The raid on Dieppe on 19th August 1942 involved about 10,500 Allied troops, almost half of them (c. 5,000) were from the Canadian Armed Forces, including James McAvoy by then a temporary Company Sergeant Major with the South Saskatchewan Regiment. It was a disastrous operation, militarily and in casualty numbers. The Canadians had a casualty rate of 68% (killed, wounded or taken prisoner). Initially, James McAvoy was listed as "Missing" for several weeks until his body washed up on the beach at Fort-Mahon-Plage (Somme) to the north of Dieppe. James was first buried nearby beside the church at Quend-Plage and after the war, 13th September 1945, was re-interred at the Calais Canadian War Cemetery, Leubringhen (Somme, France).