285:
448:
401:
574:
378:) were assigned to land before dawn to destroy German heavy gun batteries on promontories east and west of the port, a task in which they were largely successful. Two Canadian battalions were scheduled to land at the same time to the immediate east and west of Dieppe to give land ward support to the attacks on the guns and to form a secure perimeter for the main force to land.
419:
He held on to an improvised perimeter nevertheless, and kept contact with his section positions by moving from one to another after his runners had been killed. When the time came to move back to the beach, Merritt coolly gave instructions for an orderly withdrawal and announced his intention to hold
392:
By then alert to the situation, the German defenders targeted the bridge with machine-gun and mortar fire. Initial
Canadian attempts failed to storm the bridge, leaving it covered with dead and wounded. Merritt led the next rush forward, waving his steel helmet with the rallying shout, "Come on over.
336:
Merritt served as an officer in the
Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. At the outbreak of war, Merritt was promoted to the rank of major and in December sailed for England. In the next two years he held a variety of staff and regimental appointments and attended the War Staff Course at Camberley in June
396:
His audacity took the enemy by surprise; one group of men followed him over the bridge and others used the girders to cross. Merritt soon had most of his surviving men on the far bank, but shortage of mortar ammunition and lack of communications to the destroyers to call for supporting fire made any
467:
Merritt is also remembered by a road called
Merritt Drive in the City of Windsor, Ontario - the city which provided the Essex Scottish Regiment who assaulted 'Red Beach', Dieppe, as the South Saskatchewans were assaulting 'Green Beach' It is next to Tilston Drive, which refers to Major Fred Tilston
415:
Finding all moves towards his objectives blocked by concrete pillboxes, Merritt led an attack on each in turn, personally killing the occupants of one by throwing grenades through the enemy's firing ports. When the last enemy strong point had been silenced, Merritt had been twice wounded and his
444:. He remarked after being freed: "My war lasted six hours. There are plenty of Canadians who went all the way from the landings in Sicily to the very end." He was dismissive of his time as a prisoner of war with the words: "It was an enforced idleness. It cannot be translated into virtue."
423:
The South
Saskatchewan battalion left 84 dead on Green Beach and 89 more, including Merritt and eight other officers, were taken prisoner. His citation for award of the Victoria Cross concluded: "To this commanding officer's personal daring the success of his unit's operations and the safe
463:
In recognition of
Merritt being the Commanding Officer of The South Saskatchewan Regiment during Operation Jubilee, four streets in the Rosemont neighbourhood of Regina were named in his honour. Charles Crescent, Cecil Crescent, Ingersoll Crescent, and Merritt Crescent.
435:
in
Bavaria. Together with 64 others, he escaped through a 120 ft tunnel during the night of 3–4 June 1943. All were recaptured after a massive manhunt. Merritt was sentenced to 14 days' solitary confinement before being transferred to
384:
His force crossed the
Channel in Royal Navy destroyers, transferred to landing craft 10 miles offshore and reached Green Beach on time, in near darkness and unopposed. But the main part of the battalion was landed on the wrong side of the
552:
The LCol
Merritt, V.C., medal set, which consists of the Victoria Cross, the 1939–45 Star, the Defence Medal, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas and Dieppe clasps, the British War Medal 1939–45 with
447:
381:
The right flank
Canadian battalion assigned to Green Beach was the South Saskatchewan Regiment commanded by Merritt. His objectives were Pourville, west of the port, then the cliffs above the village.
40:
827:
557:(MID), the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953, the Canadian Centennial Medal 1967, the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal 1977, the Canada 125th Anniversary Medal and the
812:
591:
Four streets in the City of Regina, the capital of
Saskatchewan, are named in honour of Merritt. Charles Crescent, Cecil Crescent, Ingersoll Crescent, and Merritt Crescent.
862:
408:
Meanwhile, the company landed on the west bank of the Scie had reached its objective and sent a success signal to the operation command ship. This and one from
847:
837:
776:
617:
867:
489:
62:
872:
857:
842:
817:
594:
The bridge over the River Scie in Pourville, where Merrit earned the VC, was renamed in his honour for the 50th anniversary of the raid in 1992.
