Orders, Decorations and Medals

Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1920 (302676 Sgt. J. Coffey, R.A.F.), rank corrected, edge bruising and polished, nearly very fine and scarce £600-800

John Joseph Coffey, who was born in 1885 and enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1905, first entered the French theatre of war as a member of 15th Field Ambulance on 20 August 1914 and, according to that unit’s war diary entry for 1 September 1914, quickly experienced a close encounter with the enemy:

‘Sent special returns to A.D.M.S. 5th Division at Nanteuil by cyclist orderly (Lance-Corporal Coffey, R.A.M.C.). The documents were delivered, but on his return journey the orderly lost his way, was challenged by a sentry in an unknown tongue and was fired upon, he states. He then bolted and threw away his bicycle. He states that the sentry was a German. He joined the Field Ambulance at Oissery.’

Coffey, who accordingly qualified for the 1914 Star trio, remained employed in 15th Field Ambulance until wounded by a gun shot on the Somme in July 1916. Transferring to the Royal Air Force in November 1918, he joined the Medical Section attached to ‘Z’ Force and went on to serve with distinction in the Somaliland operations in 1920, winning a mention in despatches (London Gazette 12 July 1920 refers). The original recommendation states:

‘In the general scheme of operations it was necessary to establish an isolated Z Post at Burao with a Medical Dressing Station and hospital nucleus. No Medical Officer was available. Corporal Coffey organised and took full medical charge of this station, 100 miles from the nearest M.O. He performed his duties in a manner which displayed very considerable courage, skill and initiative on his part, and inspired the full confidence of the personnel with whom he was working.’

Coffey, who received promotion to Sergeant on the same occasion, was discharged from the Royal Air Force on his return to the U.K. in May 1920; sold with a file of research.