| Notes: | CMP. SIB. Formerly GSC. From Birmingham. Discharged to Commission. London Gazette 36995, page 1578, 23/3/45. General List. 14241804 WOII Harold Wilfred Procter (342547) from CMP is granted an immediate emergency commission from the ranks in the rank of 2/Lt. 7/2/45. London Gazette 37288, page 4848, 2/10/45. War Subs. Lt. H W Procter (342547) is cashiered by sentence of a General Court Martial, 25/8/45. 66 Section SIB. |
| Citation: | Italy. MBE citation: Following the arrest of a soldier for absence, all the places where he had been living were checked up by CSM PROCTER, involving searching, enquiries in houses in SALERNO, CASTELLAMMARE and the FUSCALDO Area, where the proceeds of robberies committed by this man in company with others were discovered. One of his accomplices was found in a bedroom dressed in military uniform and another, dressed in civilian clothes hiding in a sack. Further enquiries led to the arrest of two more deserters, one of whom was an American, in the possession of a stolen Jeep, but only after a struggle in the course of which, the latter was disarmed of a Browning Automatic pistol. In their possession was a considerable sum of money and quantities of jewellery were found in the houses of civilians who had been harbouring all five men. These civilians have since been arrested. From evidence to hand it became evident that these men were responsible for several armed robberies in the environs of AVELLINO, which had begun some ten months previously. Many of the victims of these robberies have now been traced by CSM PROCTER and their property identified. Once these men had effected a hold-up on one road they would immediately switch to another part of the country. On occasion they would represent themselves as Military Police. Operating in the dark, identification by their victims was made extremely difficult. By CSM PTOCTER'S diligence, patience and initiative a set of very clever criminals who worked with method and who always covered up their tracks, has been apprehended. Lt Col DPM 3 District. Maj Gen Comd 3 District. National Archive WO 373/73. |
