Dieppe Memorial Topics

It has been over sixty years since the tragedy at Dieppe. The Canadian government finally has decided to commission the creation of a new memorial to be located in the French town of Dieppe. This memorial will serve not only as a memory of those who fell in combat, but also as a symbol of an event that happened and that never must be forgotten.

In order to select the most fitting memorial, the Canadian government has asked its citizens to submit their designs. The memorial that captures the essence and significance of Dieppe will be selected to be built.

Your submission can come in the form of a picture, sketch, painting, sculpture, web creation etc. With your visual submission you must also include a written explanation as to how your design sums up the happenings at Dieppe, how it remembers the sacrifices made, and how it shows the significance of Dieppe. Your written submission must be typed and follow MLA format. It must be a minimum of 250 words.

Level 4 / Level 3 / Level 2 / Level 1
T
/10
/20 / All instructions were perfectly followed.
Your memorial is well thought out and includes symbolism that reflects the happenings of Dieppe. / Most instructions were followed.
Your memorial is thought out and includes symbolism that reflects the happenings of Dieppe. / Few instructions were followed.
Your memorial is somewhat thought out and includes symbolism that reflects the happenings of Dieppe. / Instructions were not followed.
Your memorial is hardly thought out and includes symbolism that reflects the happenings of Dieppe.
A
/25 / The memorial effectively captures the essence and significance of Dieppe. / The memorial captures the essence and significance of Dieppe. / The memorial attempts to capture the essence and significance of Dieppe. / The memorial hardly captures the essence and significance of Dieppe
C
/15
/10 / Description includes a written explanation as to how your design sums up the happenings at Dieppe, how it remembers the sacrifices made, and how it shows the significance of Dieppe.
Work is free of spelling and or grammatical errors. / Description includes most of the outlined information: a written explanation as to how your design sums up the happenings at Dieppe, how it remembers the sacrifices made, and how it shows the significance of Dieppe.
Work is almost free of spelling and or grammatical errors. / Description includes some of the outlined information: a written explanation as to how your design sums up the happenings at Dieppe, how it remembers the sacrifices made, and how it shows the significance of Dieppe.
Work contains some spelling and or grammatical errors. / Description includes little of the outlined information: a written explanation as to how your design sums up the happenings at Dieppe, how it remembers the sacrifices made, and how it shows the significance of Dieppe.
Work contains numerous spelling and or grammatical errors.
K
/10 / All historical facts are present and correct. / Most historical facts are present and correct. / Few historical facts are present and correct. / Historical facts are lacking or incorrect.

Dieppe memorial topics:

Instructions:

As a class we are creating a Dieppe Memorial. In small groups you will create a historically accurate artifact pertaining to the Battle of Dieppe. We will randomly select a topic that you will research and create. Along with your artifact, you are to submit a 250 word description of your artifact. In this write up, include

Tomb Stone

Statute

Uniform

Map

Medal – Victoria cross

Letter to a veteran

Letter from the perspective of a Dieppe Veteran

Picture of the battle field

Painting of Dieppe in 1942

Bird’s eye view of a proposed memorial park:

Medal - Military Cross

Poem written from the perspective of a soldier

Interview with a veteran:

Dieppe Veterans' Memorial Park

Colonel James Forsyth, Honorary Colonel
The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry

The dedication service of the Dieppe Veterans' Memorial Park took place on Tuesday, 19 August 2003 at 2 p.m.

On 19 August 2003, the 61st Anniversary of the Raid on the French port of Dieppe in 1942, the City of Hamilton will dedicate the Dieppe Veterans' Memorial Park to the 582 soldiers of The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) who stormed ashore that fateful morning. In a nightmarish battle which lasted about eight hours, The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (RHLI), which landed on the main beach opposite the Casino, lost 197 soldiers killed, had 174 taken prisoner, and only had 211 of the original 582 return to England, with 109 of them wounded. The soldiers fought gallantly but in hopeless cause as the landings were late and the element of surprise was lost. Naval and air bombardments of the town were also cancelled by the planners to reduce the possibility of casualties among the French civilians of the town.

