travelling on the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry service.
The cemetery on the outskirts of town principally contains casualties of the Raid.
ORDER OF BATTLE
Naval Forces – Captain J Hughes-
Hallett RN
Destroyers:
HMS Calpe – Headquarters Ship 1.
HMS Fernie – Headquarters Ship 2.
HMS Garth
HMS Berkeley
HMS Bleasdale
HMS Brocklesby
ORP (Polish) Slazak
Sloops and Gunboats:
HMS Alresford
HMS Locust
9th and 13th Minesweeper Flotilla
Landing Ships Infantry:
HMS Glengyle – LSI(Large)
HMS Queen Emma – LSI(Medium)
HMS Princess Beatrix – LSI(M)
HMS Prince Charles – LSI(Small)
HMS Prince Albert – LSI(S)
HMS Invicta – LSI(S)
HMS Prince Leopold – LSI(Hand
Hoisting)
HMS Duke of Wellington – LSI(HH)
Landing Craft:
1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th 7th and 24th
Landing Craft Flotilla
1st Landing Craft Flotilla
2nd and 4th Landing Craft Tank
Flotilla
Escort Flotilla
Motor Gunboats x 12
Steam Gunboats x 4
Motor Launch x 21
Chasseurs x 7 mainly Free French
Land Forces
– Major General JH
Roberts MC
Headquarters 2nd Canadian Division
(Embarked on HMS Calpe and HMS
Fernie)
2nd Canadian Division Canadian
Corps of Signals
2nd Canadian Division Intelligence
Section
2nd Canadian Division Field Security
Section
Headquarters 4th Canadian Infantry
Brigade
J Section 2nd Canadian Division
Canadian Corps of Signals
Royal Regiment of Canada
Royal Hamilton Light Infantry
Essex Scottish
Headquarters 6th Canadian Infantry
Brigade
L Section 2nd Canadian Division
Canadian Corps of Signals
Fusiliers Mont Royal
Cameron Highlanders of Canada
South Saskatchewan
Black Watch of Canada (1 company)
Calgary Highlanders (2 sections)
Divisional Troops and others (mainly
detachments)
14th Canadian Tank Battalion (The
Calgary Regiment) B and C
Squadrons
8th Canadian Reconnaissance
Regiment (14th Hussars)
Royal Canadian Artillery and BEF
Forward Observation Officer parties