Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Corporal

Unit:

"A" Company, 1st Battalion The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's), 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, Canadian Army

Recommendation:
K.57071 Corporal (Acting Sergeant) MacDonald, Albert Ernest, 1st battalion Canadian Scottish Regiment, on the night of 15 October 1944 in the area of Eede, Holland, distinguished himself when his unit was held up by strong enemy resistance on the Leopold Canal South of Eede.
Corporal (Acting Sergeant) MacDonald, Albert Ernest, took a recce patrol of 2 men to the village of Eede to ascertain the strength of the enemy there. Having obtained the information, he sent the men back with it and decided to investigate the strength of the enemy in a pillbox at m.r. 000018 (Zeebruge-Bruge sheet), as he knew that this pillbox was holding up the advance of his unit. Up to this time the exact location of the pillbox was not known. He moved cautiously to the approximate area and eventually noticed a clump of bushes, which he felt might be hiding a pillbox. As he approached it he was fired on by machine guns and hand grenades were thrown at him. Having pinpointed the enemy satisfactorily, he found that he was cut off to such an extent that he could not return by any other route than the canal. He crawled to the canal bank, jumped in the water and swam down the canal until he reached a spot which gave him sufficient cover from the enemy to enable him to walk. With valuable information he arrived back at Battalion Headquarters, which enabled the pillbox to be destroyed the following day, and the battalion to advance.
This is only one of the many successful patrols undertaken by Corporal (Acting Sergeant) MacDonald, Albert Ernest. He has never yet returned from a patrol without having first obtained the information he was sent out to gain.