A pivotal event in Canadian history took place 80 years ago this week, and an organization focused on preserving Canada’s Second World War history has found a unique way to remember it.
On Aug. 19, 1942, more than 800 Canadians were killed in the Dieppe Raid — considered the country’s “darkest day” during the war.
Juno Beach Centre executive director Alex Fitzgerald-Black says his organization, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the battle, has dug deep into the lives of the Canadians killed on that day.
“What we wanted to do with commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid, was really get to that point that it wasn’t just one day for these people — that’s how their lives ended, unfortunately — but they had lives, they had stories that started before the war.
“They had loved ones and family members that they left behind. The impacts of those deaths … with those numbers, Canadians across Canada were affected, and we want to kind of bring that home,” he said.
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Fitzgerald-Black said researchers looked into where those killed in action came from and were able to pull addresses for about 400 men from service files.
They then sent postcards — as part of the He Lived Where You Live program — to the current residents at those addresses, letting them know all about the soldiers who lived in their homes decades earlier.
Of the 400-plus postcards sent, he said, 22 were to Manitoba addresses, the majority of which were in Winnipeg.
“The stories we’ve been able to uncover in part of this process are amazing and they showcase how these were just ordinary people,” Fitzgerald-Black said.
“With 80 years gone since the raid, there are really only a handful of veterans left from this event.
“Those connections are not necessarily as direct as they once were, so we thought one way can build those connections up again is through the people who live currently at the home or at the address.”
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