At 30 minutes past H Hour on D Day, Sapper Walter Richard Coveyduck of the 5th Canadian Field Company RCE was in a position on the seaward side of the sea wall on the extreme left of Nan Red Beach taking cover from enemy fire from a position on the left flank. An LCI (L) touched down immediately in front of Sapper Coveyduck's position and lowered its ramps. Infantry commenced to disembark but the leaders were shot down. At the same time, the action of the surf turned over the starboard ramp, which then became entangled with the port ramp, preventing the remainder of the infantry from disembarking. Sapper Coveyduck, seeing the perilous position of the remainder of the troops on board the craft, with the great presence of mind, disregarding enemy small arms fire, ran to the craft and disentangled the ramps. He turned the port ramp right side up, anchoring it to the ground with his own weight, at the same time shouting and waving to the infantry on board to get off quickly. He remained with the ramp until the infantry commenced to disembark.Approximately half an hour after the above incident, Sapper Coveyduck was accompanying Lance/Sergeant Killah in the latter's search for the remainder of his section, when they came upon a blazing Sherman tank which was filled with shells and mines. A soldier was laying prone beside the tank and Lance/Sergeant Killah and Sapper Coveyduck noticed movement of his body. Completely disregarding the danger from this exploding and blazing tank, and also enemy aimed small arms fire, Sergeant Killah and Sapper Coveyduck picked up a stretcher, ran to the side of the tank, placed the wounded man on the stretcher, and took him out of danger.
For his courage in these actions, Sapper Coveyduck was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.