A Superb DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL (Somme,La Boiselle) & MILITARY MEDAL (Ypres,Messines) "DOUBLE GALLANTRY" & 1914-15 Trio."A" Battery, 87th Royal Field Artillery & 33rd RFA.
To: 18395. Gnr. FRED STOPFORD.'A' Battery. 87th RFA. & HQ 33 Bde RFA.
(Fred and the 87th RFA were based on USNA Hill on 1st July 1916 and took part in the massive shelling of the enemy positions at La Boiselle prior to the great attack of 1st July 1916, The First Day of The Battle of The Somme)
One of the most pleasing double gallantry groups you could wish for.
[HISTORY]
Fred Stopford was born in 1896 and was from BURY, Lancashire. He entered France on 18th July 1915 age 19 and he won his DCM on The Somme (LA BOISELLE) with 87th RFA at the age of 20. He then followed that up with an MM in June 1917 with 33rd RFA at Messines
(HERE IS THE FULL & ORIGINAL DCM CONDUCT REPORT BY HIS C.O. ON WHICH THE CONDENSED L.G. CITATION WAS BASED)
London Gazette 13th Feb 1917
" HE WAS DEEPLY EMPLOYED IN REPLACING TELEPHONE WIRES OFTEN UNDER HEAVY SHELL FIRE WHICH HE FACED WITH COMPLETE INDIFFERENCE TO HIS PERSONAL SAFETY. HE WAS WOUNDED ON THE NIGHT OF 20th JULY (1916) BY A SHELL SPLINTER WHILST HELPING TO BUILD AN OBSERVATION POST BUT MADE NO MENTION OF THE MATTER. ON 21st JULY HE WAS AGAIN WOUNDED BY A GUNSHOT SPLINTER ON THE ARM BUT REMAINED AT WORK UNTIL IT WAS FINISHED"
The 87th Field Battery RFA greatly distinguished itself during the Great War, taking part from beginning to end. The battery spent all of the war within the blood-soaked battlefields of France and Belgium, fighting in extremely poor conditions in the appalling trenches of Aisne, Somme, Ypres, Cambrai and the Hindenburg Line.
87th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, with which unit Fred Stopford won his DCM, served with 19th (Western) Division. The Division was formed in September 1914, as part of Kitchener's Second New Army. The new units concentrated in the Bulford area with the infantry being based at Tidworth, Ludgershall and Grately. The battalions spent the winter in billets in Andover, Whitchurch, Basingstoke and Weston-super-Mare, returning to the area around Tidworth on the 15th of March 1915. They proceeded to France in mid July and concentrated near St Omer. Their first action was at Pietre, in a diversionary action supporting the Battle of Loos. In 1916 They were in action during the Battle of the Somme, capturing La Boisselle and being involved in The attacks on High Wood, The Battles of Pozieres Ridge, the Ancre Heights and the Ancre. In 1917 they were in action in The Battle of Messines and the Third Battles of Ypres. In 1918 They fought on The Somme during The Battle of St Quentin and The Battle of Bapaume and in the Battles of the Lys at Messines, Bailleul and The First Battle of Kemmel Ridge. They fought in The Battle of the Aisne and during the Final Advance in Picardly they were in action in The Battle of the Selle, The Battle of the Sambre and the passage of the Grand Honelle. At the Armitice were were in billets near Bavay. Demobilisation began in December 1918 and the final cadres returned to England on the 27th of June 1919.
87th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery were attached to 19th (Western) Division. During the Battle of Messines, on the 7th of June 1917 they were in the area of the Hollandscheschuur crater
33rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, with which unit Fred Stopford won his Military Medal, served as Divisional Artillery with 8th Division. 8th Division was formed at Hursley Park, Winchester during October 1914 from regular army units returning from around the British Empire. They proceeded to France in November 1914, a much needed reinforcement to the BEF and remained on the Western Front throughout the war. In 1915 they were in action at The Battle of Neuve Chapelle, The Battle of Aubers and The action of Bois Grenier. On the 18th of October 1915 24th Brigade transferred to 23rd Division to instruct the inexperienced troops. In March 1916 23rd Division took over the front line between Boyau de l'Ersatz and the Souchez River in the Carency sector from the French 17th Division, an area exposed to heavy shelling. In mid April they withdrew to Bruay returning to the Carency sector in mid May just before the German attack on Vimy Ridge, in the sector to their right. On the 15th of June 1916 24th Brigade returned to 8th Division. In 1916 They were in action at the Battle of The Somme. In 1917 they fought in The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and then moved to Flanders and were in action in The Battle of Pilkem and The Battle of Langemarck. In 1918 they saw action during The Battle of St Quentin, The actions at the Somme crossings, The Battle of Rosieres, The actions of Villers-Bretonneux, The Battle of the Aisne, The Battle of the Scarpe and The Final Advance in Artois including the capture of Douai.
The entire group is EF and better and is on original ribbons.The 1914-15 Star naming is of a slightly later production style and is neatly impressed with lettering from the fully correct official font which we have encountered previously on some RE and RFA trios.Also included is a VERY large file of copy papers MIC's and Gallantry Cards etc, and extensive War Diary copies of the periods surrounding the two awards. Also a silver hall marked cigarette case from Fred's school. Hallmarked 1916
