Death Memorial

[bootss911]

As in the picture posted by Sabrigade I too have one of these "Death Memorial Plaques" or whatever they are properly referred to and am trying to locate or find out more information on this item. If anyone can help me with this I would appreciate any help you can give me with this.

boots911@zeuter.com

With Regards,

Brenda

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Brenda,

Welcome to G.M.I.C.

can you share some more info about the objects,

perhaps a picture or two, what details are on them?

The Memorial Plaques are commonly referred to as

"Dead Mens Penny's" a very few were to women as well.

Kevin in Deva.

[bootss911]

Hallo Brenda,

Welcome to G.M.I.C.

can you share some more info about the objects,

perhaps a picture or two, what details are on them?

The Memorial Plaques are commonly referred to as

"Dead Mens Penny's" a very few were to women as well.

Kevin in Deva.

Hi Kev;

Okay I have managed to get a picture of the "Plaque". This was given to the family of my great Uncle Owen Lafferty. He was in Argile & Sutherland Highlanders and died in Arras, France 23 April 1917. I have since found that he was buried in Dury Crucifix Cemetery which is apparently 17 or so KM East of Arras , France. So I am told. My Grandmother ended up with this "plaque" and passed it onto my Father. It was my Grandmother's Brother. I am having difficulty on many fronts tracing my family but did find this and was told of his whereabouts as far as burial although I do not have a picture of the Grave. I do have in my possession this "Plaque" and wanted to find out more about it.

Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thanks also for the warm welcome!

With Regards,

Brenda

[Kev in Deva]

Brenda's Item, for Owen Lafferty, Argile & Sutherland Highlanders.

BRONZE MEMORIAL PLAQUE AND SCROLL:-

Following the end of the Great War, a bronze Memorial Plague and Commemorative Scroll were issued to the next-of-kin of those who died on active service in a theater of operations between the 4th of August 1914 and the 11th of November 1918.

The single exception to this involved soldiers who had been executed under a sentence of death following a Court Martial.Plaques were also provided for a period of seven years after the Armistice in the case of individuals who died as a result of wounds or service incurred illness or accident.

They were not, however, granted in respect to officers and other ranks who died, following the withdrawal from services for special employment in the fields such as munitions, war materials, industries, agriculture and similar occupations.

On the other hand they were presented to the next-of-kin of those who died on active service with the Home Establishment as a result of accident, sickness, or even suicide (". . . except where the deaths are accompanied by particular disgraceful circumstances", War Office, December. 1919, "Regulations regarding issue")

The Memorial Plaque was designed by Mr. E. Carter Preston, whose prize-winning entry was reported in the Times of the 20th March, 1918 and illustrated in The Illustrated London News of 6, 20th of April 1918.

Plaques were manufactured under the direction of Mr. Manning Pike at the Memorial Plaque Factory, 54/56 Church Road, Acton, London, W.3. This has long since been closed since similar plagues were not issued after World War 2.

There is some uncertainty as to the number of plaques issued, indeed, as is typically the case, the number directly or eventually fatal British casualties remains open to question, even now, according to Terraine (1980) the British Official History gives a figure of 996,230, whereas the total reported by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is 1,114,786.

Consequently, even the most reliable estimates of fatal British casualties differ by over 180;000 McInnes (1997) states that about 1,355,000 Plaques were manufactured and issued. Included in this number are some 600 to women classed among the fatal casualties serving in, or with the British Forces.

Great care was taken in the distribution of these plaques, they were not for example issued to the legatees named in wills in preference to legitimate next-of-kin. When no living relative could be traced, individuals who acted in loco parentis (e.g. step-parents, legal guardians, governors of orphanages etc.. ) might receive them, so might a legitimate fiancee or remarried widow.

The plaque is 12cm in diameter, of bronze, and beautifully executed. The central figure, a robed. right facing Britannia holds in her right hand a trident symbolic of British naval supremacy. The maritime motif is also indicated by the two dolphins.

In front of Britannia stands a British Lion, snarling defiance, while at the base of the plaque a smaller lion attacks an eagle, symbol of the major Central Powers. Below her outstretched left hand, which holds a memorial wreath, the name of the deceased appears in raised letters within a box below the wreath.

The periphery of the plaque carries the following inscription: "HE (SHE) DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR."

Each plaque weighed about 0.75 lb, and McInnes has roughly estimated that 450 tons of bronze were used in their manufacture.

