The battlefields of France have played an important role in the collective memory and imagination of generations of Canadians. From the great Vimy Pilgrimage of 1936 to the D-Day and VE Day anniversaries of recent times, Canadians have been drawn to the memorials and place names that are a vital part of our history.
This volume starts with the ill-fated Dieppe Raid of 19 August 1942, in which a large Canadian and British amphibious raiding force was decimated by German defenders. It explains why the raid was launched, what occurred, and why it ultimately ended in disaster for those who went ashore.
The book then picks up two years later, after the Normandy Campaign sent the German army in the West into full retreat. Canadian troops pursued the enemy towards the River Seine and the ancient city of Rouen, and then received orders to capture the Channel ports of Boulogne, Calais, Cap Griz Nez, and Dunkirk.
Readers can explore these battles and their legacy though contemporary and modern photographs and maps, including many rarely seen colour photos from the Second World War.
The Canadian Battlefields in Northern France: Dieppe and the Channel Ports is a companion to The Canadian Battlefields in Normandy and The Canadian Battlefields in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
Published by the Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic and Disarmament Studies and distributed by Wilfrid Laurier University Press.