WW1 Prisoner of War items

[Peter Brydon]

I bought an old tin box this morning full of bits and pieces of which some appear to relate to a British soldier who was a POW of the Germans in WW1, the pits and pieces included some German currency, pictures and other odds and sods.

The thing that I find most interesting is the stencilled on white cloth numerals etc which says " XI./IV. 6.9544 ".

Can anyone please tell me what this is ?

Thanks in advance.

P.B.

[Mike Jackson]

It looks to me like a very "Continental" style font - so could it perhaps have been a German issue identity label for a British PW in a numbered PW camp in a numbered Military District? Mike

[Peter Brydon]

Thanks Mike,

That is rather the sort of thing I am hoping the item might turn out to be.

There are quite a mixture of items in the tin and I am trying to work out which items go together.

There is also a parchment " School of Instruction for Army Signalling " certificate which looks like it was awarded to L/Corporal A. Shepherd of the 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers and is dated 23rd June 1894 and signed by Captain O`Leary Inspector of Army Signalling in Bengal plus a picture of a soldier with fusilier collar badges which I take to be A.Shepherd.

Peter

[Peter Brydon]

I also posted the query on the Great War Forum and I am very pleased that it was confirmed the item I was interested in is in fact a POW identification badge - usually worn on the upper left chest:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/fo...owtopic=215702

There is even a picture of the badges being worn.

P.B.

[BWEF]

Originally Posted by Peter Brydon

Thanks Mike,

That is rather the sort of thing I am hoping the item might turn out to be.

There are quite a mixture of items in the tin and I am trying to work out which items go together.

There is also a parchment " School of Instruction for Army Signalling " certificate which looks like it was awarded to L/Corporal A. Shepherd of the 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers and is dated 23rd June 1894 and signed by Captain O`Leary Inspector of Army Signalling in Bengal plus a picture of a soldier with fusilier collar badges which I take to be A.Shepherd.

Peter

It might be worth reading "Old Soldier Sahib" by Frank Richards, in order to see if A Shepherd gets a mention.

Richards was a signaler with the RWF in India in the Edwardian period. This book is one of the few that details life for the Tommy in India.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Old-Soldier-.../dp/1843425580

Richards was back in the RWF in WW1 and served with Robert Graves and Siegfried Sassoon in France. I believe that they inspired him to write this book, and also his book about his WW1 experiences "Old Soldiers Never Die".

[Peter Brydon]

Many thanks BWEF.

Peter

[JerryBB]

An interesting pow group Peter, especially if he was RWF.

This link might help, from the Red Cross listing pow records.

http://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Search

[Peter Brydon]

Thanks Jerry,

I think there are two soldiers bits and pieces mixed up together, I will be honest I am selling the items as they are not Kings Liverpool related but it is interesting to try and piece together the stories of the two soldiers.

Regards

Peter

[JerryBB]

Originally Posted by Peter Brydon

Thanks Jerry,

I think there are two soldiers bits and pieces mixed up together, I will be honest I am selling the items as they are not Kings Liverpool related but it is interesting to try and piece together the stories of the two soldiers.

Regards

Peter

I checked in Old soldiers never die and he is not mentioned in it. I noticed the RWF letter and the photo on the bay, on my watching list.

[BWEF]

Originally Posted by JBBOND

I checked in Old soldiers never die and he is not mentioned in it. I noticed the RWF letter and the photo on the bay, on my watching list.

He is more likely to be mentioned in "Old Soldier Sahib".