53 more severe than he realized. By this time, swelling from his burns closed his left eye shut. Bennett could only see by lifting his left eyelid with his fingers. It didn’t matter much now anyway, the withdraw order came through and all remaining tanks were ordered back onto the beach to support the evacuation of the infantry. Bellicose, still living up to its name, made its way onto the beach but was hit again this time in the tread which immobilized the tank. Unable to move but still able to fire, albeit in only one direction, the tank’s six-pounder gun happened to be aimed at an enemy machine gun position high on the western headland. Bellicose’s gunner took out the machine gun and continued firing until exhausting all the ammunition. For Bennett and his crew, the war was over. It became clear that no more landing craft were going to come to rescue those still stranded on the shore. Bennett, who must have been in agony with his face almost burned away and blinded in both eyes, still led his men. He told them that when the Germans come, “give only your name, rank and number.” 3 The Germans descended on the beach and groups of Canadians were rounded up marched through the streets of Dieppe into captivity. The more severely wounded, including Ed Bennett, were transported to l’hotel Dieu, a hospital in nearby Rouen, for treatment. There, the hospital’s order of St. Augustin nuns tended to the wounded… On the evening of the 19th of August…we received about fifty badly wounded Canadians from the landing at Dieppe – all were very young…all were very badly wounded….I especially remember one badly wounded on the face, horribly wounded…he suffered terribly, his eyes Sister Agnes. l’Hôtel-Dieu de Rouen, the hospital today. .
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