Dieppe raid (1942)

In 1942 Henry Duncan Graham Crerar, the general officer commanding the 1st Canadian Corps, sought opportunities for operational experience for his men and himself in order to maintain morale, keep the army in the public eye, and satisfy the nation’s wish for Canadian action (many men had been in Britain for almost three years) during the Second World War. These motives informed Crerar’s support of Canadian involvement in small-scale raids, which culminated in the use of almost 5,000 Canadians at Dieppe, France, on 19 Aug. 1942, one of the bloodiest days in Canadian military history. About 68 per cent of the troops who embarked were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. Crerar and others felt that the lessons learned were well worth the tragic cost.