On August 19, 1942, the bodies of Canadian soldiers killed by the Germans during the Battle of Dieppe on the Western Front of World War II lay scattered along the Dieppe coast in France.

      On August 19th 1942, the bodies of Canadian soldiers killed by the Germans during the Battle of Dieppe on the Western Front of World War II lay scattered among the wreckage of ships, barges and amphibious vehicles that had landed on the beach at Dieppe, France.

      At 5:00 am on August 19th, soldiers from the Royal Canadian Regiment approached the beach at Puy, a small seaside village 2km east of the Dieppe coast in France. Sensing the presence of the Canadian troops, the Germans targeted the landing craft, which were still 10m from the shore. At 5:07 in the morning, the first Canadian soldiers to lower the landing craft ramp rushed forward amid the sound of machine gun and mortar fire. Canadian soldiers were hit by bullets and mortars. Some took refuge in the seawall that ran along the coast.

    On the left side, near Bernval, which was several kilometers away, and near Dieppe, Pourville, and Valenville, other Canadian battalions landed, and many soldiers were killed by German machine gun fire and hit by mortar shells. Some platoons broke through the German defensive line, but they were no match for the powerful force. At 11:00 a.m., the order to retreat was given. The Canadian Navy soldiers did their best to recover as many of the assault troops' casualties as possible. As the German air raids ended and the tide came in, the bodies of the Canadian soldiers who remained on the beach were washed away by the waves.

      On August 19, 1942, the ground troops that took part in the air raid included 4,963 soldiers and officers from the Canadian 2nd Division, 1,005 British troops, 50 American troops, and 15 French troops. In the Dieppe Raid, 907 Canadian soldiers died, 271 British soldiers died, 3 American soldiers died, and 311 German soldiers died. A fleet of 237 ships, including 6 destroyers, and landing barges brought them close to the shore. In the air, RAF and RCAF bombers and fighters took part in the operation. Before the Canadian soldiers reached the bridge over the River Sa, the Germans had piled up the dead and wounded on the bridge, with a wall of machine guns and anti-tank guns.