Searching for ‘death penny’ relatives
Luca Van Dillen wants to return a ‘‘Dead Man’s Penny’’ to the relatives of Private James Joseph McGrath, who died in World War I.
The 14-year-old from Lower Hutt found the memorial plaque a few years ago while fossicking through the garage of his family’s home in the suburb of Waterloo.
Issued in 1924, the medallion – which is technically referred to as a plaquette – is in good condition, and Luca says it should be with the McGrath family.
He grasped the relic’s significance after seeing a similar medallion at Te Papa’s Gallipoli exhibition.
When he told his family he had one at home, there was some skepticism.
His mother, Sharon Titchener, said she she didn’t know what Luca was talking about until they got home. ‘‘I just assumed it was some sort of copy.’’
After doing some research, his family quickly realised the artefact was genuine.
The medallions, designed by Edward Carter Preston, were awarded to the families of British and Commonwealth servicemen who died as a result of the war.
Once they understood what they had, Luca and his mum set out to find McGrath’s relatives.
McGrath worked for the Commissioner of Stamps while living at 16 Windsor Place, Wellington. He left New Zealand in March 1917 and was wounded in France in July of that year.
According to his military records, he drowned at sea in August 1918 during a submarine attack.
His mother was Julia McGrath of 20 Tinakori Rd, Thorndon. A younger brother, Patrick Michael McGrath, returned safely from the war and went to the United States in 1920.
His family applied for the medallion, which reads ‘‘He Died for Freedom and Honour’’, in 1924.
Tomorrow, it will have been 100 years since McGrath went overseas, and Titchener said it would be nice to return the plaquette to his family to mark that anniversary. ’’I know if it belonged to my family I would want it back.’’