A retired central Newfoundland farmer who helped liberate Dieppe in 1944 was surprised to learn he will soon be recognized with one of France's highest honours.

Frank Borland received a letter from French President Jacques Chirac informing him he would receive the Legion of Honour.
(CBC)

" 'Tis quite an honour," said Frank Borland, 81, the last surviving member of a unit that prevented an air strike on Dieppe.

"I suppose if I think too much on it, my hat won't fit me in a few weeks' time," he told CBC News with a chuckle.

Borland learned this month — via a letter from French President Jacques Chirac — that he will receive the Legion of Honour.

Borland, known for years by his nickname, Jiggs, was 18 when he fought with the Canadian Army in Europe.

When his unit reached Dieppe, German troops had already fled and local people were celebrating.

Allied commanders, however, did not know that, and were in the midst of preparing an air strike.

Borland, who had been sent out on scouting missions during his tour of duty, was left scrambling to get his superiors to call the air strike off.

"We had to convince the generals' staff that [German soldiers] were gone. The generals weren't going to cancel this air raid based on just a couple of fellas saying, 'No, there's nobody there,' " he said.

Bombers already in flight

When the assault was finally cancelled, Allied planes were already in the air and mere minutes away from unloading bombs on Dieppe.

'I suppose if I think too much on it, my hat won't fit me in a few weeks' time'—Frank Borland

Dieppe was liberated nearly three months after the D-Day invasion, and two years after a bloody, fruitless battle that killed thousands of soldiers.

Borland knew his actions saved the day, but the incident faded from his memory, particularly given the other battles he subsequently faced.

Borland worked as a scout with the Canadian Army during the Second World War.
(CBC)

That changed when he revisited Dieppe about a decade ago.

"The amazing thing was, [to] the civilians, when we'd go back to these places, they'd remember us. We don't remember them," said Borland, who lives near Botwood, in central Newfoundland.

"Because [to us] it was just another day of the battle, 11 months of it, whereas to the civilian, it was the day."

Last survivor of nine-member unit

Borland has made 11 trips back to France, to visit battle sites and to honour lost comrades.

Borland — the last remaining survivor among his nine-member unit — does not know when he will receive the award, and is modest about the circumstances that led to it.

"There was no heroism in it," he said. "We were doing our job."