Ww1 Memorial Plaque/Death Penny

[DUFFEMS 56]

Without having to trawl through E-Bay does anyone know of a site/seller who lists WW1 Memorial Plaques/death pennies which were awarded to families of servicemen killed in WW1?

My great uncle Harold Norton was killed in WW1 and I assume that there would have been a plaque given to his parents who I know travelled to visit his grave in Belgium after the war.

It's sad that these personal mementoes finish up in the hands of people making profit out of something which will probably have gone astray during house clearances etc.

 

Regards,

Duffems

 

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by DUFFEMS

[retep 68]

2 hours ago, DUFFEMS said:

Without having to trawl through E-Bay does anyone know of a site/seller who lists WW1 Memorial Plaques/death pennies which were awarded to families of servicemen killed in WW1?

My great uncle Harold Norton was killed in WW1 and I assume that there would have been a plaque given to his parents who I know travelled to visit his grave in Belgium after the war.

It's sad that these personal mementoes finish up in the hands of people making profit out of something which will probably have gone astray during house clearances etc.

 

Regards,

Duffems

 

 

Or looking at it another way the person who buys them will be looking after them after paying up to thousands for the privilege.

My grandfathers went "astray" whilst my uncle was moving, they finished up at an auction, hopefully the person who bought them will keep them in good order.

[sadbrewer 20]

3 hours ago, DUFFEMS said:

Without having to trawl through E-Bay does anyone know of a site/seller who lists WW1 Memorial Plaques/death pennies which were awarded to families of servicemen killed in WW1?

My great uncle Harold Norton was killed in WW1 and I assume that there would have been a plaque given to his parents who I know travelled to visit his grave in Belgium after the war.

It's sad that these personal mementoes finish up in the hands of people making profit out of something which will probably have gone astray during house clearances etc.

 

Regards,

Duffems

 

 

Hi Duffems

    I used to be of the same opinion, but as retep has pointed out the market in them means that at least there's a chance for them to become available for return to families...even if you have to buy them back. A friend of mine worked in a scrap yard and he told me they had thousand of medals and plaques go into the melting pot in the 70's and 80's...at least now they are worth more than scrap value.

 As to finding yours there is a magazine...Medal News...that has a tracker section, you have to pay, but it's not a fortune, there is also an online site, can't just remember the name offhand.

The Great thing about WW1 medals is that they are inscribed with name,rank,regiment and number (unlike WW2) which really helps tracing things, unfortunately Memorial plaques just had the surname and often just the initial...they came with a scroll with more detail on.

I've just had a quick look and there were only two Harold Norton's killed in Belgium,

one in the Machine Gun Corps killed in 1918, and one in The London Regiment ( Royal Fusiliers) killed in 1917.

  It is possible though that these things are sat in the drawers of descendents or people who married into the family...sometimes  they don't even recognise the names, particularly when widows remarried.

   I have my Grandad's medals, but his elder brother remarried late in life and his stepdaughter threw everything out...medals, photos letters, memorabilia....the lot.

   There is a chance that you could track down descendents who have them using genealogy....but they may not want to part with them.

 

Is this your chap?

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by sadbrewer

[DUFFEMS 56]

sadbrewer,

Yes that's my great uncle who my grandfather spoke very fondly of being nearest in age to him.

I've been in touch with other family members I know of through family history research and none of them have this plaque and no-one has a photo of him either, sad not to have some evidence of him. His name is inscribed on our Norton family grave at Norton Cemetery which is his parents' grave.

Thanks for the newspaper cutting.

Regards,

Duffems

[johnpm 18]

Do you know where his medals are? The Dead Penny will almost certianly be with them.

[DUFFEMS 56]

Hi johnpm,

I don't know where his medals are either. He was one of 11 children to my great grandparents Frederick Arthur and Ada Norton  and was closest in age to my grandfather Albert born 1900. I lived with my grandfather until I married and he spoke very fondly of the brother he missed but, he didn't have his medals or the plaque. My mum who's now 94 has never seen it even though she visited her Norton relatives often.

I suspect it was misplaced when my great grandmother died  in 1944 and her belongings were divided up according to her will which I have, it isn't mentioned in that will.

This is why I asked if there are any sites which advertise these articles so that relatives can purchase them to come back into the family.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Regards,

Duffems

[AKAMD 0]

Hi Duffems

 

I too am searching for death plaques for three of the four Pridmore brothers killed in WWI; the fourth was my great grandfather. John Thomas, and I have his along with his medals.  He should have a South Africa medal too as he and one of his brothers, Arthur, served in the Boer War, but this is absent.  You mention 'trawling' through ebay listings but you can save a search and receive an email advising of any relevant new listing as I have done.  Simply save a search for 'death penny Norton' and should one be listed with that name you will be informed by email.  Good luck with your search and should anyone out there be aware of any Pridmore plaques or medals please let me know.

[sadbrewer 20]

2 hours ago, AKAMD said:

Hi Duffems

 

I too am searching for death plaques for three of the four Pridmore brothers killed in WWI; the fourth was my great grandfather. John Thomas, and I have his along with his medals.  He should have a South Africa medal too as he and one of his brothers, Arthur, served in the Boer War, but this is absent.  You mention 'trawling' through ebay listings but you can save a search and receive an email advising of any relevant new listing as I have done.  Simply save a search for 'death penny Norton' and should one be listed with that name you will be informed by email.  Good luck with your search and should anyone out there be aware of any Pridmore plaques or medals please let me know.

A 18793 G Pridmore Koyli, later RE, recently went through an auction.

 

Just found this.

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by sadbrewer

[AKAMD 0]

Thanks for these sadbrewer, I haven't seen them before despite extensive research over the years. The Sheffield Independent cutting from August 1916 pictures all of the Pridmore brothers.  W.T. should be J.T. for John Thomas, my great grand father.  He and Arthur Edward, both of 2nd Btn KOYLI, were killed within four days of each other in October 1914; they had served together in the Boer War.  Albert died of his wounds at Bradford Hospital and is buried at Burngreave Cemetery.  George Harry Pridmore was gazetted to Lieutenant and returned to the Front after officer training in Scotland.  Sadly he too was killed in August 1918 on the Cambrai Road.  I know of no other family to lose four or more brothers in Sheffield during either of the world wars.  I would have hoped that this be recognized by the civil authorities but no.  I don't think G Pridmore, despite being in KOYLI, is related.

 

Thanks again for the cuttings, they will be added to my collection.