Description
The 24th & 25th December 1914, saw the extraordinary spectacle of an unofficial truce between our troops and the Saxons who were opposite.
On Christmas Eve C Company was holding the left section of the Battalion front with A Company on its right.
Everything had been normal up to the evening Stand Down and the Company Commander was having his supper in the HQ Dugout, when the Company Sergeant Major (Stapleton) put his head in and said “What am I to do Sir? The Germans are sitting on their parapets, lighting candles and singing Hymns!”
The Company Commander at once went out and mounting on the fire step saw small lights all along the trenches and heard many voices uplifted in song.”
On his way to investigate he was surprised one of his men in the act of climbing out of the trench and discovered there was a German Soldier in “No Man’s Land” who wanted to speak to a British Soldier, so ordering his own man back, he slipped out himself to investigate.
He met the German Soldier, who had worked as a Waiter at Brighton before the war and wanted to swap some cigars for bully beef.
The Captain was taken to a group of enemy officers standing by a ruined farmhouse. At first they were suspicious and repeatedly asked the Capt if he was armed, he told them he was not, ‘Word of a Gentleman’. they accepted his promised and began talks. They agreed a cease-fire which would begin immediately and would last until 11pm (12pm German Time) on Christmas Day.”
“When war begins again, I wonder who still start the shooting. The Germans said to us, ‘Fire in the air and we will’, but of course it will start again tomorrow and we will be hard at work killing each other again!.’
DCM Group, CSM Ambrose William Stapleton, 1st North Staffs Regt, Former Boy Soldier in Boer War, confirmed Christmas Truce participant during 1914, DCM for Bellewarde Farm 1915 for multiple instances of Bravery, Only 1st Class Russian Gold Medal of St George Medal to the battalion, Killed in Action First Day of the German Spring Offensive, one of the bravest and most remarkable men in the regiment.
Distinguished Conduct Medal, Queen’s South Africa, 3 bars, Cape Colony, King’s South Africa, 2 bars, SA 1901, SA 1902, 1914 Star, with Clasp and Rose, British War & Victory Medal, Army Long Service Good Conduct Medal, Imperial Russia Medal of St George for Bravery, 1st Class (a copy, originals are £5k+), Bronze Memorial Plaque, Company Sergeant Major Ambrose William Stapleton, 1st Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment.
Naming details:
DCM officially impressed: “5720 C.S. Mjr. A.S. Stapleton. 1/N. Staff. Regt.” This with original islk ribbon.
QSA officially impressed: “5720 Pte A.S. Stapleton. North Staff: Regt”
KSA please note, naming erased.
1914 Star officially impressed, “C.S. Mjr A.W. Stapleton. N. Staffs: R”
BWM & Victory pair officially impressed: “5720 A.W.O. CL. 1. A.W. Stapleton. N. Staff. R.” Fitted with an MID Oakleaf with prongs.
Army LSGC officially impressed: “5720 C.S. Mjr: A.W. Stapleton. N. Staff. R.”
Please note the Russian Medal of St George is a copy for display purposes.
Bronze “Death” Memorial Plaque officially embossed: “AMBROSE WILLIAM STAPLETON”
Provenance, this entire group, minus the Original DCM was sold by Hansons Auctioneers in 2023 (with a nonsensical catalogue description), it has since been re-united with the original long lost DCM by us personally at Liverpool Medals.
West Surrey Times, 11th September 1915:
“A GUILDFORD DCM
In the list published on Wednesday of Gallant NCOs and men to whom the D.C.M. has been awarded appeared that of Company Sergeant Major A.W. Stapleton, 1st North Staffordshire Regiment.
The award was made for brilliantly leading his company July 21st near Ypres, when German Bomb Throwers succeeded in gaining the British trenches. He took his men into the trenches occupied by the Germans and drove them out with the loss of but 2 men. He has also had conferred on him the Russian Honour, the Medal of St George, 1st Class.
Company Sergt Major Stapleton is an old Abbotonian and the son of Mr and Mrs A.W. Stapleton, of 6 Upperton Road, Guildford.
He comes from a family of soldiers, and early in life showed his bent, for he loved nothing more than to supply his playmates with wooden swords and drill them.
One of his treasures is an old-fashioned sword which he purchased when a boy with coppers he had saved up for the purpose.
