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Centenary of The First World War

Display in the Church on Remembrance Sunday
9 November 2014 commemorating the centenary of the beginning of the first World War.

Adrian Smith leant his grandfather's (Pte Peter Smith MM3583 1/5th Battalion Gordon Highlanders) World War 1 medals to the exhibition. The medals are The Military Medal, awarded for acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire, The Victory Medal and The British War Medal.

Peter Smith's body was never found and he is remembered on the Memorial at Arras.

The Dead Man's Penny bearig the name Peter Smith.

The plaques were made of bronze, and hence popularly known as the "Dead Man’s Penny", because of the similarity in appearance to the somewhat smaller penny coin. 1,355,000 plaques were issued, which used a total of 450 tonnes of bronze,and continued to be issued into the 1930s to commemorate people who died as a consequence of the war.

Abive the lion's head a rectangular tablet bears the deceased's name cast in raised letters. The name does not include the rank since there was to be no distinction between sacrifices made by different individuals.

This is Adrain's Great Uncle George Johnston. He was just 18 when he was killed and had only been in the army for 4 months. He is buried at the Commonwealth War Graves Redan Ridge Cemetry No 1 at Beaumont Hamel in the Somme.  

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