The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

The Memorial Plaque, later nicknamed the "Dead Man's Penny", was given to families to commemorate the loss of a loved one who died while fighting in World War I. Approximately 1,150,000 of these plaques were issued, an even more startling number when you consider these plaques were issued for the side that won. This particular plaque was issued to reflect the loss of my Great Uncle, James Patrick Madden, who was in his early twenties when he was killed on August 25, 1916.

Not one of these plaques mentions the rank of the deceased, the reason being they wanted to demonstrate the equality of each person's sacrifice.

The world did not anticipate the huge number of lives that were lost, so the British Government felt it had to do something to demonstrate their awareness of the sacrifice the troops and their families made during that horrendous time. Some families actually returned these plaques as they found them insulting; a medallion made of bronze could not replace the loss of a loved one.

How do you show gratitude for the death of a young solider, someone who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country? I think not doing anything would have been much worse. On Remembrance Day, we say "Lest we Forget". There are many ways to remember those who have died before us in battle, and one of them, is the Dead Man's Penny.