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Auction: 25003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 37

Husband and Wife collection

A rare ladies Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque awarded to Member E. Blackburn, Woman's Royal Air Force, who died during the Spanish Flu epidemic on 17 December 1918

Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Elizabeth Blackburn), drilled at twelve o'clock, good very fine

The Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque awarded to Private W. Blackburn, 7th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, who died of a combination of severe wounds and Tuberculosis on 14 February 1918

Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Wilfred Blackburn), drilled at twelve o'clock, good very fine

Elizabeth Blackburn was born at Southport, Lancashire on 4 May 1894, the son of Charles and Ellen Halsall. She married Wilfred Blackburn at Ormskirk, Lancashire in April, they were to see little time together before he left for service on the Western Front. He was mortally wounded in 1918 and Blackburn found herself a widow, it was perhaps for this reason that she enlisted with the Woman's Royal Air Force on 22 July 1918. Posted to duty at Ascot with No. 15 Depot on 20 October 1918 she survived the war but soon came down with Influenza which saw her invalided home. She died at Southport on 17 December 1918 and was buried at the Southport (St. Cuthbert) Churchyard, alongside her husband; sold together with copied research.

Wilfred Blackburn was born in October 1891 at Barrowford, Lancashire, the son of Arthur and Selina Blackburn. Attending the local Village Catholic School, he later found work as a weaver at Steiner & Co. in Sabden where he met Elizabeth Halsall. A member of the Territorial Force prior to the start of the Great War, he however was not mobilised immediately upon its outbreak but entitling himself to the Territorial Force War Medal. This gave him a chance to marry Elizabeth in April 1915, before mobbing to Nelson, Lancashire where Blackburn again worked in a mill.

Finally mobilised, he was posted to the East Lancashire Regiment in France in late 1916 or early 1917, the Burnley Express in January 1918 outlines his service stating:

'Pte. W. Blackburn, East Lancashires (Territorials), had been invalided home from France, and is now in a Huddersfield hospital. The soldier has been out in France for over twelve months, and has been twice wounded in the neck, leg, and arm. He thinks himself lucky in having escaped with his life. He is 27 years of age, and was, previous to enlisting, employed as a weaver at Messrs. A. Nelson's Mill at Nelson. His wife resides at Southport.'

Sadly whilst in hospital he appears to have contracted tuberculosis and between this and his wounds Blackburn soon succumbed, dying on 14 February 1918. He is buried in Southport (St. Cuthbert) Churchyard, tragically soon to be joined by his wife; sold together with copied research.

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Estimate
£3,000 to £5,000

Starting price
£2400