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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 552

The Battle of Loos, 'first Cardiff' M.M. awarded to Sergeant E. J. B. Stiff, 17th Battalion, Welsh Regiment who, upon seeing a working party buried by shellfire, worked alone to free them and after help arrived stood upon the trench parapet and indicated to the rescue party direction of incoming shells

Military Medal, G.V.R. (37852 L.Cpl E. J. B. Stiff. 17/Welsh R.), edge bruise, minor contact marks, very fine

M.M. London Gazette 1 September 1916, the recommendation in the Army Order states:

‘For gallantry on the night 8th/9th July 1916, when Battalion positions were heavily mortared near Calonne. A working party was buried during a hostile bombardment. L.Cpl. Stiff sent a messenger for assistance and at once single handed and under heavy fire set work to dig out the buried men. On Arrival of the Officers and a Relief Party. L.Cpl. Stiff stood on the parapet amidst severe bombardment from Trench Mortars and indicated by whistle the direction of the approaching shells throughout the time taken to dig out the buried men thereby saving many lives.
Subsequently during a second bombardment on the same night, L. Cpl. Stiff in charge of a post found himself owing to casualties without a man available for look out. Cut off by the destruction of the communications, he himself acted as Sentry until relieved on cessation of the bombardment.’

Ernest John Burman Stiff was born at Cardiff, Glamorgan in January 1883, son of John and Priscilla Stiff of 55 Dispencer Street, Cardiff. Working as a Coaltrimmer prior to the Great War he entered the war with 17th Battalion, Welsh Regiment. Performing his act of heroism in the line at Doughty’s Post, Stiff was later wounded in the shoulder and back by shrapnel.

Despite this he returned to his previous life as a Coaltrimmer after the war, indeed he was notably athletic, playing rugby as inside-half for Cardiff, Penarth as well as being a member of the Coaltrimmers’ Rugby Football Club. Further he captained the Adamsdown Bowling Club and the Penarth Rifle Shooting Club which made him a well-known figure in the local community. It is perhaps for this reason that when he died suddenly it made it into a newspaper, while suggestions were made that his wounds were part of the cause of his death this unfortunately could not be confirmed; Stiff died of the inflammation of the heart on 22 January 1931; sold together with copied research including census data, a London Gazette extract and copied citation as well as a newspaper article relating to the recipient and a photograph.


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Sold for
£450

Starting price
£160