The Dieppe Raid, 19 August, 1942, was undoubtedly the most controversial operation in which Canadians have participated. Some 5,600 troops including 4,963 Canadians attacked the town and its suburbs, ostensibly to test enemy defenses and to capture some examples of German radar. Casualties were very heavy; 907 Canadians lost their lives and 1,946 survived as prisoners of war. Debate has raged ever since as to whether the assault was necessary, whether it was a success, and how losses might have been avoided. There can be no doubt that the Canadians fought bravely under terrible circumstances; two officers were awarded the Victoria Cross and the Germans themselves paid tribute to the courage of the attackers.
Charles Fraser Comfort (1900- ) was a distinguished artist and teacher before the Second World War. Early in the war he was a small-arms instructor with the Canadian Officer Training Corps at the University of Toronto. When the first official war artists were being chosen for the Army he was consulted. In due course Comfort himself was selected, sent overseas, and attained the rank of major. During his military service the artist painted almost 200 works. The majority of these were done in Italy between September 1943 and August 1944; the balance were created in England, North Africa, and northwestern Europe. Comfort was demobilized in 1946.
Although Comfort did not witness the Dieppe Raid, Colonel Charles Stacey, the Director of the Canadian Army's Historical Section, requested that he undertake a reconstruction of the battle scene. In 1946 the artist created this oil painting (91.4 x 152.4 cm) which is the product of close consultation of official reports, maps, and German records, including photographs and motion pictures. Dieppe Raid is remarkable for its attention to detail, including such items as the width, gradient, and stoney nature of the beach. Soldiers of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, supported by Churchill tanks of the Calgary Regiment, attack towards the casino on the right of the painting. The time is 5:40 am., fifteen minutes after the first landing craft have touched shore. How has Comfort conveyed the motion and excitement and indicated that this was a complex military operation?
For additional information on this artist consult the exhibition catalogue Charles Fraser Comfort, The War Years (Ottawa: Canadian War Museum, National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada, c1979) and Margaret Gray, Margaret Rand and Lois Steen, Charles Comfort (Agincourt, Ontario: Gage Publishing, c1976; Canadian artist series, no. 2).
Courtesy: Canadian War Museum, National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada (12276)
