Battlefield Grave Marker Tin Unknown Soldier

[Dr ELG]

I have one of these grave markers and would like to know more information about it. This was given to me by an author who wrote a few books about WW1, his name was John Johnson. John was given it, with other items, by a soldier who had fought in WW1 and brought it home from the battlefield. I have info and a photo of the soldier. It's been sitting in a drawer for years and I feel I should do something with it. I'm not sure if it's a rare item or not but I can't seem to find out much about it other than it marked some poor soldier's grave.  Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

[Michelle Young]

These tin strips were placed on the wooden crosses by the Graves Registration Unit, and were the precursors to the white Portland Headstones. Sometimes they turn up in the ground adjacent to the cemeteries. 

 

Michelle 

[johnboy]

I have never seen one before. When I first look at the pic it reminded me of machines that were sometimes at stations that you could make similar strips with your own words etc, but if it is tin it is not one of those strips. Are you sure it is made of tin?

[Michelle Young]

Tin being to my non technical mind, a blanket term. OH says they are aluminium 

[johnboy]

It looks like aluminium hence my reason for mentioning machines where you were able to make your own labels, in the 1960's

[Dr ELG]

Hi there, thank you for your comments. I said tin because I thought I had read once that there was a nickname for them and it included the word tin. I havent been able to find it since. Maybe it is aluminium. It is definitely genuine. 

[johnboy]

If you find it try and see if a magnet picks it upI  If it    does not it is ally

[tootrock]

If it was made of pure tin a magnet would not pick that up either. What we refer to as tin, as in "tin can" is actually steel coated with tin.

Martin

[Dr ELG]

Sorry, I meant I haven't been able to find the article that I read about it being a  tin item. 

If I can find a magnet I will try that, thanks for the tip. 

Thank you 

[BillyH]

These strips have been discussed on the GWF before.

After the war many of these grave markers were given to churches and my local church has one, see below.

 

BillyH.

[Dr ELG]

Thank you so much, great to see the photos, very kind of you.

I was thinking that I had a rare item but maybe it isn't as rare as I thought. Do people collect them? I think I might sell this one so that somebody can enjoy it rather than it being kept in a drawer. 

 

Sorry for late reply, I thought I would get notifications.