Later, I will add some information with regards the Award Document.

Kevin in Deva. :beer:

[bootss911]

Kevin;

Thank you so much for what you have been able to provide. My father and I were very happy to receive and read this information. Now i just have to figure out how to "print" it so I can save it for my file. It is absolutely wonderful that you had all this information on it.

Again with Thanks,

Brenda

[leigh kitchen]

Here's great uncle's Medal Index Card - arrived France on 9/7/1915, entitled to the 1914 - 15 Star, British War MEdal & Victory Medal.

The 11th Battalion of the A & SH went to France on this date, they were reduced to a cadre on 9/6/1918 & disbanded on26/8/1918.

From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site, which you have probably looked at by the sound of it :

Casualty Details

Name: LAFFERTY

Initials: O

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lance Corporal

Regiment/Service: Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

Unit Text: 11th Bn.

Date of Death: 23/04/1917

Service No: S/4823

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: I. J. 6.

Cemetery: DURY CRUCIFIX CEMETERY

Cemetery Details

Cemetery: DURY CRUCIFIX CEMETERY

Country: France

Locality: unspecified

Location Information: Dury is a village about 17 kilometres east-south-east of Arras. Travelling from Arras Centre, take the N39 Arras-Cambrai road for approximately 16.5 kilometres, where you turn left along D956. On this road take the first right fork of the Y Junction at 900 metres. Take the first right at 650 metres. The cemetery lies on the left side of this road 100 metres from the junction.

Historical Information: The cemetery was begun by Canadian units (mainly the 46th and 47th Battalions) immediately after the capture of the village, and it contained at the Armistice 72 graves (now in Plot I, Rows A and B). It was then enlarged by the concentration of graves from the battlefields of April and May, 1917, and March, August and September, 1918, North and West of Dury, plus the following cemetery:- ESSEX CEMETERY, ETERPIGNY, was on the South side of the village of Eterpigny and contained the graves of 33 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in September, 1918, 19 of whom belonged to the 2nd Essex, and ten to the 2nd Seaforths. There are 2058 First World War casualties buried in this site. Of these, 1766 are unidentified. This cemetery was designed by G H Goldsmith.

No. of Identified Casualties: 292

The commemoration certificate is here:

http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=254165

Edited April 16, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

There are two sets of Service Papers recorde in the "Ancestry.co.uk" website, definitely him, indexed as one set of 2 x pages & one of 23 x pages (one to the Gordon Highlanders, one to the Argylls) , but actually they form one set of 23 pages.

Some of the detail recorded:

One copy of the front sheet of his papers has him as Argylls, another as Gordon Highlanders, this unit being dlined through & altered to Argylls.

He signed up on 8/9/1914 at Dumbarton at the age of 23 years & 9 months, a labourer.

He joined the Argylls Depot at Stirling on 9/9/1914, posted to the 11th Bn, joined the Expeditionary Force on 9/7/1915, appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 18/11/1915, returned to the Depot on 8/3/1916, posted to 13th Bn on 16/5/16, returned to 11th Bn & Expeditionary Force on 19/8/1916, appointed paid Lance Corporal on 24/152/1906, died on or since, as a Lance Corporal 23/4/1917.

Service at Home & Abroad:

On one page is shown:

Home 8/9/1914 - 8/7/1915

France 9/7/1915 - 12/3/1916

Home 13/3/1916 - 23/4/1917

Wounded 2/9/1916

On another is shown:

Home 8/9/1914 - 8/7/1915

EF France 9/7/1915 - 12/3/1916

Home 13/3/1916 - 16/7/1916

EF France 14/8/1906

Next of Kin father, Mr Charles Lafferty, address deleted & new address of 14, College St entered.

On another page, the address is shown as 17, Townsend Road, Dumbarton.

Height 5' ?", weight 145 lb, chest 39" when fully expanded, range of expansion 2 1/2"

Fresh complexion, hazel eyes, black hair.

Edited April 16, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

A receipt addressed to Mr C. Lafferty, 14 College St, for him to sign & return to acknowledge receipt of the commemoration scroll, signed by Charles Lafferty on 9/4/1920.

A declaration giving details of next of kin, to enable the plaque & scroll to be sent to n.o.k.

Posted to Mr C. Lafferty, 14, College St, Dumbarton, on 15/7/1919, the declaration is signed by Margaret Lafferty.

