Where Does My Family Fit?
Sophia Dermetzis (researching Fred Denton)
My Researching Adventures
Not much is known about Fred Denton, my great-great uncle. I found some stuff about his military career, but he died at 18 so there isn't much. Since my family isn't American at all, I had to dig a lot deeper in British records. He was a private in World War 1.
Fred Denton
Fred was born to Sam and Mary Jane Denton, of Highgate Lane in Lepton, Huddersfield. When he was 16 he lied about his age to join the army. His service number was 4506. He was a private in the Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment (Yorkshire), 1/5th Battalion. He served for 2 years before getting blown up by a hand grenade on September 3, 1916. He has known grave, but is commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France.
Yes it was given to Fred's family. Yes this is hanging on a wall in my house.
The Memorial Plaque was issued after World War 1 to the next-of-kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war.
The plaques were made of bronze, and often referred to as the "Dead Man’s Penny". 1,355,000 plaques were issued, and continued to be issued into the 1930s to commemorate people who died as a consequence of the war.
The Lepton Memorial
The Lepton memorial is in a church in Green Balk Lane, Lepton. The names of those who gave their lives in World Wars 1 and 2 are to be found on stone tablets on the south side of the church tower. There are 46 names of those who died in World War 1 and 9 names for World War 2. Fred Denton is in the second column, fifth name from the top.
All the stuff I found that was Fred's
The Memorial Plaque, two photographs, to medals, and a box containing a small book that was his is shown.