[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by Art Johnson
Prior to Dieppe 50 members of the Carelton and York Regiment accompanied 4 Commando on a raid to destroy a German Search Light unit in France that turned in to a bit of a debacle when the Germans turned the Search Lights on them. So you may be luckier than you think.

Hi Norm/Art;

Reference: "Prior to Dieppe 50 members of the Carelton and York Regiment accompanied 4 Commando on a raid" - Part # 1:

Operation "ABERCROMBIE", a "small reconnaissance raid", which took place on the coast of Occupied France south of Boulogne on 22 Apr 42. It was the first such operation in which Canadian troops actually crossed the Channel.

Operation "ABERCROMBIE" was a minor operation, conceived with the objects of reconnoitring a stretch of the French coast, capturing a few prisoners, and doing such damage as circumstances permitted.

Apparently, the reason why it was '50' members of the Carleton and York Regiment who were picked for this operation was, according to the Officer Commanding them, (Lt. J.P. Ensor) this: "that when the operation was offered to 1 Cdn Div, it was allotted to a unit of 3 Cdn Inf Bde because whereas 1 Cdn Inf Bde had reached France in June 1940 and units of 2 Cdn Inf Bde participated in the expedition to Spitsbergen, 3 Cdn Inf Bde had so far had no such opportunity." A total of eight officers (including a medical officer), one warrant officer and 60 other ranks were selected from the Carleton and York Regiment.

On 8 Apr 42 Lt Ensor with this detachment met Major Lovat with a detachment of No. 4 Commando at Portsmouth Station. Thence the combined force moved by M.T. to HYTHE, on the west shore of Southampton Water, whence they were embarked upon H.M.S. PRINCE ALBERT, on which they lived while training during the next ten days.

The training, which was conducted in the SOLENT, is described by Lt. Ensor, "The practice landings were carried out from 2 A.L.C.'s, one which carried the Bridgehead party, and the other which carried two fighting patrols. We had also, one S.L.C. which supported our landings." (Note: S.L.C. - properly L.S.C. - 'Light Support Craft'.)".

The Bridgehead party consisted of 25 all ranks, armed with six Bren guns, five sub-machine guns, nine rifles, and fourteen .38 pistols, Officers carried rifles in addition to pistols. The two fighting patrols each consisted of one officer, one sergeant, and ten other ranks, armament comprising one Bren gun, give Tommy guns, five rifles (riflemen being equipped as bombers) and two pistols. A very careful drill was carried out for crossing barbed wire obstacles and taking up a Bridgehead position. After crossing the wire, the men were trained to go to their respective places in the Bridgehead without any word of command. These places were never changed, and the men got to know who was on their left and right without asking.

The objective of the operation was a section of the coast of France lying immediately south of Boulogne-sur-Mer, and including the village of Hardelot, which lies roughly seven miles south of the entrance to Boulogne harbour. The coast at this point runs almost exactly north and south, and the shore on either side of the village is comparatively low and accessible, though during the actual operation the sand dunes were found to be a fairly formidable obstacle.

The intention of the raid was to effect a landing on the French Coast under cover of darkness, reconnoitre Military Defences and beaches North and South of Hardelot, attack and destroy a Searchlight Post and return with prisoners and all available information. The proposed method was to land "B" and "C" Troops of No. 4 Commando on 'Red Beach' in the area north of Hardelot, from four A.L.Cs. Simultaneously the detachment of the Carleton and York Regiment would land from A.L.C.s on 'White Beach' in the area south of Hardelot.

From Lord Lovat's Operation Order No. 1: "The Canadian Force will land at the discretion of Lieut. Ensor in area south of Hardelot and after establishing a Beach Head will send out Fighting Patrols to investigate local defences and capture prisoners. It is suggested that the secondary road into sand dunes from Neufchatel offers the possibility for an ambush. There are two large warehouse buildings in the Southern outskirts of the village one of which appears in Air Photographs to be of strategic importance to the enemy defences. Both Warehouses will be investigated and if they contain enemy stores or personnel they will be set on fire. O.C. White Beach will leave attack on Hardelot village until Zero + 60 minutes; Approaches and the general lay-out will be carefully investigated during this period and suitable plans made for ambushing enemy reinforcements brought up for fire fighting".

The Channel Crossing - The Senior Naval Officer of the escort for the raiding force was Lt-Cmdr. T.N. Cartwright, R.N.V.R., Senior Officer 14th M.G.B. Flotilla. The Senior Naval Officer with the South Beach (Canadian) party, until the day of the operation, had been Lt. Quick, R.N.V.R.; but on the morning of the 21 Apr this officer fell ill and was replaced by the next senior, the officer commanding L.S.C.2, Lt. G.B. Eyre, T.N.V.R. This last- minute substitution may have had an adverse influence upon the course of the operation. Lt. Quick's place in his own boat, A.L.C.3,was taken by Sub-Lt. Jeffrey, R.N.V.R. For the Channel crossing, the military force was embarked in motor gunboats which towed the A.L.C.s. Lt.-Cmdr. Cartwright states that the force cleared the entrance to Dover harbour at 1956hrs on 21 Apr. The passage across the Channel was uneventful and at 0100 hours the flotilla was two and a half miles off Hardelot. Here the troops were transferred without difficulty from the M.G.B.s to the A.L.C.s. The Flotilla sub-divided and proceed as requisite for a landing which was scheduled for 0130hrs. Lt-Cmdr. Cartwright states, "At 0112 South Beach landing party had dis-embarked and moved off from M.G.B. 316 and at 0114 the North Beach party had done similarly"

Lord Lovat's Party - this party disembarked without opposition at 0140hrs, crossed wire defences on the forward slope of the dunes with some little difficulty, and established a Bridgehead with perimeter defence. Apparently, however, the party had been put ashore some considerable distance to the north of the intended point of landing, and in the vicinity of an unnamed stream which flows into the Channel. While the perimeter defence was being taken up, firing opened from the direction of Hardfelot, much tracer being visible, and Lord Lovat, surmising that the Canadian party might have been opposed in landing, broke wireless silence and through his own L.S.C. made an enquiry to the L.S.C. with the Canadians. An immediate reply was received to the effect that the Canadian party had not yet landed, "and that the tracer was coming from the M.G.Bs in naval action with enemy forces"

Two fighting patrols were sent out to right and left, and a third patrol was directed against the searchlight post about a half a mile inland. This patrol is stated by Lord Lovat to have been engaged from its left flank throughout its advance. It reached the wire defences about the searchlight post, and had apparently cut is way through them, when the recall rocket was fired from the Bridgehead and the party was obliged to return without completing its task. It evidently suffered no casualties by enemy action. Although there was considerable firing, there was not close contact with the enemy. It is believed that there had been enemy parties near the point of landing, but that they decamped without seeking contact with the Commando detachments. One small enemy patrol was encountered on or near the beach during the operation, but it escaped owing to a premature challenge by a sentry. It appears that the only casualty suffered by Lord Lovat's party was one man shot through both ankles. This injury resulted from his failure to answer a challenge promptly enough, and was inflicted by British bullets.

Lord Lovat's states that re-embarkation of his party was completed at Zero + 120 minutes. As Zero was the time at which the first man got ashore, this would be about 0340hrs. His flotilla of three A.L.C.s and one L.S.C. reached Dungeness about 0830hrs, was subsequently "picked up by the shadowing force which had cruised all night in mid Channel" and moved back to Dover. Only when his party landed in England did Lord Lovat learn that the Canadian party had never got ashore.

Part # 2 follows.