Award MiD Pte. P. Cormack, 1st Bn Black Watch of Canada (France)

Award Mentioned in Despatches Pte. Peter Cormack, 1st Bn Black Watch of Canada, Royal Highlander Regiment 2nd Canadian Division (D81507)

WO 373/63/7

M.I9/S/P.G.(F) 2400​

Left: FRANCE, 3rd September 1944
Arrived: U.K. 5 September 44.
Date of Birth: 17th October 1918
Peacetime Profession: Radio Repairs.
Private Adress: 7441, Stuart Avenue, Montreal
Army Service: Since 14th September 1939

1. CAPTURE.

On the morning of 27th July 1944 I proceeded to ST. ANDRE (FRANCE, 1:250,00, Sheet 8, U06) to pick up and look for casualties of my Battalion who were missing froma two-day battle on that area. With me was Lieut. COOK (of my unit) and also Pte. PICKUP, a medical orderly. I was the driver of a 15-cwt. truck.

We drove into ST. ANDRE and turned into a farmyard. On the way I remarked to Lieut. COOK that I thought we were going too far into the town, as I did not see any of our troops in the area, but he replied that all was well. We had parked the truck and proceeded into the farm when I noticed a German in a building. Lieut. COOK opened fire on him with a Bren gun. This drew the fire of four German machine gins and we were surrounded. Lieut. COOK was killed by their fire and PICKUP and myself were taken prisoner. At the same time a jeep with four Regt de Maisonneuve soldiers drove into the down and they were also taken prisoner.

We were all taken to a point about eight miles behind the lines. From there we were taken in trucks to an assembly area for prisoners. There were 200 prisoners there. I stayed at his camp for five days until 1st August. The food was very bad. On 1st August we were sent to a larger camp inland, at which there were about a thousand troops. I was here until 4th August and was then sent for one day to a large camp at CHARTRES (N.W. EUROPE, 1:250,000, Sheet 7, R30).

2. ESCAPE.

On 5th August we were put on a train for GERMANY. On 6th August we were given water, but on the two following days we were given none. The situation was desperate. The air in the train was bad, as there were 50 men in our box-car. We broke open two small windows on the night of 8th August, from which 10 of us managed to escape while the train was in motion. We all dropped off at different places. An American, Tex GRANT, was with me.

We headed S.W. for about 10 miles and slept in a hay ;eft that night. Next morning (9th August) we met two more of the escapers – Pte. GIBSON, of my unit, and Sgt. Carol WHITE, of the American Air Force. A farmer then gave us a young lad to escort us to a farm four miles away, where we could hide out. We were given civilian clothes and our uniforms were taken away. We stayed on this farm, which was near the main highway from PARIS to CHATEAU THIERRY, for two weeks.

On 21st August we were raided by the Germans. There were Maquis also on this farm, which was meeting place for them. GIBSON and I escaped into the woods, where we met an Algerian. Tex GRANT was left behind and I do not know what happened to him ort to the others. GIBSON, the Algerian and I travelled till night-fall and slept and ate at a far, near LA FERTE GAUCHER (Sheet 9, S72). The following morning (22nd August) we moved onto a point beyond LA FERTE GAUCHER and stayed at a farm there. During the day we became separated from GIBSON and the Algerian and I did not see GIBSON until I arrived in LONDON. We proceed across country for two days until we arrived beyond COULMIER (Sheet 9, T63) where we stayed with a farm for two days. We then moved on as we did not feel safe there.

ON 26th August we contacted a Resistance group who put us up for the night and we were questioned by their leader, who was English. During the night the American Third Army shelled the area and we had to get into a shelter. On 27th August the Americans came through. Carol WHITE and I then worked our way back to CHARTRES on American trucks and from there I was taken to BAYEUX. I reported to a British Major in CHARTRES.

WO 373/63/171