598:
877:
161:
852:
822:
525:
In 1937, he married Grace Graham, the daughter of Jamieson Bone of Belleville, Ontario; they had two sons and a daughter.
832:
496:
363:, Merritt was wounded twice. For his extreme bravery and inspirational leadership under fire, Merritt was awarded the
578:
305:
389:
estuary and faced crossing a narrow bridge through Pourville in order to approach their objectives on the cliffs.
882:
341:
232:
787:
688:
404:
LCol Cecil Merritt, VC, South Saskatchewan Regiment, captured at Dieppe, upon his return to England, April 1945
317:
20:
773:
625:
760:
477:
409:
485:
456:
420:
off the enemy from a rearguard position in a small bandstand near the beach to cover the re-embarkation.
495:
Returning from Ottawa, he resumed his law practice in Vancouver and served as Commanding Officer of the
284:
481:
735:
Antoni Chmielowski, P.L. Beuerlein, John Maybin, Edwin King, Dave Nelson, Cliff Fielding, Bob Strachan
573:
647:
601:
was renamed from Savage Flight to Merritt Flight, in honour of this most distinguished graduate.
554:
175:
584:
Merritt, a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, is listed on the Wall of Honour in
768:
499:
from 1951 to 1954; he later was Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment from 1963 to 1966.
301:
558:
261:
179:
807:
802:
273:
8:
562:
56:
652:
359:
Merritt led his regiment in the Dieppe raid on 19 August 1942. Before being taken as a
222:
684:
585:
412:'s Number 4 Commando were the only two success signals sent in the entire operation.
541:
451:
Lt. Col Cecil Merritt plaque at the corner of Merritt St. & Rockingham Ave. in
297:
150:
129:
97:
340:
From GSO2 of the 3rd Canadian Division, in March 1942, he was promoted to command
300:
on 10 November 1908, the son of Captain Cecil Mack Merritt, who was killed in the
780:
360:
39:
513:
Club. Brother officers spoke with awe of his skill at the informal hockey game
510:
441:
375:
371:
364:
269:
257:
171:
796:
349:
345:
204:
476:
After taking his release from military service in 1945, Merritt served as a
468:
VC, of the Essex Scottish Regiment who received his VC in Germany in 1945.
386:
242:
85:
432:
774:
Canadian Government website biography and citation: MERRITT, Charles C.I.
428:
353:
437:
452:
325:
321:
293:
265:
146:
125:
320:(a Militia regiment) in 1929. Merritt read for the Bar and became a
667:
400:
683:. Vancouver: Evergreen Press. pp. Appendix D, page 515–517.
537:
533:
LCol Merritt died at the age of 91 in Vancouver on 12 July 2000.
348:, (Canadian Infantry Corps). Two months later, they moved to the
503:
828:
Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia
514:
194:
618:"DHH - Victoria Cross Bios - Charles Cecil Ingersoll Merritt"
504:
Mount Pleasant War Memorial Community Cooperative Association
308:, H1866 in 1925 at the age of 16 and graduated with honours.
536:
He was buried at Ocean View Cemetery, 4000 Imperial Street,
424:
re-embarkation of a large portion of it were chiefly due."
704:
813:
Canadian World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross
728:
from 'War Museum.ca - Backgrounder' Also Press release
565:, Ottawa, some time after his death on 12 July 2000.
288:
Cecil Merritt, Royal Military College of Canada cadet
544:, Canada in the Royal Section, Plot 49, Grave #5.
863:Canadian military personnel from British Columbia
656:(Supplement). 2 October 1942. pp. 4323–4324.
328:until mobilized at the outbreak of World War II.
794:
788:Charles Merritt – Parliament of Canada biography
370:Two experienced British Commando units (Numbers
848:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
838:Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs
681:The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada 1919-1965
502:Merritt served on the board of directors of
597:In 2017, the First Year Flight of Montcalm
38:
868:Canadian prisoners of war in World War II
416:battalion reduced to fewer than 300 men.
