To relatives they’re priceless. But what are those Great War heirlooms really worth?
ARMISTICE Day holds a special poignancy this year – marking the centenary of the end of the First World War.
Most families have relatives who fought in the Great War and were awarded medals for their service. Clearly these are invaluable keepsakes but how much are they actually worth financially? The answer is sometimes a heck of a lot.
The top price ever paid is £1.5 million for a Victoria Cross and Bar – equivalent to two of the highest gallantry awards ‘for conspicuous bravery’ – in 2009.
It belonged to Captain Noel Chavasse, one of only three people ever to receive two VCs. It was awarded posthumously for rescuing soldiers in No Man’s Land at Ypres in 1917 when mortally injured. The Victoria cross has been awarded 1,358 times.
The next most important medal awarded for gallantry in the First World War for the infantry was the Distinguished Conduct Medal and this can sell for £1,000. The equivalent for officers was the Distinguished Service Order, which can sell for £1,500.
Just below this in rank was the Military Medal ‘for bravery in the field’ for regular soldiers and these sell for £400. It was introduced in 1916 but also applied retrospectively to 1914. The equivalent for officers was the Military Cross and these can sell for £1,000.
Marcus Budgen, medal specialist at auctioneer Spink, says: ‘ The value of a medal can vary hugely depending on the particular engagement, action and individual story behind the award.
‘For example, a lieutenant colonel Frank Naden was one of the first men who left the trenches on Christmas Day 1914 to socialise with German soldiers in No Man’s Land. In a letter he described the event as a “rare old jollification”. A collection of his medals – three Distinguished Service Orders and two Military Crosses – sold for £18,000 two years ago.’ There were also three regular British campaign medals – often known as ‘ Pip, Squeak and Wilfred’ – presented to those who served in the Great War. The nicknames were inspired by a popular newspaper comic strip of the time featuring Pip the dog, Squeak the penguin and Wilfred the baby rabbit.
The names applied to the 1914 Star or 1914-15 1914- Star, the British War Medal a nd t he Victory Medal. A full set as worn by ‘The Old Cont emptibles’ – those who were in the Army when war broke out – can fetch more than £100.
Bud gen says :‘ Most people thought that the First World War would be over by Christmas – but after it continued on into 1915 they stopped awarding the Star. The first 1914 Star for soldiers who came under fire between August 5 – when British troops arrived in France – and November 22 also had a bronze clasp on their medal ribbon. These can sell for £50.’ Most common is the British War Medal and Victory Medal combination and these can sell for £40 – as at least six million were issued of each type. But, of course, as a family heirloom these are priceless.
The cap badges and medals from long-disbanded regiments – including so- called ‘ pals battalions’ of regional groups – also have great nostalgic appeal among collectors and often sell for £500 or more as pieces of history. These were soldiers who had been enlisted from local recruitment drives with the promise they would be able to serve alongside their comrades, often with regional or professional affiliations.
They included companies s uch as t he Preston Pals, the Grimsby Chums, Public Schools, Arts and Crafts, Sportsman’s, Bankers and the Wool Textile Pioneers. Many ‘pals batallions’ fought in the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and suffered heavy casualties. Following conscription in 1916, the closeknit nature of the ‘pals battalions’ was lost and never repeated.
The Memorial Plaque – often referred to as the ‘ Dead Man’s Penny’ – was a small bronze plate issued to the family of those killed in the war. The plates have an image of Britannia holding a trident with a growling lion standing in front of her.
The name of the person who died is stamped above the lion’s head. They sell for more than £50.
When war broke out there was a huge surge of patriotism with men eager to join the army to ‘bash the Bosch’. Propaganda posters of this time are highly sought after for their strong images and historic importance.
The most famous propaganda poster of all was a 1914 i mage of Lord Kitchener – the British Secretary of State for War – pointing out that he ‘Wants You’.
This recruitment poster was important during the first couple of years when Britain relied on volunteers.
It was designed by graphic artist Alfred Leete and despite 10,000 being produced, because they were plastered on billboards just three ‘Britons – Join Your Country’s Army!’ examples are known to have survived. One sold for £27,540 four years ago.
One of the most poignant is a 1915 illustration by artist Savile Lumley of a father with his daughter on his knee and son playing toy soldiers by his side that is titled: ‘Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War?’ Examples in fine condition sell for as much as £1,750. Another i conic poster of t he era shows women looking out of a window at soldiers titled: ‘Women of Britain say – “Go!” ’. It was illustrated by the artist Edgar Kealey and original examples sell for £1,500. The khaki ‘ Tommy’ uniform is another piece of sought-after kit. After the war, times were often tough for returning soldiers looking for work and the trousers would often be worn on ‘Civvy Street’ as they could not afford new clothes. This means war trousers often wore out and survivors are far more rare than the tunics and sell for as much as £2,000. The‘ tin hat’ helmet only arrived in 1915 when it was realised that shrapnel protection was required. Examples can sell for £500. Across the trenches, the ‘hun’ often wore headgear with a spike sticking out on top – and a Prussian officer’s ‘pickel haube’ in top condition sells for £2,000. As always in time of war, the soldier’s best friend was his rifle. The ‘smelly’ was the most commonly used gun by British forces during the Great War. The name derives from the make Short Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE). Because so many were produced these can still be picked up for £500– or perhaps £700 with a bayon et. It is important to ensure these guns are deactivated – such as having the firing pin taken out – and that you hold a certificate of proof.