The gallant soldier went through the South African campaign without a scratch, and he has been in France since the commencement of hostilities at Mons.
He has taken part in most of the important battles, and though he has suffered minor injuries, he has not yet been in hospital.
Company Sergt Major Stapleton has been spending a short holiday with his parents this week, and returns to France to-day (Saturday).”
A further article recalls “ “Who was mentioned in despatches for conspicuous gallantry during the months of January, February, March and April.”
Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette, 22nd June 1915, page 6000.
The Regimental History recalls that this was for gallantry on 12th March 1915, whilst fighting the “Saxons” of the 133rd and 139th Regiment:-
“The counter attack was very gallantly repulsed by the Bombers, led by 2nd Lt Dale, who was severely wounded. CSM Stapleton very bravely went out to 2nd Lt Dale’s assistance, and having finally driven off the enemy, brought him in. Unfortunately 2nd Lt Dale, who had been RSM and just gained his commission, died of his wounds.”
Russian Medal, announced in the London Gazette, 25th August 1915, his papers noting: “Awarded the Medal of St George 1st Class for Gallantry and distinguished service in the field.
Soon afterwards the London Gazette would additionally announced the award of his Distinguished Conduct Medal on 6th September 1915 with the following citation:
His Commanding Officer Captain Arthur Septimus Conway, was awarded the DSO for his part in the battle, his being announced later in the LG on 14th Jan 1916.
“For conspicuous gallantry and resource on July 5th 1915 at Bellewarde Farm, when platoon belonging to another Battalion on his right had been shelled or bombed out of its trench, The Officer and Sergeant having been buried by a fall of the parapet, C.S.M. Stapleton rallied and led the men back to their trench, and then organised a sand bag party from his own company and repaired the parapet, throughout the campaign he has behaved with the greatest coolness and courage and given a fine exhibition of devotion to duty.
He has on previous occasions been recommended for specific acts of great Bravery.”
Only a day after the battle, Major General E.H.H. Allenby and General John Lindsay Keir sent in personal letters of gratitude to Company, 1st North Staffs for their bravery on this day in saving the men of the Rifle Brigade.
EARLY LIFE FAMILY AND BOER WAR
Ambrose actually came from a Prominent Family of Army Officers, his father and Grandfather both Army Officers,
Ambrose was born in Paddington during 1884, being raised in London, his father had been born overseas in India whilst his father was on Military Service there.
He was the son of another named Ambrose William Stapleton, the family having passed down the name “Ambrose” over generations, who was a British Army Officer of the 98th Foot (aka the North Staffordshire Regiment, before it was amalgamated with the 64th Foot in 1881). In 1877 he had been Captain of the 1st (King’s Own) 1st Stafford Regiment of Militia, which all might have influenced a young teenaged Ambrose to sign on with the North Staffords, his father’s old unit, unusually however not opting to go the Officer route like his family had before him and joining up at seemingly the earliest age legally possible for the time.
An obituary states “19 years ago he had enlisted into the 2nd Batt Staffordshire Regiment – His father’s old regiment.”
His Grand Father George James Ambrose was a HEIC Officer, being Lieutenant in the 10th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry, who had married Emma Powell (nee Cotton) the daughter of Major General William Cotton, (Also of the 10th Madras NI, his Army of India, bar Ava medal auctioned in 2005).
Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant Major Ambrose William Stapleton DCM, first started his life as a Soldier at the young age of 14 years and 5 months old signing on in August 1898, and when he served in the Boer War, he was an underage soldier not even 18 by the end of the war.
He served throughout the Boer War, and continued on, he was originally a 2nd Battalion man, and joined the 1st Battalion in time for World War 1, to be deployed with them on their first posting on 9th September 1915.
WW1 SERVICE
THE FAMOUS CHRISTMAS TRUCE
Staffordshire Sentinel 4th January 1915, Another Witness, a Sergeant under command of Stapleton in C Company writes:
“OUR FRIENDS THE ENEMY
NORTH STAFFORDS CHRISTMAS DAY TRUCE
Sergeant C. Lightfoot, C Company, 1st North Staffordshire Regiment, in a letter, dated December 28th, 1914, to the Sentinel says:
‘On Christmas Day we saw a night past imagination. The Germans left their trenches and so did we. We met them half way and you should have seen them shaking hands, exchanging addresses and souvenirs etc. They brought us plenty of cigars and tobacco. There was not a shot fired between us all Christmas Day. One of our men played a Melodeon and the Germans danced to it, and gave us some very good singing.”
