WW1 Memorial Death Plaque


Memorial Death Plaque WW1

The Government set up a Committee in October 1916 which was to come up with an idea for a commemorative plaque that would be given to the next of kin of those men and women whose deaths were due to the First World War.

Physical Description - The original plaque was a 12 centimetre disk cast in bronze gunmetal, which included an image of Britannia and a lion, two dolphins that represented Great Britain's sea power and the emblem of Imperial Germany's eagle being torn to pieces by another lion. Britannia is holding an oak spray with leaves and acorns. Beneath this was a rectangular tablet where the deceased name was cast into the plaque. No rank was given as it was intended to show equality in their sacrifice. On the outer edge of the disk it bears the inscription, 'He died for freedom and honour'. The memorial plaque was posted to the next of kin protected by a firm cardboard purpose made folder, which was then placed in a white HMSO envelope.

Production of the plaques and scrolls, which was supposed to be financed by German reparation money, began in 1919. They commemorated those who fell between 4th August, 1914 and 10th January, 1920 for home, Western Europe and the Dominions whilst the final date for the other theatres of war or for those died of attributable causes was 30th April 1920.

The next of kin of the 306 British and Commonwealth military personnel who were executed following a Court Martial did not receive a memorial plaque.

Approximately 1,150,000 Plaques were issued.

The next of kin of the following local people would have received the Memorial Plaque.

Abbott
Samuel  b. 1890, d. 1916
Aldous
Thomas  b. 1898, d. 1918
Arbon
Russell George  b. before 1888, d. 1915
Artiss
Frederick William  b. 1898, d. 1917
Montague George  b. 1889, d. 1916
Balaam
Edward George  b. 1919, d. 1943
Francis Ebenezer  b. 1898, d. 1918
Barrett
Frederick  b. 1886, d. 1917
Batchelor
Arthur Elton  b. 1897, d. 1917
Broom
Herbert Edward  b. 1920, d. 1943
Brown
Cyril  b. 1918, d. 1940
Wilfred Harry  b. 1909, d. 1943
Buckingham
Bertie  b. 1895, d. 1917
Collins
Sedley James  b. 1883, d. 1919
Cook
George Matthew  b. 1881, d. 1919
Nathaniel Augustus  b. 1892, d. 1916
Noah Stanley  b. 1888, d. 1918
Craske
Edmund Charles  b. 1892, d. 1917
Curtis
Frederick Robert Sidney  b. 1897, d. 1918
Stanley John  b. 1896, d. 1915
Denny
Christopher Robert  b. 1920, d. 1943
Eade
Basil Stanley  b. 1894, d. 1918
Emeny
Arthur William  b. 1898, d. 1918
Gillings
George Edward  b. 1886, d. 1918
Gooderham
Frederick William  b. 1899, d. 1918
Goodwin
Arthur Walter  b. 1892, d. 1916
Frederick George  b. between 1895 and 1897, d. 1916
Goward
Frederick Ernest Albert  b. 1888, d. 1916
Green
William George  b. 1888, d. 1917
Hailes
Robert  b. 1878, d. 1918
Harvey
William Horace  b. 1892, d. 1918
Hawes
Walter Frederick  b. 1894, d. 1917
Head
Albert Victor  b. 1892, d. 1915
Hubbard
Claude Albert  b. 1896, d. 1916
Huggins
Harry  b. 1892, d. 1917
Kerry
Frederick James  b. 1886, d. 1917
Kitchener
Laflin
Frank  b. 1888, d. 1918
Lummis
Percy Russell  b. 1914, d. 1945
Marchant
Charles Frederic  b. 1894, d. 1918
Marjoram
William  b. 1891, d. 1917
Markwell
Arthur  b. 1873, d. 1915
Marsh
John  b. 1890, d. 1917
Marshall
Claude Albert  b. 1899, d. 1918
Mayes
Frederick  b. 1894, d. 1918
John William  b. 1881, d. 1918
Reginald Victor  b. 1915, d. 1943
Robert George  b. 1888, d. 1918
Miller
Bertie  b. 1891, d. 1917
Herbert Ernest  b. 1896, d. 1916
Moss
William  d. between 1914 and 1918
Offord
Arthur William  b. 1888, d. 1915
Sidney George James  b. 1912, d. 1944
Peck
Spencer  b. 1894, d. 1917
William  b. 1888, d. 1916
Pipe
Harry Ernest  b. 1913, d. 1943
Ray
William Frederick  b. 1890, d. 1917
Rowe
George  b. 1890, d. 1916
Rozier
Ernest David  b. 1883, d. 1916
Ruffles
Stanley William  b. 1899, d. 1918
Salter
Arthur George  b. 1896, d. 1918
Spencer William  b. 1893, d. 1917
Thomas Edward  b. 1890, d. 1918
Smith
Sidney Charles  b. 1910, d. 1941
Snell
Frank Albert  b. 1884, d. 1918
Reginald Frederick  b. 1892, d. 1915
Taylor
Horace  b. 1876, d. 1916
Thompson
Hilary  b. 1892, d. 1917
Thrower
Jack Edward  b. 1897, d. 1916
William Oliver  b. 1898, d. 1916
Wightman
Arthur Victor  b. 1898, d. 1918
Woolnough
Alfred Ernest  b. 1890, d. 1916