Uckfield man to join dignitaries to remember disastrous Dieppe Raid

The Uckfield chairman of East Sussex County Council, Cllr Chris Dowling will be visiting Dieppe later this month to attend the 70th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid.

Also there will be other county dignitaries including David Allam, High Sheriff of East Sussex; Cllr Tony nicholson, chairman of Lewes District Council and Cllr Graham Amy, the Mayor of Newhaven.

The disastrous Dieppe Raid took place on August 19, 1942. It was launched partly to test the allies readiness for a beach landing in France but casualties included more than 3,300 Canadians killed, wounded or taken prisoner and 275 British commandos.

The Royal Navy lost one destroyer and 33 landing craft, suffering 550 dead and wounded. The RAF lost 106 aircraft to the Luftwaffe's 48. The German army casualties were just under 600.

The allied forces included 5,000 Canadians and 1,000 British military personnel and some of the troops set off from Newhaven.

Cllr Dowling said: "Thousands of people will be travelling to Dieppe to take part in the 70th anniversary of the raid. Many of those attending will be veterans or families of those who took part.

"Some of the troops involved in the raid set off from Newhaven and the anniversary event will give us the chance to mark the huge sacrifice made by all those who took part."

There will be another memorial service in Newhaven on August 12, a week before the Dieppe commemoration that falls on the exact date of the raid.

The civic dignitaries have been invited to the anniversary by the Mayor of Dieppe, Sebastien Jumel.

The annual commemorative events include a vigil at the Canadian Cemetery by war veterans from Dieppe and services at the Canadian monuments in Dieppe and at the beach at Puys.