Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Corporal

Unit:

No. 52 (Middle East) Commando, Combined Operations Headquarters, War Office, British Government

Awarded on:

September 24th, 1942

Citation:
"Cpl. COUTTS was captured at SPHAKIA on 1.6.41, moved to MALEME and then to SALONIKA. There were escapes nearly every day. The morning after a succesfull escape would be spent by the remainder on parade in the sun. Those caught escaping were not seen again.

One night the Germans decided to prevent any escapes by crowding the prisoners into the centre of the camp.

This suited the plans that Cpl. COUTTS and others had made that afternoon. They had noticed the opening of a sewer in the centre of the camp and had seen that is was wide enough for a mn to crawl through. A Greek worman promised to take off the lid of another opening several hundred yards from the camp as soon as it was dark. They blocked the pipe from the latrines to the sewer and turned on all the taps there and in the wash-house and left them on all afternoon.

The fact that all the P/W had been pushed by the sentries to the centre of the camp provided an excuse for theire presence by the sewer opening, and COUTTS and seven others climbed down and crawled along. It took them two hours. Cpl. COUTTS is broadly built and twice stuck in particulary narrow spots. The artificial washing down they had given it made a considerable difference to the conditions, but even so two of them passed out as soon as they reached the opening and fresh air. They waited till they came round and then split up into parties of two and three.

Cpl. COUTTS joined Cpl. WARD and Tpr. NICHOLAS. They knocked at the door of a house and were taken in. From there they gradually made their way down to AGION OROS peninsula, going north first to LANGADAS and then down trough EVANGELISMOS and ZAGLIVERI receiving food and shelter wherever they stoppped.

Tpr. NICHOLAS got malaria badly and trough weakness and lack of medical attention died 7.10.41.

Cpl COUTTS and Cpl WARD stole a boat near SMERNA and made for IMBROS. Ten miles away bad weather forced them to go back. The effort was too much for Ward who died on 10.11.41.

Cpl. COUTTS spent most of the winter in a hut he built on the hills. With Spring his strength began to return and he joined up with Lt. THOMAS and Cpl. PEACOCK in April.

On 5th April they got a boat at KLEPHTIKON and sailed for EMBROS(?). Bad wetaher forced them to go back. On 16th April they tried again from NEA SKETE, but had to return as round the point a strong light was heard and they heard voices.

They were joined by 2 Cypriots and a Greek Officer on 2.5.42. and on the same day Pte. THEODOROS GEORGIOU, No. 4230, 232 Coy. R.A.S.C., who has been recommended for a D.C.M.) reached them. On 4.5.42 they left with him and arrived TURKEY on 6.5.42.

Cpl. COUTTS not only did an excellent escape, but in spite of the death of his two companions - which must have been hard blowns to bear - his frustrated attempt to reach TURKEY and his own personal weakness, he struggled on in GREECE alone. Finally with L/Cpl. PEACOCK and Lt. THOMAS he made two more attempts to reach TURKEY and only just failed owing to bad weather. He escaped thanks to sheer dogged courage."

LG 35715/4158

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lance-Sergeant

Unit:

Hallamshire Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, 146th Infantry Brigade, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, British Army

Awarded on:

December 21st, 1944

LG 36850/5857

Second MM awarded as a bar for on the ribbon of the first MM.