Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Gunner

Unit:

96th Battery, 5th Anti-Tank Regiment, 4th Canadian Armoured Division, Canadian Army

Awarded on:

December 9th, 1944

Recommendation:
The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and the Lincoln & Welland Regiments secured and for two days held a small bridgehead on the East side of the canal at Moerbrugge, during which time a bridge was built. The bridgehead was limited in depth to about 300 yards due to by mortar and MG fire. Gunner Patrick, was a member of a 17-pounder M-10 gun crew, which with two tanks of the 29th Canadian Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment crossed the bridge at 0700 hours, 10 September, 1944. After the M-10 had shot up several suspected enemy positions, the actual locations of the enemy positions became hard to estimate
accurately due to poor visibility and fog. Gunner Patrick requested permission to go ahead on foot and carry out a reconnaissance to locate enemy positions. Despite the enemy fire, he succeeded in getting into the middle of an enemy machine gun position and there opened fire with his LMG. His daring attack completely surprised the enemy, who totalled three officers, and 52 other ranks into surrender and cleared out a strong point which had pinned the infantry down for approximately two days. The extension of the bridgehead was due in large part to the daring of this gunner.