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Cockburn, Lestock Peter: my Army recollections (May 30, and June 6, 1980)

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Rank: Warrant Officer.

ABSTRACT: Warrant Officer (W.O. I) Lestock Peter Cockburn Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Royal Canadian Artillery Cockburn_L_0033_01.mp3 (Side 1) Born on Aug. 22, 1917 in Victoria, B.C. Joined the Army as a boy soldier, age seventeen, on Apr. 1, 1935 (pay was sixty cents per day). As the only boy soldier at Work Point Barracks he spent the first few months as a messman in the kitchen, eventually taking basic training in a recruit class of half a dozen. In 1937 he was sent to Macaulay Point for care and maintenance duties with two others, under the command of a bombardier. Their charges included two old six-inch guns (ex H.M.C.S. Rainbow), two twelve-pounders and a thirteen-pounder anti-aircraft gun. Designated a "district gunner", one who looked after the guns, the emplacements, grounds, etc. Volunteered for the same job at Yorke Island in Johnstone Strait where he, another gunner, and one signaller looked after the two 4.7 in. guns there. A pleasant life with little work and much time for hunting and fishing. In Feb. 1940 returned to Victoria where he remained until early in 1942 when he volunteered to fill a vacancy as a bombardier with 1st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1 R.C.H.A.) in England. Left Halifax in the S.S. Nerissa which, travelling alone, was torpedoed south of Iceland one night. He and thirteen others were picked up after about twelve hours in a flooded lifeboat. A total of only thirty one survived the sinking. Spent two weeks in hospital in Londonderry before he finally joined 1 R.C.H.A. at Bromley. They were billeted in suburban houses with their eighteen/twenty-five pounders stored in the garage behind. Slept on the floor with four blankets and a pillow until they were able to loot some bombed houses for mattresses. Heavy training schedule. (30:00) Moved to Scotland, new equipment, then embarked for Sicily where they landed as part of a reinforcement group. First in action at Leonforte. A short campaign full of movement. (46:00) Cockburn_L_0033_02.mp3 Among the first ashore in Italy. Serious fighting at Ortona. Considerable German shelling: preferred medium artillery shellfire for they could hear the shells approaching, but not the 88-mm. shells which left them feeling very exposed. Monte Cassino, heavily engaged. (10:00) Hitler Line. Promoted to sergeant. First attack of malaria, followed by jaundice which resulted in hospital stay in Rome. Additional illnesses caused him to be repatriated to England where he remained hospitalized until after V-E Day. Returned to the coast artillery in Victoria, but soon obtained a transfer to 1 R.C.H.A. at Petawawa. (25:00) Regiment moved to Camp Shilo where the married troops were given apartments with communal washing facilities in old "H" huts. Winter training at Churchill, Man. (30:00) Early survival equipment. Discusses rations. (40:00) Cockburn_L_0033_03.mp3 (Side 2) Returned to Shilo where, as a sergeant, he was largely concerned with basic gunnery training. On a gunnery course was promoted, halfway through to warrant officer, class II and posted to 2 R.C.H.A. Moved to Fort Lewis, Wash. in training for Korea. Discusses Fort Lewis interlude. (10:00) In Korea, artillery operations, mostly in support of the infantry, were relatively quiet compared to Italy. Snipers were the chief danger. (20:00) Comments on general conditions. American rations were tiresome. Returned to Canada on course. Posted to the School of Artillery as an assistant instructor in gunnery. On exchange to an American guided missile battalion in El Paso, Tex. for one year. Assisted in training some British Army troops on the Corporal missile and was invited to join them in England. As a result he was later posted to a missile regiment in the United Kingdom for two years, extended to three. (38:00) In July 1960 returned to Canada. Posted to Picton, Ont. as battery sergeant-major of 2nd Missile Battery. Promoted to warrant officer, class I in the Survey Section of the School of Artillery at Shilo. Achieved his ambition and was appointed Sergeant-Major Instructor in Gunnery (the highest non commissioned instructor rank) of the school. Retired in 1967. Worked at Fort Rodd Hill in the administration wing for fifteen years. (45:00) Cockburn_L_0033_04.mp3 Comments on the position of sergeant-major instructor in gunnery: great power, inside man to the Colonel. Direct access at any time to the Chief Instructor. Authority even in regard to officers in training. Responsible for conduct and instruction capabilities of all the other ranks at the school. Offered a captaincy, but, as it meant an Ottawa posting, he refused. (8:00)

Interviewee: Cockburn, Lestock Peter, b. 1917

An interview/narrative of Lestock Peter Cockburn's experiences during World War II and the Korean War. Warrant Officer Cockburn served with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery and the Royal Canadian Artillery. Interview took place on May 30 and June 6, 1980.

Interviewer: Thackray, William S.

In Collection:
Contributor Subject Language Keyword Date created Relation
  • Part of the Reginald H. Roy collection of interviews.
Resource type Rights statement Extent
  • 4 sound recordings (MP3)
Geographic Coverage Coordinates
  • 54.75844, -2.69531
  • 36.5, 127.75
  • 60.10867, -113.64258
  • 39.76, -98.5
  • 40, 127
Additional physical characteristics
  • One original sound tape reel (ca. 135 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 2 sound cassette copies : standard, mono. in Special Collections.
Physical Repository Collection
  • Canadian Military Oral History Collection
Provider Genre Archival item identifier
  • CLP_033
Fonds title Fonds identifier Is referenced by Date digitized
  • May 23, 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
Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Actions
file details SC141_MilitaryOralHistory_GenericThumbnail
file details Cockburn_L_0033_01.mp3
file details Cockburn_L_0033_02.mp3
file details Cockburn_L_0033_03.mp3
file details Cockburn_L_0033_04.mp3