South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 12 September 1942

Dieppe Raid Impressions

Bolton Commando’s Memories

On a flying visit to his parents last Thursday Trooper Clifford Ward, of Bolton, who is a Commando, described the Dieppe raid as he saw it to a “Times ” reporter.

“We had an air raid while we were waiting to go across. We were held up for a time while minesweepers were at work outside Dieppe. We went across in our landing craft and myself and another chap acted as Bren gunners for our boat. We snatched as much sleep as we could in the bottom of the boat and arrived at about 4 O’clock. We stood up in the boat when we got near the coast and watched the air display and didn’t seem to realise it might rain down on us.

It was like a great firework show. There was plenty of firing, though we could not see anything to fire at. After a while our boat was slightly damaged and we returned to the gunboat that escorted us. This was also damaged and finally we towed it home. Before the raid we had some comical experiences blacking our faces. Some of the lads tried to make themselves look like Paul Robeson and we sang d—y songs. I did not go ashore but the chap who was gunner with me was called on to go, and when running up the beach saw a naval gunner next to him killed and he was wounded in the little finger. They were going to help some Canadians.

It was good to see plenty of the R.A.F. around. We could see them skimming over the sea about two feet high. They certainly kept the enemy planes away. It was a great show. After we came back we all broke out in spots and it was hard to recognise your own pal. It must have been the make-up. I would rather be on a raid like that than in an air raid. We had an air raid where I was once stationed and I Just stood in the doorway and dithered.”