Royal engineers "sappers" tunnel rifle

[UNPROFOR1994]

I found some more information about Brigadier Stokes:

Ralph Shelton Griffin Stokes, son of Francis Griffin Stokes, was born in England on 31 July, 1882. Stokes who was privately educated, interrupted his studies to come to South Africa to take part in the Second AngIo-boer War as a trooper in Paget's Horse. An elite unit whose four companies (51st, 52nd, 68th and 73rd) made up the 19th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry.

During the First World War he was in France with the tunneling companies and as controller of mines with the rank of colonel of the First Army. He also was chief engineer of the Expeditionary Forces in North Russia from 1918 to 1919.

When the Second World War broke out, he returned to England to offer his services to the War office. He was first sent to Narvik and then to the Western Desert as chief engineer in charge of construction of airfields with Montgomery's Eight Army. He rose to the rank of brigadier and was awarded the CBE, in 1942.

In the course of the two world wars, he was mentioned in dispatches no fewer than seven times. He recorded some of his war-time experiences entitled 'Our Arctic Campaigns Archangel 1918-1919; Narvik 1940' in the Royal Engineers Journal.

Source: http://www.saimm.co.za/about-saimm/b...memorial-award