Naval Death Plaque

[Fromelles]

Knowing very little on this subject, a friend once told me that to tell a naval plaque from an army plaque, you look at the 'H' in "He" and "Honovr" and if one is slightly wider than the other it's naval.

Is this right?

My friend couldn't locate the book/magazine he quoted this from.

Dan

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

I have a plaque to a casualty of the East Surrey Regt and this has a narrow H. I have had palques to the Royal Fusiliers with a narrow H as well.

[tamos123]

and I have Naval plaque with a wide H.....so not an exact science though a fair indicator??

T

[Guest Pete Wood]

and I have Naval plaque with a wide H.....so not an exact science though a fair indicator??

T

Please could you post a picture of this Naval plaque (wide H). It is very unusual. I am going to hazard a guess that it is a Woolwich plaque, though....??

Over 99% of all the Naval plaques have a narrow H. But there are tonnes (literally - many tonnes) of army plaques with a narrow H also.

What is rare however, as mentioned above, is to see a Naval plaque with a wide H.

By the way, it is the letter H (as in HE DIED) that you should be checking - to see if it is wide (ie about the same size as the letter H in HONOVR) or narrow.

[tamos123]

Hi Teapots

Will get photo organised, def wide H and W on rear

Oswald Cyril Wilson kia HMS Mary at Jutland

4 O C Wilsons on CWGC, no O C Wilsons on SDGW, no Canadian Oswald Wilsons, the RASC soldier is an Oscar on MIC...so matter of deduction?

T

[Guest Pete Wood]

Hi Teapots

Will get photo organised, def wide H and W on rear

Oswald Cyril Wilson kia HMS Mary at Jutland

4 O C Wilsons on CWGC, no O C Wilsons on SDGW, no Canadian Oswald Wilsons, the RASC soldier is an Oscar on MIC...so matter of deduction?

T

It's not so simple.

If he died, of injuries for example, after the CWGC cut-off date, he would not appear on the register - but a plaque would have been made. In theory up until 1925 (and sometimes later, especially if he was from NZ).

Look at http://data4.collectionscanada.ca/netacgi/..._e.html&r=2&f=G

Also who is the OC Wilson (Canadian, and no number) on the CWGC....??

If he died in the UK (post war), and never served abroad, he won't have a MIC.

Info on the CWGC is often different to that used by the plaque factories.

What if the factory transposed his forenames (it happened quite a bit)...??

[Terry Denham]

Just to clarify the 'no number' WILSON in CWGC's database

Name: WILSON

Initials: O C

Nationality: Canadian

Rank: Private

Regiment: Canadian Forces

Date of Death: 29/12/1915

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Cemetery: BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE

There are a number of Canadian casualties for whom CWGC was never given a record. This was only discovered relatively recently when a comparison was made with the Canadian Book of Remembrance.

The numbers ran into several hundreds originally but most of these have now been found - the great majority buried in Canada or the USA. However, 72 Canadian casualties remain to be located and, for the moment, CWGC accept the Book of Remembrance as their place of commemoration - hence the database entry and lack of number. He was Oscar Chauncey Wilson of 156 Bn.

Investigations are still continuing but, if eventually some remain undiscovered, their names will be added to a stone memorial to the missing - probably the Halifax Memorial.