Media Release
City of Hamilton hosts memorial service on Dieppe Raid anniversary
HAMILTON, ON - A memorial service marking the 79th anniversary of the raid on Dieppe will be held at Hamilton’s Dieppe Veterans Memorial Park on Thursday, August 19, beginning at 11 am. In accordance with gathering limits, the Dieppe Memorial Service will be restricted to invite only. Members of the public are invited to watch the live-streamed service on Cable 14 and the City of Hamilton’s YouTube channel.
The service will pay tribute to the more than 6,000 Allied forces, most of them Canadian, who took part in the largest raid of The Second World War. A total of 582 members of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (RHLI) took part in the August 19, 1942 raid. In the end, 197 members from the RHLI died, marking the single greatest loss of life of Hamiltonians to date, and nearly 300 were wounded or taken prisoner. Over 1,000 Canadian soldiers, sailors and aircrew lost their lives during the raid.
Quick Facts
- The 2021 Dieppe Memorial Service is presented in partnership with the City of Hamilton’s Veterans Committee and the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (RHLI) Association
- Cable 14 will broadcast a memorial tribute before the service livestream beginning at 11 am with greetings from the RHLI and Mayor Fred Eisenberger
- The last-known RHLI Dieppe Veteran, Ken Curry, passed away on April 17th, 2020
“The Dieppe Raid memorial service allows us to recognize the bravery and courage of our Hamilton veterans and acknowledge the sacrifice of those who gave their lives during the Dieppe Raid. Our Dieppe veterans will always have a place in our hearts and in our memories. We thank them for the peace and freedom we enjoy today. Let us never forget.”
Mayor Fred Eisenberger
“This annual memorial service honours the sacrifices made by the Allied forces, including more than 500 members of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, who took part in the raid on Dieppe on August 19, 1942. The Tourism & Culture Division is honoured to work with local veterans and members of the armed forces to continue this traditional event in a hybrid format for 2021.
Carrie Brooks-Joiner, Director of Heritage and Tourism
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