Less well known than Dunkirk, definitely less successful but certainly no less courageous, the Dieppe Raid, as it came to be known, saw 5,000 Canadian troops, 1,000 British and 50 US Rangers launch an assault on the French Port.
Thousands of Canadian troops had been stationed at Worthing and Shoreham and in towns and villages across Sussex preparing for this and other operations.
After almost 6 hours in the face of well prepared and intense German fire and an RAF air operation, which was bigger than the Battle of Britain, the retreat was signalled.
Out of 6,086 men who made it ashore, 3,623 were killed, wounded or captured. It was a catastrophic disaster with heavy Canadian losses and it was nearly 2 years before the eventual liberation of the Continent was recommenced with D-Day.
It is always a poignant event when we gather to remember our forefathers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of freedom.