Local veteran fondly remembered by many

By Mark Ribble

KINGSVILLE — For Mary-Maureen and Jay Atkin, the week of Remembrance Day brings memories flooding back of Mary-Maureen’s father, Maurice Snook.

Even 10 years after Maurice passed away, the memories of his countless stories, infectious smile and larger-than-life presence, comfort them as they prepare for another Remembrance Day without him.

Maurice Snook was born in Cowplain, England, on November 5, 1918. His family moved to Canada a year later, where they settled on a farm behind the Jack Miner property in Kingsville. Eventually moving to Windsor, Maurice joined the Windsor Essex Scottish Militia and then joined the Essex Scottish Regiment, lying about his age because he was still too young to serve.

He met his young soon-to-be bride, Mary Linsley — who had also immigrated from England as a child — and proposed to her prior to leaving for overseas.

Sergeant Major Maurice Snook was part of the ill-fated raid on Dieppe, France on August 19, 1942, which was known as Operation Jubilee. He was one of the youngest officers and was in command of the C Company of the Essex Scottish, who landed on Red Beach that fateful morning.

Sergeant Major Maurice Snook on a visit to Dieppe in 2006. Maurice asked Jay to wheel him down to the wall, into the exact spot that he and his troops were pinned down by sniper fire on that fateful day in August, 1942.

He was taken prisoner and held as a prisoner of war for the remainder of the war, when he was liberated in the spring of 1945. He returned home and married his waiting fiancé in July of that year. The pair lived in Leamington, Ruthven and Kingsville, where they raised their family.

Maurice retired after 41 years at Heinz Canada, but continued to host the company Christmas party for 63 years.

He often told his daughter about his experience at Dieppe and how the Essex Scottish was cut down upon their ascent up the beach. Of the 553 Essex Scottish soldiers that landed on Red Beach, only 51 returned safely to England that day. The rest were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Maurice was one of the prisoners.

On August 19, 2006, Maurice, along with Mary-Maureen and Jay, was able to visit the cemetery where those that perished that day are buried. There was a new monument dedicated to the Essex Scottish and Maurice was able to be there for the unveiling. The trio joined a contingent of Canadian officials, veterans and family members to commemorate the monument, which was erected on Red Beach.

The trip to the monument and cemetery was an emotional one for Maurice, who spent a few solemn moments sitting at the exact spot where he and his comrades were pinned down by sniper fire exactly 64 years prior.

“It was an emotional and special trip for all of us,” said Mary-Maureen last week. “You could see that dad was thinking about his friends the whole time.”

Maurice recounted a story about when they were pinned down and he saw the sniper fire coming from the end of the pier just west of Red Beach. Sure they were goners, he told his men to play dead as the sniper was picking them off one-by-one.

Fortunately, the Calgary Tanks had arrived and took out the sniper’s nest, saving the regiment.

“Dad credits the men in that tank for saving his life that day,” says Mary-Maureen.

Maurice did survive, but spent the rest of the war as a prisoner as the Germans rounded up anyone left on the beach.

Maurice Snook visiting the cemetery in Dieppe, France. He took the time to visit as many of his fallen Essex Scottish comrades as he could find. Here, he gives a nod to Private Everett McCormick of Leamington, who died in the raid.

The Dieppe raid was supposed to be a surprise attack, but a German U-boat in the English Channel saw the Canadians coming and warned the German troops about the attack. Instead, the raid turned into one of the deadliest in history for the Canadians.

As they were marched off the beach, many of the soldiers were stripped down and taken to the casino at the top of the beach, where a makeshift hospital was put up. The prisoners were then transported by cattle car to Stalag 8B in Lamsdorf, Poland, where Maurice and dozens of other Canadian soldiers spent the rest of the war.

“Dad and his fellow POWs were shackled for 11 straight months at one point,” said Mary-Maureen. “It was in retaliation for a temporary restraint of German soldiers that were taken at Dieppe.”

Maurice brought those shackles home with him and also filled his suitcase with rocks from Red impeded the travel of the tanks up the beach on that fateful day and probably contributed to the casualties.

Maurice had also returned in 2002 for the 60th anniversary of the raid and took a suitcase full of small wooden crosses that he had made for the men in his company, carefully placing one on each gravesite.

“The French citizens love the Canadians for what they did that day,” said Mary-Maureen.

That’s evident by the parades and celebrations on August 19 every year in the Ville De Dieppe.

Maurice Snook holds a copy of the Montreal Daily Star proclaiming the end of the Second World War as his daughter Mary-Maureen and her husband Jay look on.

Photos courtesy of Mary-Maureen and Jay Atkin

For Mary-Maureen and Jay, this time of year brings solemn memories of Maurice but also bring a great sense of pride as they know the sacrifices made by he and his comrades greatly contributed to the liberation of smaller European countries and the freedoms we enjoy here today.

Later in life, Maurice Snook was instrumental in the creation of the Kingsville Military Museum and could often be seen during school tours, revelling in telling his stories to the kids.

The stories and memories are what connect us to these veterans and with so few veterans remaining, it’s important for families to keep telling them.

That’s a challenge that Jay and Mary-Maureen Atkin gladly accept.