pre Dieppe

[Norm Cromie (RIP)]

Again I would like to thank the great effort the MLU puts into the Canadian past of WW2. I need some help completing some of my history memories.
In late spring of 1942 while I was serving with the 48th, a small group of us were told to pack up and then we were shipped to a place called Seaford on the coast. We went in to training with a Royal Comando unit in the exercise of cliff scaling, beach landings etc. I believe we were a part of a first Canadian division organization and our roll was to be a task of scaling cliffs to knock out what I believe was some sort of radio or signal unit that the Germans had on the coast of France. Our commanding officer was a chap named Armstrong and I know we were a mixed bag of first Div. because in my tent we had several Van Doo's Royal 22nd and an officer from the PPCLI who I vaguely remember his name as Lieut. Doosenbury. Very early in August we were told to pack our bags and I was shipped back to my regiment. Shortly after arriving back I read of the terrible disaster at Dieppe. Later I understood that the powers to be did not want to commit anymore than one division and that was the second division. I have searched many records but have never been able to find any information on this unit. Sad to say, when I saw films on the Dieppe landings and what happened to the Royal Comandoes and Ranger battalions attempting to scale the cliffs I realize how lucky I am today to be here.