646:
572:
509:He became a valued rugby player for the
399:
283:
264:(10 November 1908 – 12 July 2000) was a
873:Seaforth Highlanders of Canada officers
858:Canadian Army personnel of World War II
843:Royal Military College of Canada alumni
818:Prisoners of war held at Colditz Castle
697:
666:Colditz - The Full Story Appendix 1 by
44:Photo of Charles Merritt from The Times
795:
738:Obituary: Lt. Col. Cecil Merritt, VC
610:
878:South Saskatchewan Regiment officers
561:with Canada Bar, was donated to the
678:
528:
331:
304:, on 23 April 1915. He entered the
13:
446:
14:
894:
761:Lieutenant Colonel C.C.I. Merritt
754:
579:Royal Military College of Canada
427:Merritt was sent to prison camp
306:Royal Military College of Canada
342:The South Saskatchewan Regiment
255:Charles Cecil Ingersoll Merritt
233:The South Saskatchewan Regiment
32:Charles Cecil Ingersoll Merritt
722:
672:
660:
640:
497:Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
318:Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
1:
853:20th-century Canadian lawyers
604:
324:in 1932. He practised law in
316:He was commissioned into the
279:
397:further advance impossible.
7:
823:Lawyers in British Columbia
10:
899:
833:Politicians from Vancouver
482:House of Commons of Canada
471:
18:
568:
547:
520:
311:
248:
238:
228:
218:
210:
200:
190:
185:
167:
157:
136:
112:
107:
103:
91:
79:
68:
53:
49:
37:
30:
393:There's nothing to it!"
162:Progressive Conservative
19:Not to be confused with
555:Mentioned in Despatches
480:, being elected to the
176:Mentioned in Despatches
21:Charles "Chase" Merritt
883:Meraloma Rugby players
679:Roy, Reginald (1969).
581:
460:
405:
302:Second Battle of Ypres
289:
576:
559:Efficiency Decoration
450:
403:
287:
211:Years of service
180:Efficiency Decoration
779:4 April 2019 at the
769:UK National Archives
740:Electronic Telegraph
622:cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca
478:Member of Parliament
292:Merritt was born in
274:Member of Parliament
563:Canadian War Museum
506:from 1950 to 1994.
492:from 1945 to 1949.
57:Canadian Parliament
16:Canadian politician
767:exhibition at the
653:The London Gazette
582:
486:electoral district
461:
406:
290:
223:Lieutenant Colonel
586:Kingston, Ontario
490:Vancouver—Burrard
352:to train for the
268:recipient of the
252:
251:
63:Vancouver—Burrard
890:
729:
726:
720:
719:
717:
715:
701:
695:
694:
676:
670:
664:
658:
657:
644:
638:
637:
635:
633:
624:. Archived from
614:
577:Wall of Honour,
542:British Columbia
529:Death and burial
457:Montgomery Place
332:Military service
298:British Columbia
186:Military service
151:British Columbia
143:
130:British Columbia
123:10 November 1908
122:
120:
108:Personal details
98:Lorne MacDougall
94:
82:
73:
59:
42:
28:
27:
898:
897:
893:
892:
891:
889:
888:
887:
793:
792:
781:Wayback Machine
757:
732:
727:
723:
713:
711:
705:"Meraloma Club"
703:
702:
698:
691:
677:
673:
665:
661:
645:
641:
631:
629:
628:on 4 April 2019
616:
615:
611:
607:
571:
550:
531:
523:
474:
361:prisoner of war
334:
314:
282:
178:
174:
158:Political party
145:
141:
124:
118:
116:
92:
80:
74:
69:
60:
55:
45:
33:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
896:
886:
885:
880:
875:
870:
865:
860:
855:
850:
845:
840:
835:
830:
