adrianmartin59 Posted 12 August , 2009 Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Has anyone seen one of these before? It is made from a single piece of aluminium and looks to be hand made and hand engraved. The date on the back is 1916 so I am assuming (hoping) that it is WW1 related. I wonder if it is made from a piece of trench debris or something. http://s801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/a...w1cross0002.jpg http://s801.photobucket.com/albums/yy291/a...w1cross0003.jpg We have had it in the family for as long as I can remember, but my parents can't remember where it came from. We have at least two family members who fought in WW1, both were killed in 1918 so it is possibly WW1 related. Any help appreciated. Adrian P.S. I hope my links to photobucket have worked? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 12 August , 2009 Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Regards last sentance in your post - No! Love to see the images. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianmartin59 Posted 12 August , 2009 Author Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Sorry, links didn't work. Try again. Forum / Photbucket novice! Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 12 August , 2009 Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Thanks Adrian, hardly a novice when you are able to post the pics!. Very nice piece and although I am in no way an expert this must be a genuine article. Thanks for posting Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-ted Posted 12 August , 2009 Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Adrian, nice little cross. Classic engraving marks and as you know the history of it (in the family for years) I would guess it will be genuine. It may have been made during the war or as a souvenir for tourists in the 1920's. Either way a nice piece. Regards John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianmartin59 Posted 12 August , 2009 Author Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Thanks John. I wondered if anyone else has one of these or has seen one before. If it was a souvenir after the war, would it be marked 1914 - 1918? I wondered why it is marked 1916. Anyway, thanks for the reply, glad you liked it. This is a great way to share these keep-sakes that normally stay in a drawer somewhere and forgotten about. Regards Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 12 August , 2009 Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Adrian, just a tought! If it is made from alumiium could it have been carved from a piece of a crashed Zepplin? Years ago I saw articles/souveniers carved from bits of the Cuffley Zepplin that was brought down in September 1916! I know that thousands of members of the public turned up to view the wreckage and I am sure many took a lit memento or two home with them! However having France carved on it throws my suggestion off a little bit, unless off course it came down in France! Good luck with getting to the bottom of this little mystery! Regards, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianmartin59 Posted 12 August , 2009 Author Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Hi Scottie That's an interesting thought. I will check up where it came down and do a quick search on any other artifacts. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 12 August , 2009 Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Adrian, there is a memorial to the man who shot it down and won the VC for it, Leefe Robinson. The memorial is on The Ridgeway, Cuffley, Hertfordshire, if i remember correctly the Zep came down in what was fields behind the Plough Pub. It was in September 1916, however quite a few Zep's came down so if it came from an airframe it could have come from any of them? Good luck, let us know how you get on! Regards, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 12 August , 2009 Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Adrian, I googled 'zeppelin cuffley souvenirs' and came up with some interesting sites which may prove helpful if you want to give it a try. Regards and best wishes, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianmartin59 Posted 12 August , 2009 Author Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Scottie Just "googled" it. The google images came up with some similar artifacts so you may be right. The Cuffley Zeppelin was also reported as being a Wooden Framed Shutte Lanz, so maybe not from that particular one. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 12 August , 2009 Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Adrian, according to one of the links it was not strictly a Zepplin either! The Cuffley Zepplin was the basis of a slight disagreement between my late Uncle & myself! Accepted Family legend states the the Cuffley Zep flew over our house in Edmonton, North London as my Mother was born! before being shot down. When I started to research it there was a difference by several days in dates to my Mum's birthday and the incident at Cuffley. Subsequently I discovered the day my Mum was born, 24th September 1916 another Zep was shot down in Little Wigborough, Essex after passing over North London. Obviously this explained my Uncles recolection of events, however even when I showed him the evidence he would not accept it! He would just say "I was there son, I know I am right! (Think I have inherited his stubborn streak!) Anyway I have waffled on, good luck with your enquiries! Regards, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 12 August , 2009 Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Are you sure it is aluminium? The reason I ask is the small square that appears welded on. Welding aluminium requires some quite advanced bits of kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianmartin59 Posted 13 August , 2009 Author Share Posted 13 August , 2009 I am sure it is Aluminium. I thought the marks around the square were cutting or filing marks, I thought it may have been made from a solid single piece. It must have taken some time to make by hand. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted 13 August , 2009 Share Posted 13 August , 2009 Adrian, What a beautiful item, I have a similar one in the shape of a heart bearing the legend ‘Serbia 1917’, mine is definitely aluminium. Re. centurion’s comment…could it be carved out in relief rather than soldered? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 13 August , 2009 Share Posted 13 August , 2009 Dates on Trench Art vary greatly. I have Butter knives marked 1914,15,16 1914,15,16.17.18.19 Shells marked 1919. I now regard the final date as when the item was completed. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianmartin59 Posted 14 August , 2009 Author Share Posted 14 August , 2009 Wesley I definately think it is a single piece of Aluminium which has been carved out, it looks like tooling marks around the square from something like a hand file. I can't imagine how the centre of the square was cut out though. I suppose some sort of solder and then filed would explain a lot. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 19 August , 2009 Share Posted 19 August , 2009 Just out of interest if it is aluminium it will not be aviation related. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted 20 August , 2009 Share Posted 20 August , 2009 Wesley I definately think it is a single piece of Aluminium which has been carved out, it looks like tooling marks around the square from something like a hand file. I can't imagine how the centre of the square was cut out though. I suppose some sort of solder and then filed would explain a lot. I would suggest that the recessed centre was simply carved the same way. I suspect though that there is something missing from the centre though, as it looks as if it has been fashioned to include some additional decoration – possibly a piece of brass, copper or glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianmartin59 Posted 20 August , 2009 Author Share Posted 20 August , 2009 Wesley Thats an interesting observation, I wondered if something had been in the centre but fallen out. I suppose we may never know, it doesn't look like any others are about. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 20 August , 2009 Share Posted 20 August , 2009 Wesley I definately think it is a single piece of Aluminium which has been carved out, it looks like tooling marks around the square from something like a hand file. I can't imagine how the centre of the square was cut out though. I suppose some sort of solder and then filed would explain a lot. Adrian Can't solder Aluminium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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