LCpl Hilton Munro, died November 28th 2011 at the age of 89. Hilton Munro was the last surviving member of the Black Watch who took part in the August raid on Dieppe. Hilton, then 20 years old, was taken prisoner on the beach of Puys, and spent the next 3 years as a POW. In 2007, Hilton was picked to represent the Black Watch as part of the 65th Anniversary pilgrimage and ceremonies in Dieppe France. This was Hilton’s first trip back to Dieppe since 1942.
VAC’s Dieppe Pilgrimage to France - Mr. & Mrs. Hilton Munro Story
The following are selected extracts from an interview with Mr. & Mrs. Hilton & Shirley Munro; from the
August 20th issue of the CFB Esquimalt’s weekly newspaper - “the Lookout”. The complete story will be printed in the Fall 2007 issue of the Red Hackle Magazine, or is available as a handout at our monthly meeting.
Last week, Hilton Munro, 85, and his wife Shirley, packed their bags and left for France to join nine other Second World War veterans for a reflective look at the beaches of Dieppe.
Sixty-five years ago, a then 20-year-old Cpl Munro and his comrades from three Black Watch platoons, The Royal Regiment of Canada, and one artillery detachment were mowed down by gun fire and mortars during Operation Jubilee on the beaches of Puys, a small seaside village two kilometers east of Dieppe.
The sun was just breaking at 5 AM on Aug. 19, 1942, when the Germans took aim at the approaching landing crafts 10 meters from shore. Several minutes later the vessels lowered their ramps and the men spilled onto the beach, trying desperately to reach the seawall for much-needed shelter from the barge of machine gun fire……….
……This year’s events are an important show of appreciation for the sacrifices made by these veterans, says Campbell. “It gives veterans a chance to see how grateful people are in towns like Dieppe that they worked so hard to save.” The most important event for Munro was the Aug. 18 ceremony at the Royal Regiment of Canada monument in Puys. While Munro seemed stoic about the pilgrimage, his wife Shirley said out of earshot, it’s important for him to see what the many deaths accomplished. “He wants to see it without all the blood and guts, without all the bitterness.”
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