The following is a commemoration of the members of The Queens Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada who sacrificed their lives so we can lead the lives we do.
They died on August 19th, 1942 along with another approximately 750 Canadian soldiers. There was a brief and violent frontal attack at prepared defensive positions on the beaches and through the towns of Pourville sur mer, Dieppe and Puys. Pourville and Puys are hamlets close to Dieppe. The attack was code-named Jubilee.
The attack was a complete failure.
It is, however, worthy to note that the records of the battle demonstrate every soldier who landed did everything that could have possibly been expected of him.
The cemetery is in the hills inland from Pourville and this is where the German army buried them.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission constructed the Cemetery here in 1949. It was the first of many Second World War Commonwealth Cemeteries made after the War.
At the burials
You will note that six stones say “BURIED ELSEWHERE IN THIS CEMETERY”. The original German documents recorded their burial however when the CWWGC developed the cemetery they were unable to determine exactly where these six were located.
Most stones have phrases requested by the soldiers’ families. Some stones have no phrase and no age. One might conclude that the attestation papers for these soldiers showed no date of birth or next of kin and they had no identifiable address when they enlisted. Many recruits had been working in logging camps or as hunters and trappers and had no one but themselves to offer.
The music is “Hymn to the Fallen” composed by John Williams for the motion picture “Saving Private Ryan”.