WW1 Victory Medal - Dug up in Welling, Kent

[susanhemmings]

Hello everyone, am new to this website. Already can see how appropriate this forum and website is. What a refreshingly interesting site on WW1.

A couple of years ago my Uncle came across a WW1 Victory Medal. Believed to have been dug up in the garden. It is still as it was found - I have not attempted to clean it - only treasured it lovingly. But feel it should be with its family......

Name of Soldier: PIPER - Charles E

Regiment: The Queens - Private (service number is known)

Bedfordshire Regiment - Private (number is known)

Army Service Corps - Private (number is known)

Army Service Corps - Private (number is known)

I would love to be able to give this back to the family concerned. I have tried to advertise it as sensitively as I can, but have become irritated by various magazines attitudes. I do not mind paying to advertise it, but feel that to put it in "Medal News" or similar, I may be taking joining the undesireable ranks of those that buy and sell these precious memories at Boot Sales etc. But then again if they did not, we could not hope to retrieve any taken away at house clearances (I suppose). So I suppose there are two sides to everything (even life).

I do not want any money for it. I have, with a lot of reservation, bought the correct ribbon for it. So am waiting for this to arrive.

My own Grandad had nothing to pass down as the family home was completely flattended on 7.9.40 in Winchester Street, Silvertown. He was a fireman working at India Rubber Gutta Percha Company during WW2. He also fought in the Great War, was a gunner RGA. Anyway, enough of that.

I do hope someone sees this, and is a proven relative.

No evidence from CWCG that Pte. Piper died in conflict, so hopefully he has some descendants - obvious proof required as too precious to pass to anyone (I know all you forum readers will know exactly what I mean).

If it were my Grandad's I would be overjoyed to have it. I have nothing of his and, sadly, did not even know him. So, it has become even more important to me that this cherished medal goes home.

[Stebie9173]

He would be this man:

(Edited out)

EDIT:

(Ah, Susan. You seem to have done a little more editing rendering my post superflous. Oh, well.)

Edited 17 September , 2005 by Stebie9173

[susanhemmings]

He would indeed......

I do hope someone can recognise this, will be very sorry to see it go. have treasured it.

[Tom Morgan]

Hello, Susan - welcome to the Forum.

I've just checked "Soldiers Died in the Great War" and it looks as if Pte. Piper survived the war.

Tom

[Raster Scanning]

Him Susan.

The Queen's Regiment 750 Private

Bedfordshire Regiment 24013 Private

Army Service Corps EMT 62755 Private

Army Service Corps M/22926 Private

This information is a matter of public record, so why not publish it here to help us?

Count me as a member of the "undesireable ranks of those that buy and sell these precious memories at Boot Sales etc".

But I see it in a slightly different way to you.

If medals are on the market (or for that matter in someones back garden) it is for a reason. The family are not interested in retaining them.

I wish you good luck with your quest, but I am afraid that if you do find a relative there is a chance that shortly after, the medal will appear on ebay.

I personally think you should honour Pte Piper by putting the new ribbon on his medal and treasure it yourself.

I have checked my records of the Bedfordshire Rgt and unfortunately can find no mention of Pte Piper.

Good luck with you quest.

John.

[susanhemmings]

I am so sorry if I have offended anyone on this site. I appreciate you are all (with the best intentions) interested in medals. I did not mean to cause offence. Sorry again.

I think, as you say, the best thing I can do is just to add the ribbon and treasure it myself.

But, if anyone IS interested, they can let me know.

Thank you also to Marc (in Flanders) for welcoming me. (I probably do not deserve it now - in hindsite - but thanks anyway.)

[John_Hartley]

I appreciate you are all (with the best intentions) interested in medals.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Susan

Actually, not all of us. Many are much more interested in the men than the "things".

And I'd be surprised if anyone has taken offence at your post. You are, after all, only attempting to get the medal back to its home.

In that respect, may I offer a suggestion or two. You say it was dug-up in a garden. It may well be that the family still live in the area. Have you checked, say, the local phone directory? Or, perhaps, a letter to the local newspaper (the very local weekly one, rather than, say, a regional evening one?) seeking relatives

If, at the end of that, you havnt found his family and you decide to keep it, then you could try and research his war service, as a matter of personal interest. For that, have a look at the research section of the main site (click the link to the Long Long Trail, top left of the page).

My final thought, seeing as the medal has no personal attachment or direct interest for you, is to suggest that you sell it. You might as well have a few quid

for yourself. It's what I would do!

Good luck with whatever you decide (and if you decide to do the research and get stuck, come and ask us here for some advice)

John

[Steven Broomfield]

I found the local Parish magazine helpful when doing some very local research. The Church might also have some local records - old Parish magazines (i.e. those from the time of the Great War) have details of men from the parish who are away at the war.

[Jonathan Saunders]

I am so sorry if I have offended anyone on this site.  I appreciate you are all (with the best intentions) interested in medals.  I did not mean to cause offence.  Sorry again. 

