Sgt Hugh Michael McCormack (Service # G22831)

Hugh Michael McCormack was born June 29, 1921, in Chatham, Northumberland County, New Brunswick, the son of John Hugh McCormack and Mary Salina (King). Hugh’s parents were both of Scottish descent and both born on Prince Edward Island. Records state that they were Catholic, were married on PEI, and moved to New Brunswick afterward.

Hugh was the youngest of six children. The oldest, Daniel, was 14 years his senior. When Hugh was only three months of age, his father died of Colitis, and in 1926, when Hugh was less than five years of age his mother also passed away. The records are not clear as to how the family survived but they continued to live in Chatham, and data shows that his siblings helped with his upbringing. Hugh completed grade ten and then enrolled in a commercial school to learn business skills. The commercial course was completed in 1938 when he was eighteen. Hugh began looking for work as an office clerk, but these were the Depression years and he settled temporarily for working at a garage.

War broke out in September 1939 and the following year, on June 8, Hugh enlisted with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment in Newcastle. The regiment trained at Woodstock, and afterward at Camp A30 near Sussex. Initially, his brother Daniel was listed as the next of kin on army documents but eventually, Daniel also joined the Canadian Army and was sent overseas with the Royal Canadian Engineers. Afterward, Hugh’s sister Isabelle became the main family contact and official next of kin.

A year later on July 18, 1941, the regiment sailed for Liverpool on the Duchess of York. Now in the United Kingdom, the regiment spent almost three years in intensive training and rehearsing beach landings in England and Scotland. Hugh was promoted to the rank of Corporal in August 1941, and the following May to the rank of Sergeant.

On D-Day (June 6, 1944), Hugh landed in Normandy near the village of Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer with A Company under the command of Major Archie MacNaughton. A and B Companies were the first units to come ashore. At about 8 a.m. their landing craft doors opened and the men poured out under heavy fire. They scrambled over barriers and mines and ran for the security of the seawall. 

A Company now made their way to a gap in the wall. They had suffered heavy casualties. Using explosives, they blasted a path through the bales of barbed wire covering the gap and were into the village and fighting house to house. It was now discovered that the houses were protected with mines and snipers were everywhere. In addition, many of the buildings were connected by underground tunnels or trenches allowing the Germans to escape and reposition themselves. But with repeated efforts using grenades and flamethrowers, they cleared the houses and the streets.

The War Diary records that by 11:15 a.m. the German defenses had been eliminated, all Company objectives had been achieved, and the NS(NB)R was in control of Saint Aubin. Historian Will Bird wrote that A Company had suffered twenty-nine casualties securing the beach and clearing the town. He also wrote that Lt Merle Keith had led his No. 3 platoon across the beach to the seawall but a mine exploded killing Sgt Hugh McCormack and two others. Shortly afterward Lt Keith was badly wounded and later that same day Maj MacNaughton was killed at Tailleville.

Sgt Hugh McCormack was twenty-two years of age. For his service to Canada, Sgt Hugh Michael McCormack was awarded the following medals;

the 1939-45 Star,

France and Germany Star,

Defense Medal,

War Medal 1939-45,

and Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp.

Sgt Hugh Michael McCormack is buried in Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery in Calvados, France, Plot I. F.1. His name is also engraved on one of the monuments to the Canadians who were killed on D-Day and that stands along the seawall in Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer.

In 2019, in recognition of the 34 NS(NB)R soldiers killed on D-Day, memorial plagues were created for each soldier killed, and were placed in New Brunswick schools. The plaques included a brief biography, photos, and an image of the 2019 Canadian silver dollar showing the NS(NB)R landing. The plaque dedicated to Sgt Hugh McCormack, has been placed in the King Street Elementary School in Miramichi