Warrant Officer Class 1 Harold Cornock

Family/Last name:
Cornock
Forename(s) and initial(s):
Harold
Nationality:
Service number:
7884197
Rank when captured:
Place of capture:
Egypt (possibly El Adem)
Date of capture:
6/6/1942
POW number:
82127
Camp
Medical Facility
Data sources
Other Sources (Relative's Report)

January 06, 2008          

From: Philip Cornock

My father, WO1 Harold Cornock, was POW here for 3 yrs and supervised the men in a coal mine. He died last March at 96. Was present on the death march when the Russians were coming to liberate.

From: Lynne Campbell

 

Date: 28 August 2016 at 08:37

Subject: List of Prisoners

My father was a prisoner at Lamsdorf for 3 years until released by the Americans at the end of the war.  His full name is Harold Cornick, and he was a Warrant Officer first class in The Royal Tank Core.  He passed away at the age of 96 in 2007 and told us the men had to work in a mine.  He had also planned to escape at some point but pulled out at the last moment.  However, the man who was going with him still tried to escape and was shot trying to get over the wire.  They left his body on the wire for some time as a deterrent to the rest of the prisoners. He built a crystal set radio that would fit into the size of a walnut to try to receive news of the war.

Lynne Campbell (Mrs) – daughter, born August 1946

_________________________________________

From: Brian Burgess 

Date: 17 April 2017 at 23:23

Subject: Details of a POW in Italy

Cc: PHILIP CORNOCK 

I have been asked by my mate in the U.S. to add his late Father’s details to your Italian POW camp list.

 Number, rank, name………..7884197 W.O.1st Class Cornock H (Harold) Royal Tank Corps

Unit…………………………………Attached to LAD 28 Field Regiment RA

Reported missing………………6/6/42 near El Adem.

Confirmed POW………………..29/7/42

Camp details………………………12/11/42 Camp 158 X1 Concentramento

                                    ??/12/42 Military hospital Caserta then camp 202 PM 3200

                                    16/7/43 82 PM 3200 then transferred to Stalag VIIIB  

                                    10/2/44 Stalag 344

 

Please find below a resume of Harold’s service life from which you can draw more details if required.

 Brian

 

7884197 WO1 Cornock H

Army Service Summary

03/07/1933 Enlisted at Army Recruiting Office Bristol as a Fitter in the Royal Tank Corps aged 22 Rank Private. Engagement 6 years with Colours and 6 years with Reserve.

05/07/1933 Posted Royal Tank Corps Depot Bovington.

09/05/1934 Posted 2 BN

13/11/1934 Posted 1 ACC (Armoured Car Company) India

04/12/1934 Arrived India on H.T. Nevasa

01/04/1936 Promoted Lance Corporal (Unpaid)

22/02/1937 Promoted Lance Corporal (Paid)

18/12/1937 Passed First Class (Group C) trade exam for Driver Mechanic at Ahmednagar 

01/01/1938 Posted Royal Tank Corps Depot Chaklala

21/04/1938 Promoted Corporal

22/04/1938 Mustered as D2 Mechanic Group C First Class (Course passed 18/12/1937)

12/02/1939 Extended period of service to 12 years at RTR Depot Kirkee. Rank Corporal, trade Driver Mechanic Group C first Class also shown as Driver and Fitter Instructor and employed as cadre instructor with 17/21st Lancers.

26/09/1939 Placed on unattached list (Effectively belonging to no particular unit, would love to know what cap badge he wore then) Transferred to RAC (Royal Armoured Corps) Ordnance Depot Chaklala and promoted Workshop Sergeant working in 1 AOC Workshops

31/01/1940 Passed Class 3 test for Fitter at Chaklala (But shown as Cpl on certificate?)

29/02/1940 Passed Class 2 test for Fitter at Chaklala (No certificate)

02/08/1940 Posted Base Ordnance Depot Lahore

19/08/1940 Listed as part of 1st Reinforcement 2nd Ech.

22/08/1940 Embarked Bombay for Sudan with HQ 2nd Echelon (1 AOC)

13/09/1940 Disembarked Port Sudan

17/10/1940 Promoted to Temporary Sub-Conductor (WO1)

27/11/1940 Temporary promotion cancelled posted to 40 Ordnance Workshops Section Sudan.

28/11/1940 Arrived 40 Ord W/S

01/01/1941 Posted 23(M) W/S Coy

14/01/1941 Posted 22 Ord (M) W/S Coy

01/06/1941 Posted LAD (Light Aid Detachment) 28 Field Regiment RA promoted Temporary Sub-Conductor WO1 (Substantive rank still Workshop Sergeant)

06/06/1942 Reported missing in Egypt (Thought to be El Adem) believed POW

29/07/1942 Confirmed POW in Italian hands.

12/11/1942 Camp 158 XI Concentramento

?? /12/1942 Transferred to Military Hospital Caserta with scabies then camp 202 PM 3200 Italy

16/07/1943 Transferred to camp 82 PM 3200 Italy then to Stalag 344 (POW number 82127)

?? /?? /1942 Transferred to Stalag VIIIB

10/02/1944 Transferred to Stalag 344

06/10/1944 Transferred to RAOC showing substantive rank of Workshop Sergeant

01/05/1945 Arrived back in UK still showing rank as temporary Sub-Conductor WO1

24/08/1945 Posted to RAOC Mobilisation Centre Donnington

15/09/1945 Posted to 8 (Chilwell) MT Group HQ employed as Clerk (Technical) Class 1.

06/10/1945 Married to Peggy Eileen Ture (?? Turl) at the Union Church Sharpness.

16/10/1945 Proceeded to No 6 Military Collecting Unit and S.O.S. (Struck off Strength) with rank held of WO1 (Sub-Conductor) placed on Y list.

17/02/1946 Released to Class Z Royal Army Reserve.

 

Awards.

Indian General Service Medal 1936 with clasp NW Frontier 1936-37

Africa Star

1939-45 Star

1939-45 War Medal

 

Campaigns (Including Actions)

Wazir Force 1937

 

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