Originally posted by clasper:
[qb]
Originally posted by Michael Dorosh:
[qb] Who liberated Dieppe?
2nd Canadian Division.
Naturally!
[/qb]
Actually, the Canadians were not first into Dieppe. On the night of 31 Aug/1 Sep, there was an RAF bombing raid planned to precede an attack from 2nd Cdn Div. At nightfall on the 31st, a few Royal Marines landed near the port, and upon noticing that the Germans had abandoned it, the Marines managed to call off the raid. (Apparently the Germans left in great haste upon hearing that Canadians with dark blue shoulder patches were on the way.) When the first armoured cars of the 8th Recce Regt entered Dieppe the morning of the 1st, they were welcomed by the Royal Marines standing out front of a cafe with glasses of beer in their hands.
Major General Foulkes then ordered the division to halt on the outskirts of town for two days, so they could rest and spruce up for the parade on the 3rd. It was their first rest in 53 days. [/qb]