Auction Catalogue

19 September 2003

Starting at 11:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 582

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19 September 2003

Hammer Price:
£260

Family group:

Three:
Private C. Sandiford, Liverpool Regiment

1914-15 Star (14793 Pte., L’pool. R.); British War and Victory Medals (14793 Pte., L’pool. R.)

Pair: Private J. Sandiford, Royal Army Medical Corps

British War and Victory Medals
(70374 Pte., R.A.M.C.); together with two brass shoulder titles ‘T. R.A.M.C. W. Lancashire’; and assorted cloth badges (6) generally very fine or better (13) £100-120

Clifford Sandiford was born, lived and enlisted at Southport, Lancashire. He died at home on 24 June 1916, whilst serving with the 12th Battalion, Liverpool Regiment. He is buried at Southport (Duke Street) Cemetery, Lancashire. The following is extracted from the Southport Visitor, June 1916 ‘Died at Woodlands, Southport. Age 28 and had served for nine months in France before he was killed (sic.). Some time before his death he was sent to an Aberdeen Hospital suffering from trench feet and shrapnel wounds and also had been gassed. He ultimately died of bronchitis. He was admitted to Woodlands on 8 May 1916 during a sick furlogh he was spending in Southport.’

The pair to J. Sandiford is sold together with two original group photographs, and a photocopy of a modern handwritten transcript of his wartime diary, covering the period 15 May 1916 - 16 September 1917, from which the following entries are extracted:

‘Saturday, July 1st 1916 - Battle started 7:30 Beaumont Hamel blown at 7:15. R.Bs. went over, E.L. followed. Terrific shell fire all day. Machine-gun fire like hail, up to the waist in water.

Sunday, July 2nd - Stretcher bearing all night. No food for the past 36 hours. Div. retired back to our own line. Got my eyes filled with gas from shells when going to search for water.

Wednesday, 5th July - Brought more wounded out of no mans land.’