19 August 2013
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement to mark the 71st anniversary of the Battle of Dieppe:
"Today marks the 71st anniversary of the Allied Raid on Dieppe, France - a dark chapter in Canadian military history.
"The Raid, which came at a pivotal moment in the Second World War when most of continental Europe was under German occupation, was undertaken with the long term objective of breaking the Nazi occupation of Europe and establishing an eventual foothold from which Allied ground forces could liberate the continent.
"While the Raid did not accomplish all of its intended goals, the lessons learned at Dieppe proved invaluable for the subsequent D-Day invasion. Sadly, the battle came at a very steep price for Canadian participants. Of the nearly 5,000 brave Canadians who participated in the Raid, less than half returned, many of whom were wounded. More than 1,900 were taken as prisoners of war, and 916 made the ultimate sacrifice.
"On this day of remembrance, let us honour the thousands of selfless Canadians who fought with bravery, pride and conviction 71 years ago at Dieppe to free Europe from tyranny.
"Let us also thank the current members of our Canadian Armed Forces who continue to serve our country in the same proud tradition, promoting peace, democracy and freedom around the world.
"I encourage Canadians to participate in the commemoration ceremonies taking place today across Canada and France, to honour the sacrifices made by those who fought many years ago in Dieppe for our freedom. I also encourage fellow citizens to learn more about Canada's important contributions to the Second World War, which earned our country enormous international respect and recognition as a proud and independent nation.
"Lest we forget."