Another letter notes that “A Baritone Singer gave ‘Sailor beware’ in English, and several other songs. We learned that he was a well-known Opera Singer, and he certainly did not disgrace Opera. At 10 o’clock we sang ‘The King’ bade them good-night and turned in.”
Ambrose had first landed for service on 9th September 1914 early into the war when the 1st Battalion was originally deployed for service with the British Expeditionary Force in France.
You can read the full details of the day here:
https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/story/48723
Captain Conway was contrary to the story apparently home on leave at the time, the direct mention of Stapleton by name makes him one of the few men of the regiment specifically mentioned by name to take part in the truce.
The heart-warming and amusing war diaries for these days were written exactly as transcribed:
“24th December: Quiet, The Germans ask for armistice for Xmas, sing songs in twin from opposite parapets, Germans win prize for this.
XMAS DAY 25th Dec, NOT A SHOT FIRED, Germans bring their dead, our men go and help them. Baccy and Cigars exchanged and Germans and our men walk about in the open together!! Return to trenches at 4pm, Peace reigns until midnight.
26th December, Due du Bois, Germans still anxious to continue peace, No shots fired, rain in torrents.”
The next few days in the diary, the 27-31st December were remarkably recorded as having been “Very Quiet Day” it looks like the bond held strong that was forged over the Christmas peace, although the weather was dreadful, “All Quiet, Fearful Storm, Trenches are waist deep in water, have to get outside in places.” “Rain Awful, Trenches Impossible”.
AWARD OF THE DCM
The action which would lead to his Distinguished Conduct Medal occurred on 5th July 1915, the 1st Bn N Staffs being at “Potizje”
The war diary for the day recalls that gallant bombing party led by Lt Smith (who was killed leading it) and Sergt Major Stapleton who save the day and drove out the Germans:
“5th July 1915: Quiet night, at 3 AM report was received for C Company, that 8th Rifle Brigade on right of Roulers Railway was being shelled and bombed. Germans got into their trench having blown it up in two places. Captain Conway at once sent a bombing party under 2/Lt Smith & Wooley(?) and drove the Germans back.
Company Sargeant Major Stapleton at once organised a sandbag party and fixed up parapet. What might have proved a serious fight was averted by C Company’s prompt action.
Lt Smith was killed and 3 men, 5 Germans were accounted for by Sgt Thompson, Sgt saw 40 Germans coming over their parapet to reinforce and opened at once, they at once went back…”
The next day in the diary recounts personal General Allenby’s thanks and also that of General John Lindsay Keir:
“6th July: At 5 am our Artillery bombarded the German first line, heavy showers.
B.G.C. Sent the Commanding Officer a letter from General Allenby, Commanding 5th Corps, also one from General KIer, 6th Corps, thanking the CO and C Company for their work. The Germans had belonged to 248th Reserve Regt, 100 men of the Rifle Brigade work for us, wind in the s. west…”
A copy of the letter is in the diary which reads from General Allenby:
“My dear Keir, will you please accept and convey to the Officer Commanding the North Staffordshire Regiment in appreciation of and on the gratitude for the gallant behaviour of Lieut Smith of that Regiment with his Grenadier Party, who came to the support of the 41st Bde yesterday morning, in counter attack on the Germans who had demolished a barricade and rushed a trench on the left of our line. I wished to also express our deep sorrow on having that this brave officer has died of his wounds and wanted to offer my sympathy to his Regiment.
Yours sincerely, EHH Allenby,
My dear Harper, will you please communicate this to the Officer Commanding N Staffs and say how well deserved I know this appreciation to be, I hope to see Colonel personally to express to him my feeling with regard to the good work done by his fine battalion and sympathy in the sad loss they have sustained,
Yours Sincerely J.L. Keir
HIS DEATH IN ACTION, THE 1ST BN N STAFFS UNDER ATTACK ON THE GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVE
RQMS Stapleton was killed in action on 21st March 1918, the day that the Germans launched the “German Spring Offensive”, both he and his Commanding Officer Captain Conway, failed to survive the war.
