What did you do in the war, Grandad

23rd January 2023 | Local History Society

Wickhambrook Local History Society News – January 2023

It is always a pleasure to have a talk from one of our members and our year started with a real treat. Adrian Maasz’s talk was entitled ‘What did you do in the war, Grandad?’ and was, in his words, a potted history of military medals. Adrian’s interest in medals started when he was a child and it was obvious from his talk that he has a wealth of knowledge and plenty of enthusiasm for his subject.

He started by outlining the different classes of medals – for bravery, campaign medals, and for the two world wars before giving us some case studies of people he had researched.

The very first medal for bravery was the Purple Heart, given to American soldiers by George Washington after the Revolution, although the Duke of Northumberland had already given medals to members of his private army in 1680.

The fist Victoria Cross, the highest honour, was given during the Crimean War in 1856. They were originally made from the metal of captured cannons. They can sell for as much as £45,000.

The Military Cross was first given to officers in 1916 and the George Cross was first given in 1940. The island of Malta is a famous and unusual recipient of this, as is now the NHS.

Campaign medals were first given by the Navy after the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and this custom lives on today. Most of us are familiar with the WW1 trio known as ‘Pip, Squeak and Wilfred’.

One of Adrian’s case studies concerned an ancestor, Clarence, a member of the Queen’s Own Oxford Hussars who was shot by a sniper while advancing on a wood near Aine in northern France. Adrian and his cousin went to the site and ‘walked the walk ‘ in Clarence’s memory and left a laminated note about him pinned to a tree. Some time later, a history teacher in a nearby school got in touch to find out more about the men killed on the site and eventually the Mayor of Aine arranged for an obelisk to be erected in their memory. This is just one of Adrian’s fascinating stories.

Some of the members had brought family medals to show Adrian and there were photographs and letters to look at while we enjoyed a warm drink.

This was a fascinating evening, the first of many we will have this year. On 21st February, Richard Heap will talk on Silk Weaving in Sudbury, 7.30pm in the WI Hall.

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