The battle, although a tactical defeat, did teach the Navy, Army and Air Force planners many valuable lessons which were crucial to the success of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France on 6 June 1944.

The dedication of the Memorial Park this year to our veterans and especially to those who died in 1942 in the cause of freedom and liberation from Nazi occupation is a fitting tribute by the City of Hamilton. It will be a living memorial for the sacrifice and dedication of the men from Hamilton and surrounding communities who served Hamilton and Canada so well in this great battle.

The Memorial Park itself is located on Beach Boulevard at Manor Avenue near the Canal Lift Bridge and it will be about 3/4 of an acre in size. The main entrance will be from the Waterfront Beach Trail that goes from the Canal Lift Bridge to Confederation Park. On both sides of the entrance walkway will be large stones that are similar to those on the beach at Dieppe. At the top of the walkway will be a low wall to simulate the seawall at Dieppe. Inside the low wall will be the Ceremonial Plaza with a curved wall containing the names of the 197 soldiers of the RHLI who died that day, and also the names of other Hamiltonians who died at Dieppe while serving with other units. On the reverse side of the curved wall will be the names of all the units that took part in the Raid along with the number of casualties of each of the units.

The RHLI Veterans' Association, the City of Hamilton Veterans' Committee, the Dieppe Veterans' Memorial Park Committee and The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) all appreciate the efforts of Mayor Robert Wade and the members of City Council of the City of Hamilton for their interest and support in bringing this project to fruition. It will ensure that the memory of our fallen veterans will not be forgotten by future generations of Canadians and citizens of Hamilton.

Dieppe Memorial Project
In 1992, due in great part to the efforts of Colonel Walter McGregor, and a number ofveterans, serving officers and past commanding officers, a memorial was installed and dedicated on the Esplanade in Dieppe, France where the members of The Essex Scottish Regiment first landed fifty years earlier as part of that ill-fated raid known as OPERATION JUBILEE. This memorial joined a number of on-site memorials erected by the serving soldiers and veterans of other Canadian and Allied units that had also taken part in the raid on Dieppe. The memorial was a simple, engraved plaque on a concrete-type backing. It not only honoured the men of the Regiment who landed at Dieppe that day but also paid tribute to those who fought and died as the Regiment, reinforced, reborn and more committed than ever after that day’s losses, continued` following the Normandy landings in June of 1944. Unfortunately, since 1992 the local climate, salt spray from the English Channel and occasional vandalism have taken an unexpected toll on the Regiment’s memorial, much more so than any of the other memorials and monuments in the surrounding area. After hearing reports and concerns from a number of veterans and serving soldiers who had visited Dieppe over the past few years of this steady, but all too fast degradation, it has been decided to embark on a project to replace, rather thanrepair, the existing memorial.

Memorial Project
The Dieppe Memorial Project is very ambitious as it not only involves the construction, installation and dedication of a new memorial in France but also incorporates a number of complimentary events and activities. These include the expansion of the artifacts and displays around the current Dieppe memorial in Windsor, a battlefield tour and return to Dieppe for a number of veterans for the dedication of the new memorial. In addition, we plan to involve youth representatives and schools in studying and amplifying the history of the Regiment and our community. During 2005, designated as the Year of the Veteran throughout Canada, a great deal of support was generated and still exists within Windsor and the surrounding communities for our Regiment and our veterans. This continuing commitment to honour our veterans, through the generous support to date of the Dieppe Memorial Project, has been nothing short of overwhelming. Continuing this level of support will be necessary in achieving success as we move towards the dedication of the new memorial in Dieppe on the 19th of August 2006.

Proposed new Dieppe Memorial plan designed by Rory O'Connor

During 2005, designated as the Year of the Veteran throughout Canada, a great deal of support was generated and still exists within Windsor and the surrounding communities for our Regiment and our veterans. This continuing commitment to honour our veterans, through the generous support to date of the Dieppe Memorial Project, has been nothing short of overwhelming. Continuing this level of support will be necessary in achieving success as we move towards the dedication of the new memorial in Dieppe on the 19th of August 2006.