Due to the extensive casualties received by the Battalion on this day and the 2 week long retreat they were forced into, Stapleton’s body was sadly properly interred and he is now commemorated on Panel 67 and 68 of the Pozieres Memorial.
The Regimental History recalls his death, and the sad note that he was finally convinced to return to England and take up a Commission to became an officer:
“On 21st March 1918, so shattered the Battalion that it was never quite the same again, though, as will be seen, the new Battalion, which of necessity had to be built up, still had plenty of fight left in it.
All the old hands who had been with it continuously since the beginning of the war no had disappeared.
A single shell had killed both regimental Quartermaster Sergeant Stapleton and Sergeant Sexton, the Pioneer Sergeant, at the Transport Lines, whilst the RSM Brough had been killed at Battalion HQ.
The sad part of it was that both Brough and Stapleton were due to return to England preparatory to taking commissions, which they had at last been persuaded to accept, and for which they were both eminently fitted…
…Quartermaster Stapleton had started the war as a Company Sergeant Major and had proved himself on many occasions to be a very gallant and efficient soldier.”
The war diary for this period, contains in great details various personal accounts of the few survivors who survived the onslaught of the offensive, one such narrative was “obtained from 2nd Let and Captain A. Peacock, the only officer of the Battalion who remained with the Battalion from 21st March until the battalion was relieved on April 6th.”
He recalls the day that Stapleton fell as:
Please note the hand-written account is hard to decipher exactly.
“On the morning of March 21st 1918, the date of the German Attack on a 50 mile front from Arras to La Frere, C Company under Lt FSW Shute less 2 platoons, which had been sent to re-inforce A Company in Esselin Redoubt, were the company in reserve and located in the Village of Maissemy, situated some 2 1.2 miles N.E. of Vermand. During the early morning there was a thick mist which lasted until late at the day rendering it impossible to see more than 50 yards.
The enemy fire a heavy bombardment at 4.30 am, sending over at the same time a large number of gas shells, so that the troops were obliged to wear their gas helmets from the time the shelling had began, until they became breathable as they did after some showers.
It is worthy to note that C Company’s casualties from the preliminary bombardment were practically nil.
From early hours all the communications to the forward companies had suffered to C Company had no idea of what was happening or whether the enemy had or had not attacked, in fact the first clue that anything as afoot was the sound of rifle and machine gun fire coming from both sides. The time was approximately 11 am when the company took up a different position on an around Maissemy in which position they formed an irregularly shaped square.
This position was maintained until the garrison was entirely surrounded, when a withdrawal towards the brown line was ordered. The first move was to … ….
Withdrawing to this position C Company first casualties increased from rifle and machine gun fire and a certain number of men were surrounded and taken prisoners, however the enemy did not have all his own way and heavy casualties were inflicted on him by our rifle and L.G. Fire.”
The West Surrey Times, 4th May 1918 Obituary:
“RQMS STAPLETON KILLED
Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant A.W. Stapleton, North Staffordshire Regiment, son of Mr and Mrs A.W. Stapleton, 6 Upperton Road, Guildford, was killed in action in France on March 21st.
He had seen 19 years service with the Army, having been through the Boer War, for which he received 2 medals.
He orginally enlisted in the 2nd Battalion of the Staffordshire Regiment – the old 98th, in which his father served – and afterwards transferred to the 1st Battalion.
He went out to France in 1914, as Company Sergeant Major, and took part at Poperinghe in 1915, he was awarded the DCM and the Russian St George’s 1st Class.
He had seen a great deal of fighting on the Western Front, and had passed through unscathed until he fell in action at the commencement of the great German Offensive.”
During October 1913, Stapleton left his post a Sergeant Instructor to the Uttoxeter Territorials, the 6th Battalion North Staffs Regt, on the occasion there a packed room who held him a dinner in his honour and present him a walking stick with an engraved shield.
A snippet of the event when the stick was presented reads:
“Col Sergt Collyer then proposed the health of Sergeant Stapleton, and said he knew he was speaking for himself when he said he was sorry that it was necessary to part with him, for the Company had made rapid strides while he had been instructor, not only in drill and musketry, but sociability as well. It was necessary for the well being of the Company that the instructor should be strict on parade and popular off, and Sergeant Stapleton was both, as the crowded room that night testified. It was wonderful considering the short time Sergeant Stapleton had been with the, how he had crept into the heart of man.”
