Dieppe Trip

[HistoryMan]

After my recent trip to Dunkirk last month for the 75th Anniversary, I have now got itchy feet and am looking forward to a trip to Dieppe.
I am off work for a week the end of the month so I have decided upon a short trip to Dieppe for a couple days on the ferry.

Have any members been before ? Although I am aware of the Dieppe Raid, I am not fully conversant with it. I have just bought a book to read to bring me up to speed with the history of it.

Are there some really important places I should visit or see as it were, I realise they are all important, but I only have a couple of days so want to make the most of it.

I was pretty upset with myself when I returned from Dunkirk when I suddenly realised I had not fully explored and walked along the Eastern Mole, as we are all most likely aware, two thirds of the troops were evacuated from the Mole as opposed to the beaches. I did however walk along the beaches from Dunkirk to the beginning of the Bray-Dunes, which was quite a walk, there and back to Dunkirk centre. It was difficult to imagine the carnage on those beaches, it was a lovely Sunday afternoon when I did so, surrounded by families, dogs and children playing, a far cry from 75 years earlier. Really made me think

Cheers

[HistoryMan]

Off to Dieppe today. I am visiting the main beaches at Puys, Pourville and Dieppe. The Hotel is overlooking Red beach in Dieppe itself. I am also visiting Orange and Yellow beaches where No3,4 Commando landed. Should be an interesting short trip !! Weather is looking promising ! Will try and get some good photo's

Cheers ! Au revoir

[No1canuck]

Safe trip. Dieppe is a name every Canadian should know but alas I dont know if school kids here are even taught about it.

Steve

[matty01]

Theres a large mammut radar station on the cliff worth looking at which overlooks the beach

have a safe trip

[HistoryMan]

Hi Matty,

I am back from Dieppe now, was a superb little trip, really enjoyed it.

Are you sure this is at Dieppe, I was not aware of it ? Which cliff are you referring to ?? Also, this would not have been present during the Dieppe Raid as they were not introduced until 2 years later ??

There are now lots of fortifications around Dieppe which were built long after the raid

[HistoryMan]

Theres a large mammut radar station on the cliff worth looking at which overlooks the beach

have a safe trip

This is at Fécamp and not Dieppe Matty.

Cheers

[AZPhil]

Glad to hear you made it back safe and it sounds like it was a great trip.
Looking forward to some pic's
Semper Fi
Phil

[HistoryMan]

Glad to hear you made it back safe and it sounds like it was a great trip.
Looking forward to some pic's
Semper Fi
Phil

Thanks Phil
Not long got back after a long drive, i hope my pictures are ok

Interestingly, i think i may have picked a piece up from the beach of one of the tanks !

[HistoryMan]

Yellow Beach 1, Berneval le Grand, The Goebbels Battery, Dieppe

Here are the first set of pictures. I do hope they are ok.
I really am not very good at taking photo's but I do my best.
It was a very warm day, at midday at least 27c degrees and I was trying to retrace the steps the commando's took.

The tide was quite high on the beach when I arrived so I couldn't walk too far onto the beach at all to get a better look at the two points where No3 Commando assaulted the beach and made their way up.
I have taken pictures of the intended route up the gully and and the actual route up, although because of the high tide I could not get very good pictures of the gully they did in fact use in the end.
The 1st two pictures look east towards the gully the Commando's used to access the cliffs, the other pictures are of the intended route they were meant to use but were unable to as it was thick with coils of dannert wire and laced with Teller mines I believe
Cheers

[HistoryMan]

Yellow Beach 2, Berneval le Grand, The Goebbels Battery, Dieppe

It was very warm now and a lovely day and I was trying to retrace the steps Major Young and his small group of Commando's took from the beach into Berneval le Grand, climbing up through the gully in the heat, it did make me think how fit the Commando's must have been at the time.

You can see the beach where LCP 15 landed Major Young and his 17 men in total darkness, they then made their way to the exit gully you can see in the pictures. I have taken pictures of the gully as I walked up.

There is also a picture taken at the road junction of the main Berneval-Dieppe road where I believe they intercepted a young French boy on the bicycle.
Also there are pictures of the rebuilt Church on the high street in Bernerval where the group of commando's came under fire, they successfully destroyed the attackers with a well aimed mortar round I believe. There are a couple of nice cafe's and a little shop where I managed to re-supply with well needed water !!!

I also walked through the village towards the location of the Battery, I was hoping to see some remains in the gardens of the new dwellings but could only see one part in a garden on the edge of the road, there is also a large casement to be seen which was built after the raid, this is located in the old Battery gun positions I believe. The crops are still growing in the fields that the Commando's took cover in.

Thanks for looking, more to follow this week if interested
Cheers