825:
820:
815:
810:
805:
791:
790:
785:
783:
771:
765:The Art of War
756:
755:External links
753:
752:
751:
736:
731:
730:
721:
696:
689:
671:
659:
639:
608:
606:
603:
570:
567:
549:
546:
530:
527:
522:
519:
511:Meraloma Rugby
484:, serving the
473:
470:
442:Colditz Castle
365:Victoria Cross
333:
330:
313:
310:
281:
278:
270:Victoria Cross
250:
249:
246:
245:
240:
236:
235:
230:
226:
225:
220:
216:
215:
212:
208:
207:
202:
201:Branch/service
198:
197:
192:
188:
187:
183:
182:
172:Victoria Cross
169:
165:
164:
159:
155:
154:
144:(aged 91)
138:
134:
133:
114:
110:
109:
105:
104:
101:
100:
95:
89:
88:
83:
77:
76:
66:
65:
54:Member of the
51:
50:
47:
46:
43:
35:
34:
31:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
895:
884:
881:
879:
876:
874:
871:
869:
866:
864:
861:
859:
856:
854:
851:
849:
846:
844:
841:
839:
836:
834:
831:
829:
826:
824:
821:
819:
816:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
800:
798:
789:
786:
784:
782:
778:
775:
772:
770:
766:
762:
759:
758:
749:
746:14 July 2000;
745:
744:Vancouver Sun
742:, July 2000;
741:
737:
734:
733:
725:
710:
706:
700:
692:
686:
682:
675:
669:
663:
655:
654:
649:
643:
627:
623:
619:
613:
609:
602:
600:
595:
592:
589:
587:
580:
575:
566:
564:
560:
556:
545:
543:
539:
534:
526:
518:
516:
512:
507:
505:
500:
498:
493:
491:
487:
483:
479:
469:
465:
459:neighborhood.
458:
454:
449:
445:
443:
439:
434:
430:
425:
421:
417:
413:
411:
402:
398:
394:
390:
388:
382:
379:
377:
373:
368:
366:
362:
357:
355:
351:
350:Isle of Wight
347:
346:Canadian Army
343:
338:
329:
327:
323:
319:
309:
307:
303:
299:
295:
286:
277:
275:
271:
267:
263:
259:
256:
247:
244:
241:
237:
234:
231:
227:
224:
221:
217:
213:
209:
206:
205:Canadian Army
203:
199:
196:
193:
189:
184:
181:
177:
173:
170:
166:
163:
160:
156:
152:
148:
139:
135:
131:
127:
115:
111:
106:
102:
99:
96:
90:
87:
84:
78:
72:
67:
64:
58:
52:
48:
41:
36:
29:
26:
22:
764:
750:17 July 2000
747:
743:
739:
724:
712:. Retrieved
709:meraloma.com
708:
699:
680:
674:
662:
651:
642:
630:. Retrieved
626:the original
621:
612:
596:
593:
590:
583:
551:
535:
532:
524:
508:
501:
494:
475:
466:
462:
426:
422:
418:
414:
407:
395:
391:
383:
380:
369:
358:
339:
335:
315:
291:
254:
253:
243:World War II
239:Battles/wars
142:(2000-07-12)
140:12 July 2000
93:Succeeded by
86:Gerry McGeer
70:
25:
808:2000 deaths
803:1908 births
648:"No. 35729"
429:Oflag VII-B
354:Dieppe raid
81:Preceded by
797:Categories
690:0968543901
605:References
438:Oflag IV-C
410:Lord Lovat
387:River Scie
280:Early life
191:Allegiance
119:1908-11-10
748:The Times
453:Saskatoon
433:Eichstätt
326:Vancouver
322:barrister
294:Vancouver
214:1929–1945
147:Vancouver
126:Vancouver
75:1945–1949
71:In office
777:Archived
714:18 March
668:Pat Reid
632:18 March
599:Squadron
266:Canadian
229:Commands
153:, Canada
132:, Canada
538:Burnaby
472:Postwar
687:
569:Legacy
548:Medals
521:Family
515:shinny
337:1941.
312:Career
195:Canada
168:Awards
716:2018
685:ISBN
634:2018
374:and
272:and
219:Rank
137:Died
113:Born
61:for
763:in
488:of
455:'s
440:at
431:at
799::
707:.
650:.
620:.
588:.
540:,
517:.
367:.
356:.
344:,
296:,
276:.
262:ED
260:,
258:VC
149:,
128:,
718:.
693:.
636:.
376:4
372:3
121:)
117:(
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
