Description
Being in the tank, Mr. Stanley shares his experiences during the Dieppe Raid, showing empathy for the infantrymen who did not have the same protection.
Stanley Edwards
Mr. Stanley Edwards was born February 17, 1923 in Big Valley, Alberta. He enlisted in the army on February 19, 1941 as part of the Calgary Tanks holding rank of trooper. He first received training on the Churchill tanks at Stettler, Alberta and for another year trained in Camp Borden, Ontario before travelling overseas to Scotland. In the summer of 1942, the crew went to England to undergo advanced training. Mr. Stanley fought in the Dieppe Raid as a member of the tank crew. He was soon captured and taken prisoner where he would remain until 1945, shortly after the war ended. Returning home to Canada, Mr. Edwards began working at the Calgary Brewery, married Anncherri and raised four children with his wife. In retirement, Mr. Edwards volunteered within his community and to this day is a member of the local legion. Now residing in Calgary, Alberta with his two daughters, Mr. Edwards is honoured in having an opportunity to travel back to France for the 75th Anniversary of the Dieppe Raid. This being his first time back since wartime, Mr. Edwards looks forward to seeing the terrain where he fought and visiting the gravesite of his brother who never returned home and pay tribute to those who served alongside him during this battle.
Transcript
When we were going in I think it’s pretty scary although, like I say, being so young we didn’t take it too bad, too serious but then when you get there and all the disaster that’s happening and then you realize it’s a bad place. The infantry especially was, a pile of people died. We had the cover of a tank which saved our lives. If you’re out in the open you know how easy that’d be to die. I think it was almost a thousand people lost their lives from the infantry. We lost 13 in the tanks.
Interviewer: So within the tanks, were you able to visibly see what was happening all around you?
Yes, you have a periscope in there. You can see out, ya. Well, the gunner’s the main thing there because he has to pick targets and silence all the guns and whatever he can do. So I think his job was the most important anyway. There’s so many people put their life on the line. When you walk ashore on a flat beach, what chance do you have to live? So that’s what happened there. The tank protection was a good thing for us. That’s why we lived.
Interviewer: Did you at any time feel like it was a very hopeless situation? Did you know that the point of surrendering was upon you?
We didn’t know that at the start. Like it ran for eight hours before that took place and somebody, probably higher up, decided that there were too many men getting killed so they decided to surrender.