War medals, war certificates, for deceased soldiers, left in charge of Union Steam Ship Co. and related correspondence

Descriptive Data

Archives IdentifierAF091Date Range1923DescriptionThis series comprises war medals, memorial plaques and scrolls, and certificates awarded to the families of three soldiers who died in World War One, and correspondence with the Union Steam Ship Company (USSCo) about them. The items were sent to the USSCo to hold in trust because the blood relatives of the soldiers could not be found. The soldiers' names are Percy Burton, James Lovell and Francis William Desmond.

The series title is copied from a label apparently cut from a wrapped package or box (presumably by Jack Churchhouse), and now the first item of the series. The medals, memorial plaques and scrolls, and certificates mostly have accompanying receipts.

The items in the series have been described as it is presumed they were received by USSCo; that is as individual items (medals, plaques and memorial scrolls, certificates etc) with accompanying receipts. Several envelopes that contained the medals have survived and indicate that each memorial item was sent separately. The envelopes have the soldier's service number hand-written on the front and the names of the medals enclosed typed on the back. Although the memorial plaques and scrolls were issued together as a set, they were sent separately because the scroll was a different size from the plaque and was intended to be framed, so was not folded when posted. Both plaque and scroll had separate receipts.

The items have been packaged into their separate components (e.g. medal and ribbon, box, envelope) so as to manage the storage of their different formats. The correspondence between the NZEF War Accounts and Records Office and the General Manager USSCo discusses sending the items to USSCo to hold in trust and includes notification that certain items have been sent. The correspondence has been treated as a separate item in the series.Quantity (Linear Metres)0.33MediumFileSystem of ArrangementArtificial, item by item. Items are arranged separately by medal(s) or memorial and receipts as they were assumed to have been sent and received by USSCo. Collection TypeWellington Museums Trust

Image

Package label for collection of medals and memorials

Correspondence re war medals and war memorials between NZEF War Accounts and Records Office and Union Steam Ship Compan

Medals, ribbons and associated receipt, envelope and box Private Percy Burton 40433

Memorial plaque and scroll Private Percy Burton 40433

Illuminated certificate of service and cover letters Private Percy Burton 40433

British War medal and Victory medal, ribbons, receipt and box Temporary Corporal Francis William Desmond 8/2896

1914-1915 Star, ribbon, receipt, envelope and box Temporary Corporal Francis William Desmond 8/2896

Memorial plaque and scroll Temporary Corporal Francis William Desmond 8/2896

Illuminated certificate of service and cover letters Temporary Corporal Francis William Desmond 8/2896

British War medal, ribbon, box and packet Lance Corporal James Lovell 5/194

Memorial plaque and scroll Lance Corporal James Lovell 5/194

British War Medal and ribbon Private Percy Burton 40433

Victory Medal and ribbon Private Percy Burton 40433

Receipt for medals Private Percy Burton 40433

Envelope addressed to USSCo that contained boxed medals and ribbons for Private Percy Burton 40433

Box and individual packets that contained medals and ribbons for Private Percy Burton 40433

Memorial plaque, receipt and cover letter Private Percy Burton 40433

Memorial scroll and receipt Private Percy Burton 40433

British War Medal and ribbon Temporary Corporal Francis William Desmond 8/2896

Victory Medal and ribbon Temporary Corporal Francis William Desmond 8/2896

Receipt for British War medal and Victory medal Temporary Corporal Francis William Desmond 8/2896

Envelope addressed to USSCo and packets that contained 2 boxed medals and ribbons (British War and Victory medals) and packets that contained each medal and ribbon for Temporary Corporal Francis William Desmond 8/2896

1914-1915 Star and ribbon Temporary Corporal Francis William Desmond 8/2896

Object

British War medal and ribbon Lance Corporal James Lovell 5/194

Access Information

Restriction StatusRestricted

Related Agencies

Controlling or Creating AgencyUnion Steam Ship Company of New Zealand LtdRelationship Date Range1875-30 November 2001

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War medals, war certificates, for deceased soldiers, left in charge of Union Steam Ship Co. and related correspondence