I think, as you say, the best thing I can do is just to add the ribbon and treasure it myself.

But, if anyone IS interested, they can let me know.

Thank you also to Marc (in Flanders) for welcoming me.  (I probably do not deserve it now - in hindsite - but thanks anyway.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sue - you certainly havent offended me and I applaud your sentiments to reunite the medal with his family. In the unlikelihood that this can be achieved I am sure it has a found a good home with your family.

[Simon R]

Will be interesting to be able to link artefact (medal) to place (house) and person.

Census, burial registers - is he in the local cemy? Usual local history stuff.

[John_Hartley]

It could be that the poor man may have been buried with that medal, it is not uncommon for a wife or relative to bury her spouses ashes in the garden

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh, sheeet.

Actually you do hear of it, don't you?

[NIGEL]

Oh, sheeet.

Actually you do hear of it, don't you?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Quite a lot John and mainly in Secret, my grandad in my avatar is in a garden in his sons garden in Cornwall, and next door neighbour back in England put her hubbies ashes out in the garden aswell---saves trips to the cemetary every sunday, i also think it's a nice personal gester aswell, so perhaps this fella had his medal with him, only way to find out is see where he was buried in the church records

[susanhemmings]

Quite a lot John and mainly in Secret, my grandad in my avatar is in a garden in his sons garden in Cornwall, and next door neighbour back in England put her hubbies ashes out in the garden  aswell---saves trips to the cemetary every sunday, i also think it's a nice personal gester aswell, so perhaps this fella had his medal with him, only way to find out is see where he was buried in the church records

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have ALL cheered me up - thank you for all you kind help and suggestions.

I got "bogged down" myself in sentiment. But have to see the humerous side of it. I just cannot help thinking what was it all for?

[Simon R]

Don't forget - Sassoon threw his MM/MC (memory failure) in the Thames and a lot of old comrades sold theirs post WWI. i.e. there's probably a whole range of processes that would result in a medal in a garden.

I'd be looking at the census and the local cemys. before invoking bodies in a garden, but you never know. And why only the victory medal?

Medal index card, surviving PRO records etc.... ??

[Andrew Upton]

Don't forget - Sassoon threw his MM/MC (memory failure) in the Thames

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Except he probably didn't:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...4&hl=sassoon+mc

[NIGEL]

You have ALL cheered me up - thank you for all you kind help and suggestions.

I got "bogged down" myself in sentiment.  But have to see the humerous side of it.  I just cannot help thinking what was it all for?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Susan you never told us what the veg was like---Bit gritty i presume and those spuds had a very strange taste

[Muerrisch]

Except he probably didn't:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...4&hl=sassoon+mc

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thames!? A rather good throw of a small piece of ribbon from Merseyside!

[Simon R]

I knew it would be balls, I'm now going to have to shoot the person who told me.

[dpy]

there are 5 Charles E Piper's on the 1901 census only 2 appear to be around the correct age, but none from Bedfordshire, now if we knew the fellas age .......... from Dave Pyper

[susanhemmings]

there are 5 Charles E Piper's on the 1901 census only 2 appear to be around the correct age, but none from Bedfordshire, now if we knew the fellas age .......... from Dave Pyper

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nigel: I NEVER eat anything my uncle grows (He actually is a great gardener BUT I wont eat anything now!!!) When did cremations start?

I was thinking about what someone said about medals being thrown out and that was how some ended up in the garden; my dad (who is now 81) said that a lot of men were disillusioned when they returned from the war to their "glorious" country only to find it not so "glorious" -

My own grandad never got the chance to do much at all with his WW1 medal(s) as they were blown up with the house in the blitz in Silvertown (7.9.40) This has now all been built on - maybe oneday someone may dig them up in just the same way?! Thanks for all the comments - they did make me laugh (at last)

As you all say, I need to find out from parish mags, census, etc. Should really know this myself as spent the last 20 odd years with my head stuck in genealogy queries.......

Also, to: Dpy - Pte. Piper was in the Queens (Isn't that a Kent regiment? - West Kent??) - thank you so much for looking at census etc. will get onto in RIGHT NOW.

THANK you everyone.......

[NIGEL]

Nigel:  I NEVER eat anything my uncle grows (He actually is a great gardener BUT I wont eat anything now!!!)  When did cremations start? 

THANK you everyone.......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Susan dont be put off what your uncles veg grows in, the area of WW1 has hundreds of thousands maybe millions of missing soldiers in it and is a very productive area for growing food because apparently we do make good compost and fertiliser, and it doesnt seem to have harmed the French and Belgium people ( well not too much ).

Cremations have been around since the Iron age and before ( probabley just after we stopped being canibals ) and the country is littered with cremation sites

[susanhemmings]

thanks nigel. actually, i HAVE got some of his tomato's (grown outside) and they are delicious (I lied!)

you do cheer me up!