Lost memorials for Kiwi WWI diggers unearthed

Friday, 3 April 2015

The lost memorials to three New Zealand soldiers who died in World War I have been unearthed from the bottom of a box in the City Archives - almost a century after they were issued.

Three sets of medals, memorial plaques, scrolls, and letters from King George V, have been discovered after they never reached the families of the dead soldiers. Two illuminated certificates of service - an illustrated certificate sent to the families of Kiwi servicemen - were also found.

The trove was uncovered at the bottom of a box of Union Steam Ship Company records, marked as World War I accounts and records.

Medals uncovered included, from left, one 1914-15 Star, two Victory Medals and three British War Medals.

It is believed they date back to shortly after the war ended in 1918.

Archive support assistant Avon MacDonald had been working through the box in the hopes of finding any pictures that could be used by Wellington City Council as part of its World War I centenary commemorations.

Each of the soldiers was sent a scroll acknowledging their service and a bronze memorial plaque. The plaque was packaged in two envelopes and had a receipt and a letter from King George V.

When she spied an illuminated certificate she recognised its significance and, digging deeper, uncovered the other medals and plaques - many still in their original boxes and envelopes.

Archivist Susan Skudder said it was a 'pretty unique collection'. Seeing all the parts together was unusual, and it was especially unusual to see how the medals and plaques were packaged for delivery, some with the handwritten envelopes and stamps still intact.

'These are the kind of things that people just throw away.'

The memorial plaques - also known as death plaques or widows' pennies - and medals were sent to families of all servicemen after the war, and were accompanied by a letter signed by the king and a receipt, and a scroll marking the man's service. All the parts were sent separately but were meant to be displayed together, Skudder said.

The king's letters came tucked inside the envelope with the plaque, and read 'I join with my grateful people in sending you this memorial of a brave life given for others in the Great War.'

One was sent for every Commonwealth soldier killed in the war.

It appeared the army had attempted to send the honours to the three soldiers' families but had been unable to find them. Two, Francis Desmond and James Lovell, had given incomplete details for next of kin, but Percy Burton had listed his wife and multiple attempts were made to find her.

After being unable to find anyone, the honours were passed on to the men's employer, the Union Steam Ship Company, which agreed to 'hold them in trust'.

When the company closed its records went to what is now the Museum of City & Sea, and eventually passed to the council-owned City Archives.

It was amazing to be able to see the process the army went through to make sure someone looked after the medals and plaques, Skudder said, with evidence that one was even hand-delivered.

They had also been able to discover details about the men.

'We know what happened to these men, we know when they enlisted, we know who they said their next-of-kin were even though the army then couldn't find them.'

But she doubted whether family could be found today.

Returned and Services Association president BJ Clark said it was an amazing story and he hoped a relative might come forward. Family members increasingly took pride in wearing their relatives' medals, and it would be particularly poignant to reconnect these with someone 100 years after the war. 'I think it's imperative that relatives of these medals are found because I'm sure someone out there will take so much pride in putting them on and wearing them on Anzac Day.'

MacDonald said, regardless, the discovery and research about the three men had given them back an identity. 'They're not a statistic.'

ARE YOU RELATED TO THE SOLDIERS?

PERCY BURTON

Born in 1881 in London, England, he served as a machine gunner in the NZ Machine Gun Battalion. He died in May 1918, in an English service hospital of wounds received in action in France or Belgium. He was buried in Brookwood Cemetery. His service record shows repeated attempts were made to locate his next-of-kin: wife Selena Dorothy Burton. Several addresses were tried, with the first being c/o the Verdun Dining Room in Featherston. The medals were returned from one address in 1921, and the scroll was returned unclaimed. He received a plaque and scroll, the English War Medal, the Victory Medal and an illuminated certificate of service.

FRANCIS DESMOND

Born in Ireland in 1886, he enlisted while working as a seaman for the Union Steam Ship Company. He served in the Otago Regiment in Egypt and France and was killed in action in June 1917. He had nominated his fiancee, May Booth, as his next of kin. Her address was given as c/o Post Office, Ophir, Central Otago. His legal next of kin was 'unknown'. He received a plaque and scroll, the English War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1914-1915 Star. He also received an illuminated certificate of service.

JAMES LOVELL

Born in England in 1874, he had already served in the 1st and 2nd Border Regiment. He enlisted in January 1915 and recorded his address as 'Sailors' Home, Auckland'. He was sent to Samoa as part of the Samoa Relief force, where he died of pleurisy and pericarditis, on May 20, 1915. His brother, William Lovell, was his next of kin and the address stated 'Calcutta, India'. He received the English War Medal, a plaque and a scroll. His illuminated certificate of service was issued and 'held'.