Rescued by an SSR soldier?
Seeking soldier who saved pilot
On Thu, Jan 20, 2022 at 11:05 AM Ian C.
I wonder if you can help. My father, Frederick Edsall Clarke "Freddy", an RCAF Flight Lieutenant with 414 Army Cooperation Squadron, was shot down over Dieppe [at Pourville] on or about 11am on the morning of the Dieppe Raid, August 19 1942, but managed to nurse his Mustang out to the Channel and ditched it between two landing craft taking soldiers off the beach near Rouville. A soldier swam to his aircraft and pulled him unconscious from the cockpit taking him back to the landing craft. They were off-loaded to the “Calpe.” Dad never found the soldier who saved his life and we continue the search although dad passed back in 2005. He claimed to have regained consciousness in the bottom of a landing craft filled with Camerons, South Saskatchewans, and three “terrified” German prisoners. I have been reading through all the accounts and family reminiscences in the hope there would be a reference to this incident but without success.
If there is any chance we might find the soldier (if he was SSR rather than a Cameron) we would really appreciate hearing from you.
Cheers,
Ian Clarke,
GCS/gs 20Feb2022
Calgary
iclarke46@telus.net
