Dieppe Raid POW Receives Aunt's Letter, 67 Years Later

Calgary Herald - AB, Canada

Herald News Services
Published: Monday, January 12, 2009

Ron Beal finally received a letter this weekend sent to him by his aunt 67 years ago while he was serving as a private during the Second World War.

Ivy Cordeaux sent the letter to her nephew from London, England, on Aug. 22, 1942, three days after he and his colleagues from the Royal Regiment of Canada took part in the Dieppe Raid, one of the most disastrous Canadian operations of the war. The letter was returned to sender marked "Missing," but Cordeaux never got it back.

By that time, Beal, now 87, was a prisoner of war.

In November last year, the letter resurfaced on eBay, spotted by Capt. Peter Boyle, another former member of the Royal Regiment of Canada.

When the letter came up for sale by a stamp collector in England, Boyle's memory stirred.

In 2002, he had led a group of cadets to Dieppe for events marking the 60th anniversary of the raid, while Beal had attended the commemorations in his role as president of the Dieppe Veterans and War Prisoners Association.

After confirming that this was the Beal to whom the letter was addressed, Boyle asked the seller to remove the item from the auction. But the vendor refused and Boyle decided to bid instead.

On Saturday, in the officers mess at the regiment's Toronto headquarters, Boyle handed over the letter himself, still sealed.