Lest We Forget

Even though the ceremony proper is the following day, this Saturday the Market will pay its respects by having a two minutes of its own at 11am. We will be striking a bronze bell to mark the time. This was locally crafted from war debris and presented to a civilian, Mr N R Ground. He was one of the RAF medical personnel which transported prisoners of war from Burma and India.

Fittingly, today we’re focussing on some of the items which marked the passing of British soldiers. And the first of these is a condolence slip signed by Winston Churchill, then Secretary of State for War.

Next, a memorial scroll sent to the next of kin in both wars.

And a bronze memorial plaque grouping. Factors which decide their value include not just the action, rank and unit, but more recently the extent of any corroborative documentation or photographs. It’s worth bearing in mind that these are all unique and you would double the price for a casualty group – as you would officers’ medals. Complete medal groups with supporting documentation can increase the price by a factor of ten.