256731 Pte. Gordon James "Shuff" Shufflebotham British Army 551st Army Troops Coy. Royal Engineers from:4 Crescent, Macclesfield My dad, Gordon James Shufflebotham, was an electrician for the Electricity Board in Macclesfield. He lived at Churchside, Macclesfield then with my mum, Winifred Mary Gibson, her maiden name. Then lived at 4 The Crescent, Huddersfield Rd., Macclesfield. I understand he was a Sapper. I know he was in Tobruk in 1941. I found a letter headed Company Orders by Major F.E.T. Hart, Officer Commanding 551 Army Troops Coy. RE. Letter dated 22nd Dec 1941. Regarding another letter, from Adv. H.Q. Eighth Army MEF, dated 19th Dec., saying now RE company about to leave Tobruk fortress. "I would like to thank all under your command for maintaining essential services under dangerous conditions and for your bomb disposal with improvised equipment dealing with over 700 bombs", and so it continued, then signed N.M. Ritchie, Lieut. General G.O.C in C. Eighth Army. He left mum and us 2 kids when I was 9, I am 72 now and only saw him twice in 50 years. I give him the benefit of the doubt and think the war changed him completely, anyway while I am still alive I thought he deserved a mention for his war effort.
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