In October 2006 I was given the "Next of Kin memorial Plaque". My cousin Joy had died, Teddie was her uncle and her husband kindly gave it to me, via my father, as the family keeper of records. It is a beautiful object of which I knew nothing, but have found a page on the Internet which explains all. The plaque bears his name, Edward James Tuttle.
His mother obviously stuck a small picture of him on the plaque and I can't bring myself to remove it. Somehow it makes it even more poignant.
WW1 Memorial Plaque
Further searching came up with a few more details from a gentleman called Iain Kerr:
The "Next of Kin Memorial Plaque" was given to the relatives of the men and women (the female version is very rare) who died on active service in the Great War and various other related actions and engagements up to July 1922. The 120 mm diameter bronze plaque shows the figure of Britannia bestowing a laurel crown on a rectangular tablet bearing the name of the deceased in raised lettering. In front stands the British lion. The inscription round the circumference reads "HE (or SHE) DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR". The plaque was designed by Edward Carter Preston from Liverpool. If you look, you will see his initials "ECP" alongside the lion's front right paw. Preston won the Government design competition in 1916.
The plaque was made in an extremely difficult casting process - each one cast with the individual's full name - the whole operation was fraught with difficulties. In fact, an American, Manning Pike, was engaged to oversee operations but progress was so slow that they fired him and appointed some Staff Officers in his stead. Within six months they went back to Manning Pike and persuaded him to return.
The records show that Plaques were issued to the over 1,355,000 next of kin of males and 6000 to next of kin of females who were entitled to them. However, it is possible that only about 80% were actually forwarded to the bereaved before the project limped to a halt.
An illuminated Scroll with the deceased's name and unit together with a message from King George V was also sent to the next of kin.
Research sources:Civil Registration,Newspapers,Kelly's Directories,Local Historian Iris Coe(Mattishall),"Norfolk & Suffolk in the Great War",Ian Hook, Keeper of of the Essex Regiment Museum and Royal Norfolk Regiment Association.Men of Gallipoli by Peter Liddle.
Third February 1990.Researched and written by Pauline Dodd . An account of the Life of a Norfolk country boy,son of an agricutural labourer, who drowned in the Agean Sea,Gallipoli, fighting for his country.He was the Great Uncle of the writer.
His mother obviously stuck a small picture of him on the plaque and I can't bring myself to remove it. Somehow it makes it even more poignant.
WW1 Memorial Plaque
Further searching came up with a few more details from a gentleman called Iain Kerr:
The "Next of Kin Memorial Plaque" was given to the relatives of the men and women (the female version is very rare) who died on active service in the Great War and various other related actions and engagements up to July 1922. The 120 mm diameter bronze plaque shows the figure of Britannia bestowing a laurel crown on a rectangular tablet bearing the name of the deceased in raised lettering. In front stands the British lion. The inscription round the circumference reads "HE (or SHE) DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR". The plaque was designed by Edward Carter Preston from Liverpool. If you look, you will see his initials "ECP" alongside the lion's front right paw. Preston won the Government design competition in 1916.
The plaque was made in an extremely difficult casting process - each one cast with the individual's full name - the whole operation was fraught with difficulties. In fact, an American, Manning Pike, was engaged to oversee operations but progress was so slow that they fired him and appointed some Staff Officers in his stead. Within six months they went back to Manning Pike and persuaded him to return.
The records show that Plaques were issued to the over 1,355,000 next of kin of males and 6000 to next of kin of females who were entitled to them. However, it is possible that only about 80% were actually forwarded to the bereaved before the project limped to a halt.
An illuminated Scroll with the deceased's name and unit together with a message from King George V was also sent to the next of kin.
Research sources:Civil Registration,Newspapers,Kelly's Directories,Local Historian Iris Coe(Mattishall),"Norfolk & Suffolk in the Great War",Ian Hook, Keeper of of the Essex Regiment Museum and Royal Norfolk Regiment Association.Men of Gallipoli by Peter Liddle.
Third February 1990.Researched and written by Pauline Dodd . An account of the Life of a Norfolk country boy,son of an agricutural labourer, who drowned in the Agean Sea,Gallipoli, fighting for his country.He was the Great Uncle of the writer.