THe n.o.k are listed as:

Father: Charles Lafferty, 14, College St, Dumbarton

Mother: Margaret (Smith) Lafferty of above address

Brothers, Full Blood:

Charles, aged 36, of 250 Bank Place (?) somewher I can't make out

Jack, aged 34 of 14, College St, Dumbarton

Harry, aged 34, address unknown

Peter, aged 30, George St, Glasgow

Owen, aged 28, Deceased

Hume, aged 26, 13, Lansdown Rd, Swindon, Wilts

Louis, aged 24, 101, High Street, Dumbarton

Sisters, Full Blood:

Joan R. Lafferty, aged 21, 14 College St, Dumbarton

Margaret G (S?) Lafferty, aged 18 (15?), 14, College St

Catherine Lafferty, aged 15, 14 College St

A memorandum to Officer in Charge of Infantry Records, Perth, from C Harris, Assistant Financial Secretary at the War Office, stating that any property of or medals due to Owen Lafferty be forwarded to Mr C. Lafferty, 14, College St, Dumbarton.

[leigh kitchen]

Active Service Casualty Form recording that Owen Lafferty of D Coy 11th Bn A & SH was sent from 3rd General Hospital at Le Treport, France, to England, suffering from Trench Feet in March 1916 (on the "SS Dieppe"?)

Elsewhere, it's noted that he was admitted to The County of London War Hospital, Epsom, on 13/3/1916, suffering from trench feet.

In August 1916 he joined No. 19 Infantry Base Depot, from 11th Bn A & SH.

9/9/1916 he was wounded in action, I'm having trouble reading the entries, but I think they refer to "sheel burst" causing injury to the right leg & he rejoined his unit the following day.

On 5/6/1917 he is recorded as "Wounded & MIssing", & on 12/2/1918 as "Now regarded for official purposes as having died on or since".

[leigh kitchen]

"Soldiers Died" on "Ancestry" gives the following detail:

The index shows:

Name: Owen Lafferty

Birth: Dumbarton

Death: 23 Apr 1917 - France & Flanders

Military: Aldershot

Residence: Dumbarton

The actual entry shows:

Name: Owen Lafferty

Birth Place: Dumbarton

Residence: Dumbarton

Death Date: 23 Apr 1917

Rank: L/Corporal

Regiment: Princess Louise's (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders)

Battalion: 11th Battalion.

Number: S/4823

Type of Casualty: Killed in action

Theater of War: Aldershot

Interesating that he's Wounded & Missing on 23/4/1917, later officially assumed to have died on or since that date, but instead of "France" where he would have been killed at Arras, he's "Killed in Action Theatre of WarAldershot".

Edited April 16, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[Michael Johnson]

There is a notorious glitch on "Soldiers Died" on Ancestry that make Aldershot the deadliest place in Europe.

[bootss911]

RE: Owen Lafferty

I know I have said this in "Private" messages to some of my respondents however; I would like to post here for all member of this board a small message of thanks to everyone here at Military Interests Board.

I can not express well enough in words how much I appreciate the help of everyone here and what it in turn has meant to my father. With the help of wonderful people here; I was able to close a chapter or at least bring a pleasant conclusion to part of my fathers memories. It was always believed in his family or to his understanding; that his Uncle had never been found after being declared dead. With the help of many I have been able to show him that not only was he found but he was also buried in a Cemetery in France.

Also with the help of people here I was able to present him with a history of the Memorial Death Plaque - Commonly referred to [i'm told] as "The Dead Man's Penny". That was wonderful. I was having too many problems to mention trying to find my family and trace them; until I met the wonderful people at this site and I just wanted to Acknowledge that fact and give credit where credit is due. I'm sure many of you don't hear it or don't hear it enough! So from the bottom of my Heart; "Thank you for being such wonderful people and thank you for all the help you provide here on this site!

As an added bonus I have met a very nice a helpful person here who was able to track down my Great Uncle's Service records and I can't express how absolutely awesome it was reading through his service records. I almost had a sense of personally knowing him even though I was not born; at the time that he died in the line of duty. I am so proud to have this information on my family member now. With all the wonderful people here; and all the wonderful ones I have already encountered; I can't wait to see what the rest of my family was up to! Thank you with all my heart!

Feel free to Re-Post this in other areas of the site as well, as I am sure there are people throughout the site who deserve recognition and thanks for the help they provide to everyone.

Sincerely and with Regards,

Brenda Doyle-Emery :beer:

Edited April 16, 2009 by bootss911