Corry, Geoffrey D.: my Army recollections (August 12, 1987)

ABSTRACT: Lt.-Col. Geoffrey D. Corry The Canadian Scottish Regiment Corry_G_0036_01.mp3 Born on May 11, 1923 in Eastend, Sask. Enlisted as a private in the Canadian Scottish Regiment and, after basic and advance training, went to the officer cadet training unit at Gordon Head, Victoria, in Dec. 1942 with a later two months in Calgary. Posted for a short time to the 2nd Battalion on Vancouver Island. Overseas in June 1943 to the 1st Battalion, followed by six weeks of battle training. Participated in amphibious landings in Exercises Prank and Pirate. Returned to a training role with the 3rd Canadian Division holding unit. On D-Day he landed in Normandy some hours behind the 1st Battalion. (Corry reads a graphic account of his invasion experiences). (10:00) Impressions of the scene at sea and of the men of the 3rd Division reinforcement unit. Disembarking. Describes Courseulles beach and the area immediately behind. Moves up to join "C" Company as a platoon commander. Living in slit trenches somewhat trying. Heavy fighting the following day. (20:00) Issues orders and describes in some detail an infantry attack as the platoon commander. Germans mounted a major counterattack on June 9, resulting in forty-five dead and eighty wounded in the battalion. Leads a successful night patrol to capture prisoners. (30:00) Corry_G_0036_02.mp3 On June 15 they entered a period of very active patrolling. First memorable church service. Another night patrol on a road toward Carpiquet did not establish close contact with the Germans. On July 7 moved toward Caen and observed the bombing of that city. On the approach was hit on the helmet by sniper fire and knocked down. Subsequently flushed thirty Germans out of the adjacent wheat fields. (40:00) The advance began behind an artillery barrage. Wounded in the leg during close combat. Rescued by his platoon sergeant. (45:00) Evacuated to a hospital on the beach. Flown to England after thirty-five days in Normandy. After the war he rejoined the army; never regretted the experience. (3:00)

Interviewee: Corry, Geoffrey D., b. 1923

Rank: Lieutenant-Colonel.

Interviewer: Torrie, Tom

An interview/narrative of Geoffrey D. Corry's experiences during World War II. Lieutenant-Colonel Corry served with the Canadian Scottish Regiment. Interview took place on August 12, 1987.

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Torrie, Tom
• Corry, Geoffrey D., b. 1923

Subject

• Military history
• Battle of Caen (Caen, France : 1944)
• Operation Overlord
• Soldiers
• World War (1939-1945)

Language

• eng

Keyword

• World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy
• Canada--Canadian Army--Canadian Infantry Division, 3rd
• Canada--Canadian Army
• World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Canadian
• Canada--Canadian Army Overseas
• World War, 1939-1945--Amphibious operations
• Caen, Battle of, Caen, France, 1944
• Gordon Head Army Camp (Victoria, B.C.)
• Corry, Geoffrey D. (Geoffrey Donald), 1923-2005--Interviews
• D-Day, 1944 (Normandy invasion)
• Carpiquet, Battle of, Carpiquet, France, 1944
• Courseulles-sur-Mer (France)--Description
• Soldiers--Wounds and injuries--Canada
• Canada--Canadian Army--Canadian Scottish Regiment.
• Amphibious warfare

Date created

• August 12, 1987

Relation

• Part of the Reginald H. Roy collection of interviews.

Resource type

• Sound

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 2 sound recordings (MP3)

Geographic coverage

• France--Normandy
• Canada

Coordinates

• 49, 0
• 60.10867, -113.64258

Additional physical characteristics

• One original sound tape reel (ca. 50 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 1 sound cassette copy : standard, mono. in Special Collections.

Physical repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• oral histories (literary genre)
• interviews
• reminiscences
• sound recordings

Archival item identifier

• CGD_036

Fonds title

• Reginald Herbert Roy fonds

Fonds identifier

• SC104

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds

Date digitized

• May 18, 2007

Technical note

• Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 22 kHz. In .mp3 format at 64 kbps and 22 kHz. Digitized by AN, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Transferred from audio reel to audio cassette between 1987-1997. Interview migrated to digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2007. Migration metadata by KD and MT.

Rights

• This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/ktna-8j85

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