Private Leonard Harry Cox

 

Unit : 13th Parachute Battalion

Army No. : 1463009

Awards : Mentioned in Despatches

 

Private Cox was dropped astray on the 6th June and eventually captured. He teamed up with a Private Maurice Bennett of No.3 Commando and together they made good their escape. The following is their joint citation for a Mention in Despatches.

 

After being wrongly dropped on 6th June 1944, Cox evaded capture for 20 days before he and five others were finally apprehended by the Germans near Auvillars. He was taken to a camp at Bonnebosq, where he met Bennett, captured whilst on patrol in Amfreville on 27th June 1944. Transferred to a racing stables near Falaise, they made plans to escape, which they put into effect on 7th July 1944. Climbing up a small staircase, they penetrated the barricade barring the entrance to the rooms over the stables, and descended through a window to the street below by means of a blanket rope. From a Prisoners of War who was employed as a baker they had obtained knowledge of the surrounding country and the position of German gun emplacements. For seven days they hid at Putarges before travelling to Desertines. Here they were hidden until they were escorted to American troops at Passais.

 

I recommend these two men for the award of Mention.

 

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