FEATURE - WWI Death Penny

In 1917, it was the ‘penny’ that no family wanted. Malenyite – Lynda Burgess – still has the ‘death penny’ that her great-grandmother received when her foster son – Thomas Martin – was killed in WWI.

by Judy Fredriksen

Death pennies were official bronze memorial plaques, with a diameter of 120mm, that were issued to the next-of-kin of those who died serving the British Empire during WWI.

Inscribed with the name of the deceased, they were issued to the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Great War, regardless of rank or status. 

On 22^nd June 1916, Thomas, a Witta farmer, enlisted in the army. Thomas had come to Witta from Brisbane in 1895 and was fostered by Lynda’s great-grandparents, Fred and Charlotte (Lotte) Warne. 

“At the age of 14 he came to live at Witta with my great-grandparents. He went to school at Witta. His mother apparently was a very ill woman and she was not coping,” explains Lynda. “Those times were pretty hard for everybody.”

Fred and Lotte Warne were renowned for their generosity of spirit by fostering dozens of disadvantaged children over the years, including Thomas. Original pioneers of the district, they arrived from England in 1887. Fred had been a member of the Grenadier Guards in

England and as well as establishing his own farm at Witta, he was able to help many new non-English speaking settlers take up their selections. 

After he left school, Thomas remained in the area, choosing to live near his foster family.

“He kept his own name,” says Lynda. “He didn’t take on the Warne name. He stayed as Thomas Martin. That was possibly his choice. To my knowledge, there was no formal adoption by Granny and Granddad for any of the kids they fostered.

“Sometimes there were families (that were fostered), sometimes there was a single child. I don’t know how many, over the years, that they fostered.”

Following the footsteps of Fred and Lotte’s biological son, 22-year-old Harry Warne, who had enlisted eight months earlier, Thomas, like thousands of others, volunteered to join up. 

Some saw it as their patriotic duty; some saw it as a great adventure. With Australia still being a fledgling country, there were those who saw it as a chance to see ‘home’ (Britain) again at the government’s expense while others felt they would never live down the shame of not going. 

Never-the-less, it was a military campaign, and volunteers had to meet selection criteria.

Initially, only men aged 18–35 were accepted. But as the casualties and deaths mounted up, more men were needed and so the criteria was relaxed. In June 1915, the height requirement was lowered from 167.6 centimetres (5’5”) to 157.5 centimetres (5’2”) and the upper age limit was raised to 45.

However, for some reason, when Thomas Martin – then aged 35 – enlisted in June 1916, he lied about his age, understating it by eight years. His enlistment records show he was 27 years and 4 months. 

Thomas also had to be free of any criminal record and agree to being “inoculated against small pox and enteric fever (typhoid)”.  

Rats that carried typhus were common in the trenches, while on the battle fields, food and water was often at risk of contamination. 

As was the custom, Thomas went to the military camp at Enoggera before sailing to England where he completed his training as a gunner, says Lynda. 

“Then he left for France and joined the 12^th machine gun company. He died in France and was buried in Passchendaele in July 1917. This (the death penny) came back to Granny because she was on his paperwork as his next-of-kin.” 

Fortunately for Fred and Lotte, Harry survived the war, though he had been wounded and gassed. He was discharged on 26 November 1919.

However, the Battle of Passchendaele remains the stuff of nightmares, a reckless disregard for human life by army generals that led to the senseless slaughter of thousands, according to many military historians. It was fought over three months in torrential rain which inhibited visibility and turned the ground into a quagmire, slowing progress and limiting access for backup supplies. 

Although it was considered a victory for the Allies, the death toll of Passchendaele was high.

The armies under British command suffered approximately 275,000 casualties, including 38,000 Australians, over 5,300 New Zealanders, and more than 15,600 Canadians.

The Germans suffered 220,000 killed or wounded. All the ground that had been gained by the Allies was evacuated the following year.

The effect on Australians was predictable – recruitment numbers dried up. Posters appealing to men’s patriotism or their consciences began to appear and became widespread. Politicians and returned heroes toured the country holding recruitment meetings. Recruiting marches paraded through cities and country towns.

It was finally a great relief when, 12 long months after the end of the Battle of Passchendaele, at the 11^th hour, on the 11^th day, of the 11^th month, that peace was finally brokered.  

This Armistice Day, as we contemplate the current state of an unsettled world and remember all those who have fallen in conflicts, may we also remember Fred and Lotte

Warne, their lost foster son, and their generosity of spirit and compassion. 

A memorial plaque is no substitute for the living. 

Lest we forget.