Cornell Walter Leslie 4455279
Personnel Entry
Name Cornell Walter Leslie
Army number 4455279
Rank
Decorations Military Medal - awarded for actions with the 86th Field Regiment (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) in North West Europe. For citation see below.
Date of birth Born 2/10/1907 in New Kyo, County Durham.
Age 83 at the time of his death.
Unit Enlisted in The Durham Light Infantry - 2nd May 1939. Posted to the 8th Battalion DLI. Posted to the 11th Battalion DLI - probably 1/9/1939 on embodiment. Posted 13th (Home Defence) Battalion DLI 2/11/1939. Transferred to the Royal Artillery 27/11/1942. Underwent Artillery training. Trained as a Medical Orderly. Posted to the 86th Field Regiment - date not yet known. Served Normandy. Posted 46 Reinforcement Holding unit 7/8/1945. Posted Y List BAOR 9/9/1945. Granted Y Release 11/9/1945. Returned to the UK. Demobilised. Relegated to Class Z Reserve 23/11/1945. Discharged from the Reserve under TA Regulations 1936 Section 204 para 6a on re-enlistment. Re-Enlisted in the 8th Battalion DLI (TA) 2/9/1948.
Company/Battery 11th DLI - Company not yet known. 341 Field Battery, Royal Artillery.
Platoon or other sub-unit Not yet known.
Task or role Not known but probably Rifleman in the DLI. Medical Orderly in the Royal Artillery.
Joined Brigade 1/9/1939.
Promotions None known.
Wounded Not yet known.
Prisoner of War
Died/Killed in action Died Durham April 1991.
Home address Resident of Stanley in 1980. Father John George Cornell (1880 - 1948). Mother Alice Hardy/Hughes (1878 - ?). Married Keziah Winifred Alderson (1908 - 1992) in Lanchester June 1929.
Source table PBM
The Citation for Gunner Cornell's Military Medal is as follows:-
Gnr. Cornell landed on the beaches of Normandy very early on "D" Day as medical orderly with 341 Fd. Bty. R.A. Throughout the whole campaign in N.W.Europe, his zeal and efficiency have been beyond all praise. He has on very many occasions tended the wounded under heavy fire and on each occasion he has shown a complete disregard for his own safety. On 3 Aug 44 near JORCQUES 341 Fd.Bty. R.A. became engaged in an open-sight duel with a Panther Tank at a range of 1400 yards. In this action the Bty. suffered many casualties, but, in spite of extremely accurate fire with H.E. from the Panther, Gnr. Cornell, without cover and quite fearlessly, went from gun to gun tending the wounded and cheering them with infectious good humour. On 3 Sep 44 whilst in action at the ESCAUT CANAL the Bty. position was bombed for about forty minutes and again Gnr. Cornell by completely disregarding all danger to himself was able to give immediate help to the wounded and thereby materially assist in saving their lives. On these and other occasions Gnr Cornell showed bravery of an order far beyond the calls of duty and was an inspiration to his comrades.
The Citation was put forward by the Regimental Commander on 19/7/1945, endorsed by the Corps Commander Royal Artillery and further endorsed by Lieutenant General B.J, Horrocks, the Commander of 30 Corps on 24/10/1945. The Award was gazetted on 24/1/1946.
Thanks are due to Tom Tunney for additional information about this soldier and to resources found on Ancestry.co.uk.
