WINDSOR, Ont. — Six Second World War veterans and about 55 onlookers gathered Saturday for a ceremony commemorating the 64th anniversary of the raid on Dieppe in this southern Ontario city.

Meanwhile in France, another Windsor contingent of veterans and their families and politicians were to be on-hand to see a replacement monument for the ill-fated battle on the Dieppe beaches in which hundreds of Canadians were killed.

The replacement monument was designed by a University of Windsor student because the old monument, erected in 1992, was falling apart from exposure to salty sea air.

In Windsor, they stood on the grass in front of a replica statue of the replacement monument, this one honouring the 553 Essex Scottish Regiment soldiers who landed on the beach in France on Aug. 19, 1942.

At the end of fighting that day, 105 Essex Scottish Regiment soldiers were dead.

Of the roughly 5,000 Canadians who embarked on the disastrous operation, more than 900 died and nearly 2,000 were captured as prisoners of war.

After the haunting wail of bagpipes and staccato notes of a horn, Dieppe veteran Charles Large was aided by two military reservists in laying a wreath in front of the statue in Windsor.

Large said he has not been back to Dieppe since he was captured by German soldiers in the basement of a house in the French village in 1942.

He said he was disappointed he couldn't go back this summer but, like many of the regiment veterans, said he didn't go because he didn't have the stamina.

"I knew I couldn't stand the 10-day bus trip," said Large, 88.

"I've been over there two or three times already," said Martin Pfeifer, 80. "I'm getting too old to walk."

After the 30 minute ceremony, attendees shuffled across the street into a room for a slide show of pictures received by e-mail from the travellers on the Dieppe tour. Regiment Maj. Mark Douglas had phoned his colleagues in France and gave the audience an update on the monument dedication ceremony that took place at 1 p.m. France time Saturday.

"It's a very clean, simple, unique monument," Douglas said. "I think we can be proud of it."