22 Daily Express Thursday, August 8, 2019
DX1STBy Berny TorreBy Olive Loveridge-GreeneFuming
Pictures: SWNSStew added: “It’s just so awful his
medals have been taken again in just
a few years.
“They aren’t really worth anything
but it’s the sentimental value.”
Leslie’s wallet, with £45 inside, was
also taken and cases, storing his army
records, passport and birth certificate,
were smashed, although the docu-
ments were not touched.
The centenarian, who has lived in
his home for more than 30 years, said
he did not yet know if more belong-
ings were missing.
PC Hannah Cooper said: “We are
very keen to speak to anyone who
might have information about who is
responsible for this offence, which has
deprived the victim of some items of
sentimental value.”
The medals taken were: General
Service for Palestine 1938; the 1945
Star; General Service 1936-1938;
Italian Star 1939-1945; North Africa
Star 1939-1945 and General Service
1939-1945. Some of the medals have
Mr Stelfox’s war service number on
the back: 4124264.
Those belonging to his late father
were three 1914 campaign medals,
including one for long service and
one relating to HMS Swift, which
would have been awarded for either
saving the ship or someone’s life.
Britain’s 7th Armoured Division
was dubbed the Desert Rats.
Its pivotal victory over the Nazis
in the Western Desert Campaign
allowed Allied forces to continue
their move up towards Italy.
The campaign was made into the
1953 film Desert Rats, starring
Richard Burton and James Mason.Crumbs! Shopper moans
of too many seeds in loaf
The seeded
bloomer
A SHOPPER at “posh” supermarket
Waitrose has been accused of
making the most “middle-class
complaint” ever – by moaning there
were too many seeds in a loaf.
The woman had brought back the
£1.49 bread – with half of it already
eaten – and told a worker its
“character” had changed.
She spent 15 minutes at the
customer service desk in upmarket
Cirencester, Gloucestershire,
before getting a refund on the 800g
Jackson’s seeded bloomer.
One bewildered
shopper said: “I don’t
think you could get a
more middle-class
complaint if you tried. I’ve never
seen anyone take such a firm view
on seeds. The poor customer
service worker had to hear the
history of the woman’s bread-
buying over the years. She really
did seem quite upset.”
Another onlooker added: “I was
quite bemused by the fact she had
eaten half of it.”
Waitrose declined to comment
but Jackson’s marketing manager
Deborah Dyson said: “The only
change we’ve made
to our bread
recently is to
remove palm oil, at
the request of our
customers.”Heartache of war
hero Leslie, 106,
after his medals
are stolen again
Leslie
Stelfox
with
medalsA WAR hero aged 106 has told of his
anguish at having his medals stolen
for the second time in five years.
Leslie Stelfox’s six Second World
War medals have been taken, along
with three First World War medals
belonging to his late father Arthur.
Burglars raided his home in Milton
Regis, Kent, when widower Leslie
was watering his plants.
When his medals were previously
stolen in 2014, police were able to
return them two months later, along
with a watch and some cash.
Leslie served in the Cheshire
regiment during the campaign for
North Africa as one of the heroic
Desert Rats.
He fought against Nazi forces led
by “Desert Fox” Erwin Rommel.
He said: “This is another kick in the
teeth. The medals are no good to any-
body else but they proved I’d done
my bit for the country.”
Leslie discovered they were missing
from his home between 1pm and
3pm on Saturday after he came inside
from his garden.
He said: “It was very quick. I was
in the garden doing my watering. I
didn’t see anyone. When I came back
in, I saw the mess.”
The fuming pensioner said the loss
was like “losing your wedding ring”.
He said: “I am angry. You can
understand people taking money but
they could have left the medals.
“I’d like to get them back. They’re
earmarked for my grandchildren.”
Following the first burglary, three
men – who also lived in Milton Regis
- were jailed. Leslie’s friend Richard
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