Resarching Death Plaque

[christerd]

Just want to have some help with researching a "Dead mans penny" I have resarched Victory medals earlier but then I have a number and rank and name

on this plaque I only have first and last name ??

Name is Peter Watt , where should I look? Is there some KIA database on the net ? I supoose thoose who got theese plaques was killed early in war or ?

Grateful for every info I can get

Regards from Sweden

Christer

[Ed_Haynes]

The place to start is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website (not perferct, but they try hard):

http://www.cwgc.org/

The problem comes with common names. There are four "Peter Watt"s. And there's no way to know which is which.

There is also the "Soldiers Died" CD, but I don't have it (as it is restricted to Europeans). But witha common name, and no otyher information, the same problems will exist.

Maybe others can help you target.

[perce]

Problem is you have a non unique name

The style of the H in "he died" may let you know if it's a naval plaque or an army/raf one (can't remember if it's a thin H for the army or a thin H for the Navy"

Perce

[RWF]

Hi Christer

There are at least five soldiers with this exact name :

S/40216 Pte 11th Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, KIA 9/4/1917

2652 Pte 7th Bn Gordon Highlanders KIA 12/11/1916

S/3180 Pte 8th Bn Black Watch KIA 27/9/1915

1477 L/Cpl 5th Bn K.O.S.B Died 16/1/1917

281596 Pte 7th Bn Highland Light Infantry

Have not checked for Naval or Air Force etc.

The above names come form a published source called "Soldiers Died in the Great War"

Richard

[leigh kitchen]

Just out of interest, 22 x Peter Watts (exact name) on Medal Index Cards on "Ancestry".

When I get the time I'll run through & post the cards for the fatalities.

[leigh kitchen]

OK, S/40216 Pte 11th Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, KIA 9/4/1917:

[christerd]

:jumping:

Wow ! Thanks everyone, four answers almost instantly

This is my firts Death Plaque so I have a lot to learn, the seller was from Scotland so there could be a Scottish Connection.

Fantastic, I will try to find the CD mentioned.

Thanks again , you made my day

Christer

[leigh kitchen]

2652 Pte 7th Bn Gordon Highlanders KIA 12/11/1916 (date of death on this MIC is given as 13/11/16) Note his number has "/7" on the end of it, presumably a battalion suffix rather than the usual battalion prefix:

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

All 5 of the men RWF has listed were in Scottish regiments.

S/3180 Pte 8th Bn Black Watch KIA 27/9/1915

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

1477 L/Cpl 5th Bn K.O.S.B Died 16/1/1917:

[leigh kitchen]

281596 Pte 7th Bn Highland Light Infantry:

[Tony]

This site may be of interest http://www.cwgc.co.uk/Plaque-history.htm

There is also the "Soldiers Died" CD, but I don't have it (as it is restricted to Europeans). But witha common name, and no otyher information, the same problems will exist.

Maybe others can help you target.

I didn't know that but surely you mean anyone with a European delivery address.

Tony

[Ed_Haynes]

I didn't know that but surely you mean anyone with a European delivery address.

No, it only includes Europeans, no Indian Army (my interest).

[Tony]

No, it only includes Europeans, no Indian Army (my interest).

Oh silly me must remember to have a long break after cycling home from work, going online and making comments.

Just imagine the ridiculous sales price if all Commonwealth/Empire troops including airforce and navy were included.

Tony

[RWF]

Having had a closer look through the Naval and Air Force casualties it looks like there is only one other candidate t

WATT, PETER

Rank: Boatswain (Bosun)

Mercantile Marine

S.S. "Harberton" (London)

Age: 45

Date of Death: 29/03/1917

Additional information: Son of the late James and Agnes Watt; husband of Mary Jane Watt (nee Garrick) of New Westminster Cottage, Galberwick, Lerwick, Shetlands. Born at Sandness, Shetlands.

So realistically it looks like the plaque you have is a toss up between the five soldiers and the Mercantile Marine man. As they all come from Scotland, your waters are a very muddied for attributing the correct person to this plaque.

Edited July 29, 2008 by RWF

[christerd]

Thanks all for your help, after many hours of trying to read old German names and very very very seldom finding anything its feel like christmas when

you actually can read something and get down to 5-6 candidates

And that?s probably as close as I ever will get to this Peter Watt, its sad when you realize that most of the other soldiers whose ribbon bars I collect

got home again and lived at least into the 1930s but all of the "Penny" recivers didn?t......

Thank you again for all help and all the best from Sweden

Christer

[leigh kitchen]

Did the Mercantile Marine have the same variation of the "H" as the Royal Navy?

[Tony]

Did the Mercantile Marine have the same variation of the "H" as the Royal Navy?

According to the link above (which unfortunately doesn't mention the MN)

NAVAL TYPE SMALL "H"?

The "Narrow H" type plaque is often mistakenly referred to as the "Naval type small H". This is utter nonsense, although it would be true to say that the majority of Naval plaques have the narrow "H". In reality, Naval plaques can have either a wide or a narrow "H". Army plaques too may have either type, but the Narrow "H" appears to be more common for Territorial units, Royal Engineers & the Royal Fusiliers/London Regiments.

Below are five examples of unique name plaques manufactured at Woolwich to men of the Royal Navy with the wide type "H"

I've only ever had one narrow H plaque, a possible of 2 men, one RN and one army but couldn't be narrowed down to one or the other. I've never seen a MN plaque so will have to keep my eyes open.

Tony

[Michael Johnson]

I have nothing against non-unique names. Now you have six men to research. I calls it value for your money. And if you ever find medals to one of the six (assuming the plaque doesn't accompany them), you can put them together without fear of contradiction.

[Ed_Haynes]

I have nothing against non-unique names. Now you have six men to research. I calls it value for your money. And if you ever find medals to one of the six (assuming the plaque doesn't accompany them), you can put them together without fear of contradiction.

Yes, 'tis part of what makes collecting to the Indian Army so nice. "Well, this 'Ram Singh' could be any one of the 273 WWI 'Ram Singh' KIAs!"

The saga of the Indian Army plaques is, however, another issue entirely! Oddly, it makes them rare(ish).

[Michael Johnson]

Didn't I read somewhere that those to the 9th Gorkhas were melted down and cast into a bell for the Regimental Centre?

[Ed_Haynes]

Didn't I read somewhere that those to the 9th Gorkhas were melted down and cast into a bell for the Regimental Centre?

I have been told that other Gorkha plaques were used for years as coasters in the (British) officers' bar.

Edited August 5, 2008 by Ed_Haynes

[Tony]

I have been told that other Gorkha plaques were used for years as coasters in the (British) officers' bar.

No surprise there then