Posted with full permission from the hamilton Spectator.
________________________
Bill Dunphy
The Hamilton Spectator
(Aug 13, 2007)
A week before ceremonies honouring the bloody sacrifices made at Dieppe by Hamilton's most storied regiment, someone has vandalized their waterfront monument.
"I was devastated," said Dieppe veteran and Royal Hamilton Light Infantry member Jack McFarland after discovering the vandalism during a pre-ceremony sweep to ensure things were shipshape.
They weren't.
Vandals had spray-painted both sides of a city sign pointing to the concrete and granite monument. Worse, someone had attacked the granite cairn at the centre of the monument and pried off a bronze replica of the Riley's collar badge that adorned the north face.
"I think someone went at it with a crowbar," said James Forsyth, the honorary colonel of the regiment.
"It would have been a real undertaking to get it off."
The bronze piece is about 30 centimetres square and features the regiment's bugle suspended from the King's crown by two loops of knotted rope.
McFarland -- a retired Hamilton police officer -- speculated the piece may have been pried off the monument by thieves hoping to sell it for its scrap value.
Regardless of the motive, McFarland was deeply offended by the vandalism.
"I was mad. To think that anyone would do this to this war monument ... we waited 30 years to get this."
The monument, a grand sweep of tumbled stone with walls sheltering the stone cairn, all of it facing the lake and overlooked by a quintet of flags, cost $350,000 and was unveiled four years ago on the 61st anniversary of the Dieppe raid. During that disastrous landing in France, the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry was virtually destroyed -- 82 per cent of the 582 men who went ashore Aug., 19, 1942, were killed, wounded or taken prisoner.
McFarland himself was shot and captured and spent two and half years in a prison camp. He views the monument as something sacred. After discovering the vandalism Thursday, McFarland called Forsyth and city parks staff and was delighted with the city's response -- the graffiti was removed by Saturday. But the plaque is a different story.
"I guess there's no way it will be replaced by the ceremony. It's a real shame," McFarland said as he surveyed the now blank northern face of the cairn.
Forsyth is trying to get the piece replaced.
"Our big concern is whether the manufacturer still has the mould -- if he does, then we can get it reproduced and remounted."
This year's ceremony will go ahead as planned Sunday on the raid's anniversary, despite the damaged monument.
"We have a parade and a short memorial service. The regimental band will be there. The city puts out 200 chairs, but there's usually people left standing," he said.
"(This vandalism) is a shame. The veterans are very pleased with the monument, the city did a first-class job. To them it's sacred. If a war memorial isn't sacred, what is?"
bdunphy@thespec.com
905-526-3262
Dieppe at a glance
* The raid took place on Aug. 19, 1942, and involved more than 6,000 infantry, over 5,O00 of them from Canada. It was the first major amphibious assault on German-held European territory. * The raid targeted three towns: Dieppe, Puys and Pourville. The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry was part of the centre assault on the pebbled beaches of Dieppe itself. * The raid was badly planned and poorly co-ordinated: the invaders sustained heavy losses and were driven back by a much smaller German force. Of the nearly 6,100 men who participated, 1,027 were killed (including 907 Canadians) and 2,340 were captured. * Nearly 600 members of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry took part in the Dieppe raid, 179 were killed during the raid, 301 were wounded, 174 were taken prisoner. * Three Victoria Crosses were awarded to Allied participants for their bravery during the raid, including one to Captain John Weir Foote of Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. * The German forces recorded 311 dead, wounded or missing in the raid.
Photo- Daniel Hayduk, the Hamilton Spectator
Veteran Jack McFarland fought at Dieppe. More than 5,000 Canadians took part and 907 of them were killed.
________________________
Bill Dunphy
The Hamilton Spectator
(Aug 13, 2007)
A week before ceremonies honouring the bloody sacrifices made at Dieppe by Hamilton's most storied regiment, someone has vandalized their waterfront monument.
"I was devastated," said Dieppe veteran and Royal Hamilton Light Infantry member Jack McFarland after discovering the vandalism during a pre-ceremony sweep to ensure things were shipshape.
They weren't.
Vandals had spray-painted both sides of a city sign pointing to the concrete and granite monument. Worse, someone had attacked the granite cairn at the centre of the monument and pried off a bronze replica of the Riley's collar badge that adorned the north face.
"I think someone went at it with a crowbar," said James Forsyth, the honorary colonel of the regiment.
"It would have been a real undertaking to get it off."
The bronze piece is about 30 centimetres square and features the regiment's bugle suspended from the King's crown by two loops of knotted rope.
McFarland -- a retired Hamilton police officer -- speculated the piece may have been pried off the monument by thieves hoping to sell it for its scrap value.
Regardless of the motive, McFarland was deeply offended by the vandalism.
"I was mad. To think that anyone would do this to this war monument ... we waited 30 years to get this."
The monument, a grand sweep of tumbled stone with walls sheltering the stone cairn, all of it facing the lake and overlooked by a quintet of flags, cost $350,000 and was unveiled four years ago on the 61st anniversary of the Dieppe raid. During that disastrous landing in France, the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry was virtually destroyed -- 82 per cent of the 582 men who went ashore Aug., 19, 1942, were killed, wounded or taken prisoner.
McFarland himself was shot and captured and spent two and half years in a prison camp. He views the monument as something sacred. After discovering the vandalism Thursday, McFarland called Forsyth and city parks staff and was delighted with the city's response -- the graffiti was removed by Saturday. But the plaque is a different story.
"I guess there's no way it will be replaced by the ceremony. It's a real shame," McFarland said as he surveyed the now blank northern face of the cairn.
Forsyth is trying to get the piece replaced.
"Our big concern is whether the manufacturer still has the mould -- if he does, then we can get it reproduced and remounted."
This year's ceremony will go ahead as planned Sunday on the raid's anniversary, despite the damaged monument.
"We have a parade and a short memorial service. The regimental band will be there. The city puts out 200 chairs, but there's usually people left standing," he said.
"(This vandalism) is a shame. The veterans are very pleased with the monument, the city did a first-class job. To them it's sacred. If a war memorial isn't sacred, what is?"
bdunphy@thespec.com
905-526-3262
Dieppe at a glance
* The raid took place on Aug. 19, 1942, and involved more than 6,000 infantry, over 5,O00 of them from Canada. It was the first major amphibious assault on German-held European territory. * The raid targeted three towns: Dieppe, Puys and Pourville. The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry was part of the centre assault on the pebbled beaches of Dieppe itself. * The raid was badly planned and poorly co-ordinated: the invaders sustained heavy losses and were driven back by a much smaller German force. Of the nearly 6,100 men who participated, 1,027 were killed (including 907 Canadians) and 2,340 were captured. * Nearly 600 members of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry took part in the Dieppe raid, 179 were killed during the raid, 301 were wounded, 174 were taken prisoner. * Three Victoria Crosses were awarded to Allied participants for their bravery during the raid, including one to Captain John Weir Foote of Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. * The German forces recorded 311 dead, wounded or missing in the raid.
Photo- Daniel Hayduk, the Hamilton Spectator
Veteran Jack McFarland fought at Dieppe. More than 5,000 Canadians took part and 907 of them were killed.