The Chaplain

THE NOT-SO-JUBILANT OPERATION 

By all accounts, Operation Jubilee was an absolute disaster for the Allied forces of World War II. Over six thousand infantry, predominantly Canadian, launched a large-scale assault on the port town of Dieppe in German-occupied France in the early morning of August 19, 1942. It was to be a “test run” of the D-Day landings at Normandy that would occur two years later. Unfortunately, the only lessons learned were what not to do.

For weeks, Nazi troops had been preparing to defend such an attack. Spies, radio intercepts, and aerial surveillance all pointed to a pending naval assault on the French coast, likely at a deep port that could serve as staging for subsequent troop movements. The Germans heavily fortified Dieppe, which lay directly across the English Channel from the British south coast. Gun batteries, artillery, aircraft, torpedo boats, and thousands of troops were all on high alert in preparation for the pending invasion that would occur within weeks. 

Shortly before 5:00 am, August 19, the attack began. Even before soldiers reached shore, the Luftwaffe fighter planes and German warships wreaked havoc on the Allies as they crossed the Channel, inflicting the loss of 106 aircraft, 33 landing craft, and a naval destroyer. Six beaches were targeted for landings – four within the town itself and one on either side. At all but one the Allies’ objectives went entirely unmet. 

At Yellow Beach, just east of Dieppe, commando troops were tasked with neutralizing a battery of German artillery, but were beaten back by machine guns. Although they managed to distract the Germans from raining heavy shells on approaching ships, the Allied commandos were forced to withdraw in the face of the well-entrenched defenders. Their commanding officer, unable to board the landing ship due to the heavy fire, was towed out to sea by a rope until far enough away to safely haul him out of the water. 

At Orange Beach, west of Dieppe, other troops were deployed to neutralize another battery of heavy artillery. This was the only success of the entire operation. Once the guns atop the steep slopes were silenced, the Allied troops withdrew without further incident hours later.

Blue Beach, within Dieppe itself, was supposed to be assaulted under cover of darkness and smoke screens, but a delay negated the surprise attack. The Germans opened fire as soon as Allied troops landed. Pinned against the seawall, gunfire annihilated nearly an entire regiment. Of the 556 Canadians involved, 200 were killed and 264 were captured.

At Green Beech, the Allies drifted off course, landing west of the river that bisected the town, rather than the east side where they had intended. Although arriving undetected, their attempt to cross the bridge onto the correct side of the river was met with heavy fire. Despite numerous attempts to cross and secure the area, the Germans held fast. Dead and wounded Allied soldiers piled up on the bridge and German reinforcements forced the invaders to retreat. Some 341 troops escaped into landing craft, while the majority were forced to surrender.

After heavy bombardment of defensive positions by the Royal Navy and Air Force, Allied infantry landed on Red and White Beaches. The tank division was late, so the soldiers were without armored support. Heavy fire from machine guns dug into the overlooking cliffs on both sides caused heavy losses. Communication breakdown led to reinforcements arriving when the evacuation was just beginning. With attacks coming from all sides, the scene was absolute carnage. Those who weren’t killed or injured were forced to embark back into landing craft and retreat. 

Every tank that made it ashore at Dieppe was lost. Some became hopelessly stuck in the shale rocks of the beach, while others were destroyed by German artillery. Anti-tank obstacles prevented advancement beyond the beach, so any remaining tanks were abandoned during the subsequent evacuation and surrender. Their crews were either killed in action or taken prisoner. 

Amidst all this mayhem and bloodshed was a military chaplain who carried no gun. He followed the soldiers of his regiment into battle, to care for them in their hour of greatest need, and fully expected to die on that French beach. Although faced with terror and confusion everywhere he looked, this non-combatant’s selfless conduct and calm demeanor helped save dozens of lives and set the standard for courage under fire. 

DUTY-BOUND

John Weir Foote was a tall, burly Canadian who held a number of jobs – iron ore smelter, geologic surveyor, farm hand – while pursuing higher education at various universities in Ontario and Quebec. After attending the Presbyterian College in Montreal, he was ordained as a minister at age 30. Five years later, in September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, triggering the start of World War II. Great Britain soon declared war on the Nazi aggressors and Canada, a loyal Commonwealth country, joined them. By December of that same year, John Foote dutifully enlisted as a Regimental Chaplain  in the Canadian military, receiving the honorary rank of Captain.

For three years, “Padre” Foote cared for the men of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, most of whom had never seen combat. They were deployed to Britain in July 1940, where they trained and supported the war effort. By August 1942, they were tasked with spearheading a secret mission, Operation Jubilee. 

Upon hearing of the assault on Dieppe, Captain Foote volunteered to join the landing party as a non-combatant. His commanding officer deemed him more useful in the aftermath than during the invasion itself, but Foote replied, “I’ll make my own arrangements, and if you see me on the beach, you can order me off.” (1) He was made a stretcher-bearer and would soon have his work cut out for him. His regiment, the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, was ordered to attack Red and White Beaches.

Attached to the First Aid post in the midst of the fighting, Captain Foote voluntarily endured eight hours of hell on the beaches of Dieppe. By midday, after innumerable losses and minimal gains, the call to retreat was finally made. Foote immediately began hauling men toward landing craft. “Every man, carry a man!” he cried as bullets flew around him. Others followed his lead. Again and again, Foote led his regiment in the evacuation of wounded soldiers. Despite the heavy fire all around him, he miraculously wasn’t struck by flying bullets or shrapnel. His husky 6’3” frame carried dozens of men to safety. 

And his service didn’t end there. 

