PIGOTT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LIMITED ENGINEERS AND CONTRACTORS PIGOTT BUILDING HAMILTON, CANADA October 22nd, 1942 Mr, Jas. T. Faichney, c/o Atlas Steels Job, P.0. Box 64, Welland, Ontario Dear Jim: Enclosed herewith is copy of a letter I received from Bill Dean, I am sure you will be interested in reading it. By the way, you knew, of course, that he received the Military Medal and I sent hima cable on behalf of the men of our company and myself. This letter was written vefore he got that cable. I will probably have another letter from him soon. ours very trulSunday, 13th Sept., 1942 A/R.S.Me W. J, Dean R-HL I. Dear lr. Pigott: Sorry I did not answer your last letter but we have been pretty busy. Coming back from Dieppe, Capt. Whitaker and myself were uneasy about Joe but "Oh Boy" when we heard he was safe, well I hed an extra drink of army issue rum. He is now 'tops' and is in command of the carrier plat- oon and will be Captain. A lerge percentage of our carrier platoon came back, so Joe has @ lot of “tried and found true" N.C.0."s to back him up, so rest assured the carriers will remain the ace bren carriers in the Canadian Army. Capt. Whitaker had the role of 0.C. protection platoon on the Casino Beach and Joe was 0.C. our detachment on Brigade role with the “machines” and crews, whilst the protection platoon was dis- mounted. I was liaigon between the command group and proteot- ive platoon. Was with Col. Labatt, Major MoLaren, Capt. Poag at 11.25aM and as the Colonel gave the order to evacuate, I was on the left flank and Major MoLaren gave me a shout *to come on Sergt.-Major we are pulling out". I don't know what it was that told me to or instructed me to, but I took an exit in the opposite way to the command post and found myself on the veach with the marine connandos, who were preparing to stem the German counter attack, I lay on their right flank and in less than 10 minutes they broke and I could see the R.H.L.I. form up on the beach. I Joined them. The navy started to come in and our craft were dive-bombed but suff- feient got through. The second wave came in and we made for a craft. The remaining commandos got on another craft, which later got blown out of the water. We were dive-bombed’and machine-gunned and cannon-shelled. Our craft started to fill. Capt. Whitaker shouted "bale her out boys". I shouted "trim the damned ship, get 'aft'*, so I knew he was aboard and he knew I was. A craft known as support landing craft came along- side. Only 10 of us boarded her. A T.L.C. came alongside and the remaining unwounded and wounded got aboard, took the sink- ing craft in tow with her dead etc. and we put out to sea. We transferred from S.L.C. to motor launch. We went back towards the bay four or five times, guns spitting fire at the Hun air- craft. Was attacked by 'E! boats, missed one torpedo. After all this I again met Capt. Whitaker and the "H.Q." Company boys and it transpired he followed me aboard the 3.1.0. and M.L, We were both unwounded - don't know why. Was bare headed from the first 1$ on the beach - looked like as if he had just finished a game of ball, but still ready to go to a touchdown, Had two wounded as stretcher cases - an officer by name of Mr, Dick end a Pte. Rowlands. I-2- fished him out of the water when we boarded the H.l.C, and carried him along with me on our two subsequent transfers. He now calls me "Pop". Did not know who he was but I saw his cross braces of his equipment and caught him by them and turned him over to see if he was alive. I recognized him as I had seen him wounded early on in the morning by mortar fire. Same shell blew me off my feet, so remembered him, His nerves were gone by the time I got him in the motor launch. Mr. Dick pleaded with me on the 9.1.0, to see him through. He told the Ship's Officer - "the Sergt. Major is as strong as e bull and is ship-wise."I got one hold of the line thrown to us from the motor launch and believe me I pulled like George Hat-rack and Ken McLeod; only difference was I was equal to both of A/M at that mom- ent, as I felt strong actually. We met up with Joe as we landed and we felt easier in our minds, A few days later we had our photos taken during a press conference, 80 no doubt Joe will forward the group to you, The other fellow in it is C.S.M, Stewart from Ham- ilton ~ just a young man but a smart W.0. I understand Mr. Pigott you have a hard job ahead of you, or actually by this time performed it, that is to say, contacting the folks left behind of our deceased officers, Joe told me that you were doing so and Mr Pigott. Our officers were all the cream of the Canadian Corps. I have been told that in our officers’ m there existed an entirely different esperit de corps between members as found in any other regiment in the Canadian Forces. This information came from one of our own Brigade unit officers, and, coming from him, I accepted it, as this same unit used to pride themselves in their social relations vetween senior and junior officers in their me: Was with Major MoLaren when he and I were the only two on the beach unwounded and we were still being swept with 'hot' machine gune fire. It was on my suggestion that he got through the wire whilst I covered one ‘nest’ and I followed him to make our observations and report to Col. Iabatt in his forward command post. We went twice to the Casino and forward defences acquired from the Hun, kept the command post acquainted. I crawled amongst 3 radio sets and dead signallers until I found 1 set, i signaller, 1 navy lamp and a naval signeller and sent them forward to the command post. To say at the last twenty or thirty minutes I should be the only remaining member of this group to come out alive is all beyond me Mir. Pigott. It was a "sense" or an Act of God that instructed me. Had I only known their intentions it might have been different, but again it might not, but I knew the dangers of leaving the same way as we entered, as it was ‘hot! as I pulled in there and I was lestaaa man to enter the position and all watched me make it and spoke to me as I continued on to the left flank to carry on more observation. The signa} lamp and messages to and from the navy laying off was sufficient to bring heavy fire on us as we left there to evacuate, Some say Herb. Poag and Major MeLaren got hit at the wire going back. ‘The remainder, the Sgt. of Intelligence and Signallers with F.0.0, and a Corporal Jones of R.A.P. (medical orderly) could have been wounded.there too. All I can say is they were all well and unwounded at 11.25 A.M. and confident at getting back safe after the evacuation. No one so far can say hing else than that the offi and men I refer to are missing, as officially reported. It was three or four days before the re- action started on me. I found then that the best thing was to be alone. Was in Scotland then and I stayed at a hotel in Dunfries. All around Dunfries were my brothers and sisters on farms, The day and evening previous I visited with them and maybe they were hurt when I un- folded ay plans to stay there instead of with them. Next day I slipped quietly away back to London and my unit. Well, Mr. Pigott, I must close. This is not a letter - its a manuscript. Sufficient to say Joe came back as also Denny Whitaker, and when we are required to go over again to meet the ‘Hun! (if he stays to meot us) both of them will return again, as likewise I will. Best regards to all Dean Tell Jim Faichney that young Jack Brabbs (his neighbour's poy) and I met on the Beach as we were evacuating and I told him "Jack, dig you devil dig" and he kept working his feet and legs in the shingle. He is in hospital wounded, and a good Corporal too.