Glenn Dodsworth Dickin of the Regina Rifles, Canadian Third Division, was killed on D-Day. Ten Days to D-Day, a book, and now a film, both feature his story. The author is David Stafford, a Canadian, currently at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, Dept. of Military Studies. The photos below were generously sent by Mr. Dickin's niece who also wrote the accompanying text.

Photos below are of Glenn Dodsworth Dickin, 1944; Glenn with troops; and during a presentation in England

These are some of the notes I have written following my discovery several years ago, of over 100 of Glenn Dickin’s letters home to his family after his enlistment.

--Dolores Hatch

I grew up never knowing my uncle Glenn, one of my father’s six brothers. He was a soldier-in-training in England when I was born. He didn’t return home from the War. His official photo in uniform hung on our living room wall and also had a prominent place in the homes of all his other brothers and his three sisters.

Glenn Dodsworth Dickin was born in Manor, Saskatchewan on Jan. 20, 1922 to early pioneers of the Manor district, George Dodsworth Dickin and Martha Amelia Dickin (nee Christopher). He was the last of their eleven children, ten of whom lived to adulthood. The two eldest were born near the end of the previous century in 1898 and 1899. Three were in their twenties and had started having children of their own by the time Glenn arrived in the family.

The Dickin family had a tradition of military service. His brothers Donald and Fred served overseas in WWI, Donald serving again in Canada in WWII performing duties such as the transport and guarding of German POWs. Two more brothers, Claude and Ferriday served in the air force. A brother-in-law William R. Irwin was in the air force during both world wars.

Glenn attended Manor School, where his brother George joined the teaching staff in 1935 and became his teacher. Their father died when Glenn was fifteen in 1937 during lean times. The family had cows so Glenn, an excellent student, delivered milk in the village before school. He was about 5 feet, 10 inches tall with a sturdy, stocky build, had blonde hair, blue eyes and handsome features. He was physically fit and excelled in a number of sports during his high school years. He was an active and respected young man within his community.

He completed Grade 12 in 1940 and immediately joined up to fight in World War II. After enlisting in the army with his Manor friends Gordon Brown and Harold (Dutchy) Doerr, employment was arranged for them by Gordon’s uncle in Port Robinson, Ontario. Although Dutchy was not able to serve due to a perforated eardrum, the three traveled east together with little cash between them to await the call for Glenn and Gordon to rejoin the South Saskatchewan Regiment, later the Regina Rifles. They were recalled on June 25, 1941.

They were the best of friends throughout their years of training, which took them to several locations in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia. Both qualified for officer’s training and excelled in their courses, Glenn coming first in the class with Gordon a very close second. Glenn’s military records show “‘A’ in Reliability, Leadership, Sense of Responsibility and Group value.”

Glenn and Gordon sailed for England to join the Regina Rifles as replacements on June 15, 1942 and after some tense times at sea arrived safely on June 24th. Their training continued in a number of locations in England until the launching of the Normandy campaign. Eventually they were assigned to different companies and their paths crossed less often. They tried to arrange leave at the same time whenever possible. On several occasions they spent their leaves relaxing and being treated to real home-cooked meals, fresh eggs and milk at Aston Farm, the home of Glenn’s uncle Frank Dickin and his family. They remained in England until disembarking at different times on Juno Beach at Courselles-sur-mer, France on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Both survived the initial landing and they were overjoyed and relieved to meet by chance along a roadway.

Only hours later Glenn Dickin and two others in his Regina Rifle B company were killed instantly by mortar fire just outside the church in the village of Fontaine-Henry. He was twenty-two. A geo-memorial, Dickin Island in Saskatchewan is named in his memory. Glenn’s short life is featured in two books, Look to Your Front Regina Rifles (2001) and David Stafford’s Ten Days to D-Day (2003), and in the docudrama of the same name (2004, 3BM television/The History Channel).

Gordon Brown distinguished himself as an excellent leader and officer to the end of the war. He co-authored Look to your Front Regina Rifles with Canadian military historian, Terry Copp.