Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant

Unit:

61st Heavy Regiment R.A., Headquarters, Eighth Army, 15th Army Group, Allied Force Headquarters (AFHQ), Allied Forces

Awarded on:

October 18th, 1945

Citation:
"On April 12th the 7.2" How Battery to which Lieutenant CORNES belongs was ordered to prepare a position within 1500 yards of the enemy. With his recce party this Officer went forward and chose the position. Much work had to be done to build gun platforms in damp ground and the enemy shelling was persistent. Time was short but by great personal activity and Enterprise Lieutenant CORNES got the work done and his keenness and personal indifference made all ranks work fast and disregard the shelling.

Towards the end two men were hit and a truck damaged. Lieutenant CORNES at once went to help evacuate the wounded and personally extinguished the truck which had started to burn.

The Command Post then received a direct hit. Lieutenant CORNES at once ran there, extinguished the fire and reorganised the place.

That night when the guns were coming in, the tannoy loudspeaker wires were cut by shell fire. Lieutenant CORNES was first out, passing orders to the guns and seeing to the repair of the wires.

Later the same night the Battery had a 3 hours H.F. programme to fire and at the same time 200 rounds per gun were being dumped. When this was not quite half completed the enemy started harassing the area with heavy artillery - many craters obstructed the vehicles delivering the ammunition and things became very difficult. Leaving his assistant to run the command post Lieutenant CORNES went out, organised the traffic control, went round the guns to see that they were keeping to the programme and by his cheerful and energetic example kept everyone's mind on the business in hand so that the battery fired its task successfully, ammunition was dumped according to plan and vehicles were sorted out and got away as soon as possible.

This officer always managed to be handy wherever there is danger or difficulty."