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Dieppe Remembered: Ceremony Marks 84 Years Since RHLI's Darkest Day
Eighty-four years after one of the deadliest days in Canadian military history, a solemn ceremony at Dieppe Veterans Memorial Park — just across the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge — honoured the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry soldiers lost at Dieppe on August 19, 1942.
On Wednesday, August 19, military personnel, government officials, and descendants of fallen soldiers gathered at Dieppe Veterans Memorial Park — just across the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge — to mark the 84th anniversary of the 1942 Dieppe raid, one of the most devastating single days in Canadian military history.
On that August morning in 1942, 582 soldiers from the Hamilton-based Royal Hamilton Light Infantry — the beloved 'Rileys' — landed on the beaches of Dieppe, France as part of a larger Allied assault involving some 6,100 troops. By day's end, only 211 of those Rileys made it back to England, 109 of them wounded. Another 174, including 85 wounded, were left behind and captured as prisoners of war. The regiment lost 197 men.
The RHLI brass band marched in along the beachfront path and played the hymns 'O God Our Help In Ages Past' and 'Abide With Me,' followed by the national anthems of Canada, England, and the United States. A trumpeter sounded the Last Post and Rouse. Cadets of the RHLI laid a wreath, and several organizations paid their respects — including members of American Legion Post from Kenmore, N.Y., near Buffalo. Two Hamilton Police mounted officers attended, one riding a horse aptly named 'Riley' in honour of the regiment.
The ceremony carries a special connection to the Burlington waterfront. In September 1941, a minesweeper named HMCS Burlington was dedicated in a ceremony on Lake Ontario, right in front of what is now Spencer Smith Park. The town of just 3,800 turned out in force — school children paraded down Brant Street, 1,500 kids sang 'O Canada,' and legendary broadcaster Norm Marshall reported live for CHML radio. Less than a year later, the Rileys would face the horror of Dieppe.
The City of Hamilton dedicated Dieppe Veterans Memorial Park in 2003, on the 61st anniversary of the raid, to honour all those who gave their lives that day. A reception following Wednesday's ceremony was held at the Hamilton Beach Rescue Unit.