Token of Gratitude from 5th Border Reg

[redbarchetta]

Bought this item in Lille at the weekend, kind of on a whim while I was buying some bits of trench art off the guy, and with a view to doing a it of research on it (or passing it on to someone here who would like to !!).

It is a small silver goblet, very squashed on one side, with the following inscription:

"To Mrs Palmer-Samborne from the Officers, NCOs and men of the Detachment, 5th Border Reg. A token of gratitude. Dieppe 1915."

All I have found so far is that Mr Palmer-Samborne was the English Honorary member of the Dieppe Badminton club in 1910, so obviously they were an esteemed, well-to-do family in Dieppe just before the war, but nothing else so far. Did she help wounded soldiers on their way back to England ? The fact that this is from the whole regiment suggests something a bit more specific, but what...?

As I said, this is not really my area, so if there are any Border Regiment collectors out there, who could give this a more suitable home than I, let me know.

Jim

[Guest Pete Wood]

This lady was awarded the Queen Elizabeth medal, in 1921, by the King of Belgium - for her work in assisting Belgian refugees in England, and Belgian prisoners of war in Germany.

She was the wife of Walter, the American Vice Consul Dieppe and died, in Dieppe, on the 3/7/38.

[redbarchetta]

Thanks RT. Don't you ever sleep ??...!!

So she was quite famous then. Sad, then, that this cup ended up in a flea market 90 years later. At least it is safe now !

Cheers

Jim