180164 Geoffrey William Horace COCKSEDGE, MC, 2 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

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    180164 W/Lieutenant Geoffrey William Horace COCKSEDGE

    13 Infantry Brigade
    5 Division
    13 Corps
    2nd Bn. The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

    Map Sheet Italy 125 - 1/50,000

    1. On the night 8/9 Dec 1943 a fighting patrol under comd of Lieutenant Cocksedge was ordered to cross the RIVER SANGRO near CASTEL-DI-SANGRO and find if the Germans occupied posns near the bank, and if so, in what strength.

    2. The RIVER SANGRO was in spate and had been regarded as unfordable, and the enemy side was reported mined and booby trapped. Lieutenant Cocksedge, with great determination succeeded in getting his patrol across the river. An enemy M.G. post engaged the patrol at 093558 [or 095558]. Lieut. Cocksedge pushed on and was next engaged from M.G. at 094560. Leaving his support section to deal with these posts, Lieut. Cocksedge led his patrol a further five hundred yards forward and forced two more enemy M.G. posts to disclose their posn. Lieut. Cocksedge might well have considered his task accomplished, but in an endeavour to obtain prisoners he worked into position to assault one of the enemy M.G. posts. After an exchange of grenades the patrol rushed the post, but the enemy succeeded in escaping, leaving their M.G. in posn.

    By this time the enemy was moving a strong party towards the river, to cut off the patrol. Lieut. Cocksedge skilfully withdrew his patrol and one wounded man across the river.

    The qualities of determination and coolness displayed by Lieut. Cocksedge were quite outstanding, and his personal courage and skill were directly responsible for obtaining valuable information and for the successful advance and withdrawal of his patrol in fact of superior numbers.

    Granted an Immediate M.C.


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