D-Day Hero Sidney Cornell, Inspiration for Call of Duty Character, Remembered at Exhibition

An exhibition in his hometown has paid tribute to Sidney Cornell, recognized as the inaugural black paratrooper to land in Normandy during D-Day. Sgt Cornell, a Portsmouth native, was a member of the 7th Parachute Battalion and was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) in 1944 for his bravery. He is also recognized as the inspiration for the character Lt Arthur Kingsley in the Call of Duty video game franchise. Chris Cornell, whose investigative work has contributed to elevating his great-uncle’s recognition, stated: “He has become almost famous, which I never would have believed. He was extremely brave and as a family we’re very proud of what he did.” The Winchester-based researcher was prompted to compile his mixed-heritage family’s history following an unexpected encounter with Baroness Floella Benjamin. This actress and television presenter motivated him to dedicate a decade to examining military and civilian records. He discovered that Sidney’s Afro-American father, Charles, who was an acrobat with the Barnum and Bailey circus, came to the UK from the United States in 1889. Charles subsequently departed from the circus, met Florence, who became his wife, and they established their home in Portsmouth, where Sidney was born in 1913. According to the researcher, the family, as mixed-race immigrants residing in the North End area, likely encountered a challenging reception at times. Mr Cornell further noted: “Sidney and his brother were taught boxing by their father as a way of sticking up for themselves.” He continued: “There was a time when the Cornell family were well respected and were basically as hard as nails and nobody would bully them or mock them.” Prior to enlisting in the Army and later the Parachute Regiment, Sidney was employed as a lorry driver for a construction supplies firm. The Royal British Legion states that he was the first black paratrooper to land behind German positions in Normandy during the night of 5/6 June 1944. His Distinguished Conduct Medal citation states: “During the next five weeks he was in almost continuous action of a most trying and difficult nature. “Cornell was a company runner and has repeatedly carried messages through the most heavy and accurate enemy mortar and MG (machine gun) fire. “Four times wounded in action this soldier has never been evacuated and carries on with his job cheerfully and efficiently. “Very many acts of gallantry have been performed by members of the battalion but for sustained courage nothing surpasses Cornell’s effort.” His great-nephew further indicated that race seemingly had minimal influence on Sgt Cornell’s military service. Chris Cornell mentioned that, besides being respected for his courage, he was considerably older than his fellow battalion members and was regarded as a “grandfather figure.” On 7 April 1945, German forces detonated explosives on a bridge spanning the Rhine, resulting in the deaths of Sgt Cornell and approximately 20 members of his platoon. Chris Cornell recounted: “The time the family learned of his death was exactly the time my dad joined the Army and I don’t think that was any coincidence. “When the war came he became this sort of hero – my dad’s hero – and my dad joined the Army because of him.” While the paratrooper’s DCM was never received and remains unaccounted for, his service medal was given back to his family in 2021, reportedly discovered in the River Thames by a mudlarker. That same year, Call of Duty: Vanguard was launched. The creators acknowledged Sgt Cornell as the inspiration for one of the game’s principal characters. Sidney Cornell’s involvement in D-Day and subsequent engagements has been commemorated at a temporary museum located at North End Library, close to his childhood home. In addition to his burial site in Germany, Sidney’s name is inscribed on the war memorial situated in central Portsmouth. His great-nephew remarked: “It’s sad that I never got to know him. My dad would always talk about Sidney. He was in awe of him.” Readers can connect with BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight via Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.