John Joseph Caffrey
Born in Ireland but brought to Nottingham as a child, Caffrey was educated at St Mary's RC school, Derby Road. Post World War One, Caffrey joined the Sunderland fire brigade later employed at Cammel Laird's Metropolitan Wagon Works in Nottingham until its closure in 1931. He was briefly unemployed and living on Public Assistance during the 1930s. After World War Two, Caffrey was employed by Butlins as a commissionaire at their Filey holiday camp where, coincidentaly, Harry Nicholls VC was a boxing instructor.
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He was the son of John and Hannah Caffrey and the brother of James and Maggie Caffrey. In 1911, they lived at 8, George Yard, North Street, Milton Street, Nottingham. He married Florence Avey at Nottingham in 1917. He died in the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary in 1953 and buried at Wilford Hill (Grave Reference: R 23-8).
Source for Caffrey's photo, biography and military history: VC & GC Association vcgca.org/our-people
Caffrey joined the Robin Hood Rifles in 1910 transferring at his own request to 3rd and later 2nd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment. In November 1915, his battalion were in trenches at La Brique just north of Ypres in Belgium.
John Joseph Caffrey's VC citation
'For most conspicuous bravery on 16th November, 1915, near La Brique. A man of the West Yorkshire Regiment had been badly wounded and was lying in the open unable to move in full view of and about 300 to 400 yards from the enemy’s trenches. Corporal Stirk, Royal Army Medical Corps, and Private Caffrey at once started out to rescue him, but at the first attempt they were driven back by shrapnel fire. Soon afterwards they started again under close sniping and machine-gun fire, and succeeded in reaching and bandaging the wounded man, but, just as Corporal Stirk had lifted him on Private Caffrey’s back, he himself was shot in the head. Private Caffrey put down the wounded man, bandaged Corporal Stirk and helped him back into safety. He then returned and brought in the man of the West Yorkshire Regiment. He had made three journeys across the open under close and accurate fire and had risked his own life to save others with the utmost coolness and bravery.'
Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 21 January 1916. 22 January 1916, Numb. 29447, p. 94 Sherwood Foresters
John Caffrey was invested with his Victoria Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace on the 23rd February 1916.
It appears that Corporal Stirk received no official recognition for his part in the rescue, beyond being mentioned in the citation of Caffrey's award. In a way, Caffrey's deed was a repeat of an earlier act of heroism which earned him the Russian Cross of St George ( 4th Class), awarded on the 25th August 1915 when he brought in a seriously wounded officer under heavy fire.
John Joseph Cafffey re-enlisted in November 1939 and served as a Sherwood Foresters CSM during World War Two.
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John Joseph Caffrey
Courtesy of vcgca.org/our-people
John Joseph Caffrey memorialised on his family's headstone. Sean Westerby and Ron Booth raised funds for this headstone, unveiled in 2007, replacing one which did not commemorate Caffrey's battlefield valour.
Photo: David Nunn