As the Germans closed in, it became apparent that many of the troops would be left behind. However, as the last boats departed, Foote splashed back toward the bloodied beach, insisting the men on shore would need his guidance and counsel more than those going home. “I don’t think a man should be a padre of a regiment and not go where they go.” (2)

Captured and disarmed, Foote and the other prisoners of war were driven on a two-day march to a detention camp. He was barefoot, having discarded his waterlogged boots on the beach to better attend to the wounded. By the time he reached camp, his feet were raw and bloody.

For the next three years, Padre Foote was incarcerated along with thousands of other troops in northern Germany. Despite the dire conditions, he conducted regular church services, preaching atop discarded Red Cross boxes, and advocated to his captors for better treatment of his men. “I knew I had to stay with the men captured at the Dieppe raid. I never regretted the decision. Although I didn’t like the prison camp diet, I did get a nice figure then – 140 pounds.” (4)

Finally, in April 1945, the prison camp Stalag 10B in northern Germany was liberated and the surviving troops were transported home.

AFTERMATH

Over half of 6,068 Allied infantry involved in Operation Jubilee became casualties of war – 3,623 men had been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. The regiments that landed at beaches within the town itself had casualty rates above 90%. The German defenders, on the other hand, suffered 591 casualties – 322 killed and 280 wounded. 

Fully expecting to die that day, Foote miraculously survived Operation Jubilee largely unscathed, despite exposing himself to enemy fire multiple times and never firing (or even carrying) a weapon himself. His subsequent imprisonment only reaffirmed the stalwart character of their Padre – calm under pressure, incomparably courageous, and selflessly devoted to the service of his fellow man.

Foote initially thought he would be reprimanded for his involvement in the raid on Dieppe and his subsequent imprisonment. Instead, in February, 1946, the London Gazette ran the following announcement on the front page: 

DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, OTTAWA

14th February, 1946. 

THE CANADIAN ARMY

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS to: 

Honorary Captain John Weir FOOTE, Canadian Chaplain Services. 

At Dieppe, on 19th August, 1942, Honorary Captain Foote, Canadian Chaplain Services, was Regimental Chaplain with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. Upon landing on the beach under heavy fire he attached himself to the Regimental Aid Post which had been set up in a slight depression on the beach, but which was only sufficient to give cover to men lying down. During the subsequent period of approximately eight hours, while the action continued, this officer not only assisted the Regimental Medical Officer in ministering to the wounded in the Regimental Aid Post, but time and again left this shelter to inject morphine, give first-aid and carry wounded personnel from the open beach to the Regimental Aid Post. On these occasions, with utter disregard for his personal safety, Honorary Captain Foote exposed himself to an inferno of fire and saved many lives by his gallant efforts. During the action, as the tide went out, the Regimental Aid Post was moved to the shelter of a stranded landing craft. Honorary Captain Foote continued tirelessly and courageously to carry wounded men from the exposed beach to the cover of the landing craft. He also removed wounded from inside the landing craft when ammunition had been set on fire by enemy shells. When landing craft appeared he carried wounded from the Regimental Aid Post to the landing craft through very heavy fire. 

On several occasions this officer had the opportunity to embark but returned to the beach as his chief concern was the care and evacuation of the wounded. He refused a final opportunity to leave the shore, choosing to suffer the fate of the men he had ministered to for over three years. 

Honorary Captain Foote personally saved many lives by his efforts and his example inspired all around him. Those who observed him state that the calmness of this heroic officer, as he walked about, collecting the wounded on the fire-swept beach will never be forgotten. (3)

That year, John Weir Foote was transported back to England to be presented with the Victoria Cross by King George VI. This award remains the highest military honor of Commonwealth nations. In an interview back home, he said this of his heroic action: “I simply did my job as I saw it. It was a very ordinary piece of work.” (1)

By 1948, he had left the military with the rank of Major and went on to a career in politics as a member of the Ontario Legislature before retiring in 1959. John Weir Foote died on May 2, 1988 and was buried with full military honors.

SUMMARY

Heroism is taking responsibility for others in extreme situations beyond all reasonable expectations of service. Although heroes are born in adversity, their altruistic service isn’t a one-time event. Their lives are characterized by a lifetime of selfless choices, putting others’ welfare first, often at great risk and personal cost. John Foote boarded a boat bound for disaster, despite having every reason to stay back. His exploits of bravery were an inspiration to the men he cared for on the bloody shores of occupied France. Shunning the opportunity to escape, he continued to serve, encourage, and shepherd his flock through three years in a prisoner camp.

Eighty years later, John Weir Foote, the burly military chaplain from Canada, is still a potent example of courage and selflessness that we should all aspire to imitate. 

© D. B. Ryen Incorporated, May 2026.

References and Quotes:

1. “Every man, carry a man!” Bite Size Canada. December 1, 2019. Accessed online at May 2026 at tkmorin.wordpress.com/2019/12/01/every-man-carry-a-man/

2. McDevitt, Neale. “Reverend John Weir Foote: The hero of the Dieppe Raid”. McGill Reporter, August 16, 2017. Accessed online at reporter.mcgill.ca/reverend-john-weir-foote-the-hero-of-dieppe/

3. Department of National Defence (Canada). “Victoria Cross Citation: Honorary Captain John Weir Foote, Canadian Chaplain Services”. The London Gazette. February 14, 1946. Accessed online at www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37466/supplement/941

4. The Town of Coburg. “John Weir Foote VC – Dieppe Hero”. November 10, 2022. Accessed online at www.cobourg.ca/media/w3zlpa4f/john-weir-foote.pdf

5. Duffy, Andrew. “Dieppe at 75: Remembering the Canadian chaplain who earned a Victoria Cross”. Ottawa Sun, August 18, 2017. Accessed online at https://ottawasun.com/2017/08/18/dieppe-at-75-remembering-the-canadian-chaplain-who-earned-a-victoria-cross