Ellis Welwood Sifton
Lance-Sergeant, 18th Battalion. Western Ontario Regiment. Canadian Expeditionary Force
- Register No.
- 1144 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Lance-Sergeant all Lance-Sergeants →
- Unit
- 18th Battalion. Western Ontario Regiment. Canadian Expeditionary Force (register: 18th Battalion, CEF) all CEF VCs →
- Date of action
- 9 April 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- the 18th June 1917 on this day → all of 1917 →
- Born
- 12th October 1891 at Wallacetown, Ontario, Canada
- Died
- in action on 9th April 1917 at Neuville-St-Vaast, France
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- at Lichfield Crater Cemetery, Thelus, France
- Medal held by
- the Elgin County Pioneer Museum, St Thomas,
Digest of citation
During an attack on enemy trenches at Neuville-St-Vaast, France, on 9th April 1917, Lance Sergeant Sifton's company received many casualties when they were held up by machine gun fire. There sergeant, having located the gun, single-handedly charged at it and killed all the crew. A small party of Germans moved down the trench towards him, these he held off using his bayonet and his rifle, as a club, until his comrades arrived. He was killed by a dying German, who rolled over, picked up and aimed a rifle at Lance Sergeant Sefton, during this action. His conspicuous Valour contributed greatly to the success of the operation and undoubtedly saved many lives
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
SIFTON, Ellis Welwood. (reg No. 1144).
Lance-Sergeant. 18th Battalion. Western Ontario Regiment. Canadian Expeditionary Force.
London Gazetted on the 18th June 1917.
VC Medal's Custodian is the Elgin County Pioneer Museum, St Thomas, Ontario, Canada.
Born on 12th October 1891 at Wallacetown, Ontario, Canada.
Killed in action on 9th April 1917 at Neuville-St-Vaast, France.
Memorial on grave at Lichfield Crater Cemetery, Thelus, France.
Digest of Citation reads: During an attack on enemy trenches at Neuville-St-Vaast, France, on 9th April 1917, Lance Sergeant Sifton's company received many casualties when they were held up by machine gun fire. There sergeant, having located the gun, single-handedly charged at it and killed all the crew. A small party of Germans moved down the trench towards him, these he held off using his bayonet and his rifle, as a club, until his comrades arrived. He was killed by a dying German, who rolled over, picked up and aimed a rifle at Lance Sergeant Sefton, during this action. His conspicuous Valour contributed greatly to the success of the operation and undoubtedly saved many lives.
Ontario, Canada.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at Lichfield Crater Cemetery, Thelus, France
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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