69 Great Eastern Street, Cambridge

History of 69 Great Eastern Street

28 March 1917

Marriage of a V.C. Hero. – A large number of persons were present at St. Barnabas’ Church, Mill Road, Cambridge, on Saturday, when Private J. J. Caffrey, V.C. of Nottingham, was married to Miss Florence Avey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Avey. 69 Great Eastern Street, Cambridge. Like all heroes. Pte. Caffrey is very disinclined to say much about himself. It was on November 15th. 1915, when Pte. Caffrey, who is a stretcher bearer in the R.A.M.C. attached to the York and Lancaster Regiment, was sent with a corporal into “No man’s land” in order to rescue a wounded comrade. After bandaging the man the corporal was shot in the head whilst endeavouring to put him on Pte. Caffrey’s back. Our hero then placed the man down again, bandaged the corporal and brought the former into our own lines. He then returned for the corporal and also reached our lines with him. Pte. Caffrey is also the possessor of the Cross of St. George given by the Tsar of Russia on October 23, 1914 which he won by carrying a wounded Brigadier-General to the base, which was two miles away, and all the time exposed to heavy shell-fire.

Credit: Mike Petty Archive.

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1939

E Stevens