Private Harold Edwin Franklin Suffolk Regiment
The Man The only details available for Harold Franklin is his World War 1 Medal Index Card confirming the award of the VM and a missing BWM. It also showed his service number as 41029, Suffolk Regiment. This is a broken group.
The Story The medals awarded to Harold E Franklin of the East Surrey Regiment and Royal Engineers, were located in a junk / antique shop on Gosford Street in Coventry. They were spotted on Thursday 28th July 2011 from a bus whilst the vehicle had stopped to pick up passengers. Most unusually, and reminiscent of the ‘good old days’ they were in a tray in the shop window and were obvious even from a distance, by the distinctive World War one ribbons. The next day the shop was visited and the tray contained five medals, a 1914-18 British War and Victory medal pair to Corporal Thomas Redpath, of the Cameron Highlanders, a British War and Victory Medal to Private Edgar P Elliott of the Surrey Regiment and Franklin's Victory Medal. The dealer asked for an offer but stated that he could achieve quite a high price for the items if sold individually. The medals went back onto the tray and into the window for a further week, until another visit on Friday 5th August 2011 and an offer made, which was accepted. So three soldiers from the First World War, who had undoubtedly suffered deprivation and hardship and no doubt earned their medals, were now to find their historical fortunes transformed from junk shop window to preservation for posterity. The first priority was to check their details on the Commonwealth War Graves and Medal Index Cards (MIC) on Ancestry.com. The only details available immediately is as detailed above.
The Story The medals awarded to Harold E Franklin of the East Surrey Regiment and Royal Engineers, were located in a junk / antique shop on Gosford Street in Coventry. They were spotted on Thursday 28th July 2011 from a bus whilst the vehicle had stopped to pick up passengers. Most unusually, and reminiscent of the ‘good old days’ they were in a tray in the shop window and were obvious even from a distance, by the distinctive World War one ribbons. The next day the shop was visited and the tray contained five medals, a 1914-18 British War and Victory medal pair to Corporal Thomas Redpath, of the Cameron Highlanders, a British War and Victory Medal to Private Edgar P Elliott of the Surrey Regiment and Franklin's Victory Medal. The dealer asked for an offer but stated that he could achieve quite a high price for the items if sold individually. The medals went back onto the tray and into the window for a further week, until another visit on Friday 5th August 2011 and an offer made, which was accepted. So three soldiers from the First World War, who had undoubtedly suffered deprivation and hardship and no doubt earned their medals, were now to find their historical fortunes transformed from junk shop window to preservation for posterity. The first priority was to check their details on the Commonwealth War Graves and Medal Index Cards (MIC) on Ancestry.com. The only details available immediately is as detailed above.
This group of medals is one I have only been able to find a minimal amount of detail on. They are in effect 'work in progress' as one day something additional may well be uncovered. Please feel free to contact me should you know of, or have any information on this man.
Medal Details:
- 1914-18 British War Medal: Missing .
- Victory Medal: 41020 PTE. H.E.FRANKLIN SUFF.R.
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This page last updated 4 Jul 14