Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War 1918 ‘Western Front’ stretcher-bearer’s D.C.M. group of four awarded to Private E. E. Duddles, 11th (Service) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, wounded in action in August 1917

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (50799 Pte E. E. Duddles. 11/Ches: R.); British War and Victory Medals (50799 Pte. E. E. Duddles. Ches. R.); Defence Medal, very fine (4) £700-£900

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Kenneth Petrie Collection.

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D.C.M. London Gazette 26 January 1918:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as company stretcher-bearer, in volunteering to go out and bring in a badly wounded officer. Later, he continued to carry the stretcher cases, although he had been wounded in his right arm. Both these acts took place under intense enemy shelling, during which he displayed such complete personal disregard of danger that he greatly encouraged the other stretcher-bearers who were working with him.’

Edward Ernest Duddles was ‘a farmer and butcher at West Rasen, in his native Lincolnshire, for about ten years before joining the Forces, under the Derby Scheme, in 1915. He became attached to the 11th Cheshires and during active service in France was awarded the D.C.M. for distinguished conduct on the battlefield. He was wounded in August 1917, and demobilised with the rank of Sergeant in February, 1920.

Mr Duddles then went to the Harper Adams Agricultural College, Newport, where he gained the Harper Adams College diploma. For four and half years he was a milk recorder in Shropshire, until in 1928 he took up a post as farm manager and lecturer at Studley College, Warwickshire. He became county land drainage officer on April 1, 1937.

Mr Duddles, having taken a leading part in the formation of the County Council rat-catching scheme started in June, 1937, broadcast on the scheme soon after on the B.B.C.’s Midland Region.

During the last war, he was rural organiser of the A.R.P. and was chairman of the local joint hospitals’ appeal committee...’

Sold with photographic image of recipient in uniform wearing DCM, and newspaper cutting concerning recipient in later life.