On the 19th of August 1942
on the beaches of Dieppe
our Canadian cousins
marked with their blood
the road to our final liberation
foretelling thus their victorious return
on September 1, 1944.
– Translation of the inscription on the Dieppe-Canada Monument in Dieppe, France.
On the morning of August 19, 1942, the Allies launched "Operation Jubilee" in an attempt to gain a temporary foothold in Occupied Europe. The planned raid on the French port town of Dieppe was to be Canada's first army offensive in Europe, with nearly 5,000 Canadians forming the main ground assault force. But coastal defences were strong, and manned by an enemy on a heightened state of alert because of moon and tides, both in the town and on the cliffs overlooking the landing sites. Coming under heavy fire, the landing force suffered the Canadian Army's heaviest single-day losses of the Second World War, with 3,350 casualties out of a contingent of 4,963—including an estimated 1,950 who were taken prisoner.
Specifications
No. 147819
Mintage 7,500
Composition 99.99% pure silver
Finish proof
Weight (g) 31.39
Diameter (mm) 38
Edge serrated
Certificate serialized
Face value 20 dollars
Artist Alan Daniel (reverse), T. H. Paget (obverse)