Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

MEMORIAL PLAQUE, "DEAD MAN'S PENNY"

Date

1921

Materials

BRONZE, CARDBOARD, PAPER

No. Pieces

3

Width

0.3

Diameter

12

Description

1) CIRCULAR DISK SHAPED PLAQUE - BRONZE WITH SLIGHT OXIDIZATION IN RECESSED AREAS. FRONT HAS IMAGE OF BRITANNIA HOLDING TRIDENT AND STANDING WITH LION. DESIGNER’S INITIALS, E.C.P. (EDWARD CARTER PRESTON), APPEAR ABOVE THE FRONT PAW OF LION. IN BRITANNIA’S LEFT HAND, SHE HOLDS AN OAK WREATH ABOVE RECTANGULAR TABLET BEARING THE DECEASED'S NAME CAST IN RAISED LETTERS. THIS READS, “EARNEST EARL BETTS”. TWO DOLPHINS SWIM AROUND BRITANNIA AND AT BOTTOM A SECOND LION IS TEARING APART THE GERMAN EAGLE. AROUND IMAGE TEXT READS "HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR. MANUFACTURED AT THE WOOLWICH ARSENAL EVIDENCED BY MAKERS MARK ON REVERSE WHICH RESEMBLES A "W" INSIDE A CIRCLE. (W: 0.3, D: 12) 2) ROBUST CARD FOLDER PACKAGING – STIFF BROWN CARDBOARD SQUARE WITH CORNERS FOLDED TOWARDS CENTER TO CREATE A SMALLER SQUARE FOLDER. USED TO PROTECT SURFACE OF DEATH PLAQUE. VARIOUS SCRATCHES AND BUMPS. (H: 3.4, L: 13.1, W: 13.2) 3) ENVELOPE – SQUARE CREAM COLOURED PAPER WITH FRAGMENT MISSING. WRITING ON FRONT READS, “P4897, O.H.M.S. VALUABLE DOCUMENT. –WIT, NO 736746 RANK PTE E.E.BETTS. NAME, MRS. JULIA A. BETTS, RAYMOND ALTA, IF NOT DELIVERED RETURN TO SECRETARY, MILITIA COUNCIL, (DIRECTOR HEADQUARTERS, OTTAWA, ONTARIO.” POSTMARK IN LIGHT BLUE INK ON FRONT OF ENVELOPE SAYS, “OTTAWA, AUG, 21, REGISTERED”. A SECOND SMALLER POSTMARK IN LIGHT BLUE INK HAS A LARGE LETTER “R”. REVERSE OF ENVELOPE IS MISSING PIECES AND HAS THE NUMBER, “792008”. (H: 0.8, L: 12.8, W: 12.6)

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

MILITARY

History

AT THE TIME OF DONATION, DONOR JIM BETTS SAID THE ITEMS CAME INTO HIS POSSESSION WHEN HIS BROTHER ED “SOLD OUT” ON NOVEMBER 3RD, 2010. THE DONATED MATERIALS WERE PREVIOUSLY ON ED’S FARM SITE. THE FARM WAS LOCATED ON SECTION 21 - 114 AND DONOR’S FATHER CLARENCE BETTS “MOVED THERE IN 1929-30, BUT KEPT ORIGINAL HOMESTEAD.” EAST QUARTER SECTION 4 – 214. DONOR’S FATHER CLARENCE HAD 12 BROTHERS AND SISTERS. EARL’S EFFECTS HAD BEEN SENT TO CLARENCE AND EARL’S MOTHER (JULIA BETTS) BUT HOW THEY ENDED UP WITH CLARENCE IS UNKNOWN BECAUSE JULIA’S PLACE BURNT DOWN. ED BROUGHT THE TRUNK OVER AROUND NOVEMBER 3RD, 2010 AND SAID, “TAKE IT” BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR IT IN LETHBRIDGE. PRIVATE EARNEST EARL BETTS WAS BORN IN BENJAMIN, UTAH ON MARCH 10, 1890 TO PARENTS RICHARD AND JULIA BETTS. HE GREW UP IN A HUGE FAMILY WHICH INCLUDED SIBLINGS ELIZA, PETER, SARAH, RICHARD, ALMA, LAURA, DAVID, REBECCA, GEORGE, CLARENCE, REED, ROLLA, MYRTLE, GRACE, INEZ, RUTH, ELIJAH AND PEARL. THE FAMILY IMMIGRATED TO CANADA WITH THE INFLUX OF MORMON PIONEERS AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY. THEY MADE THEIR HOME NEAR RAYMOND, ALBERTA. AS A YOUNG MAN, EARL BETTS WORKED A RANCH NEAR COUTTS. ON MARCH 27, 1916, EARL BETTS ENLISTED WITH THE 113TH BATTALION CEF LETHBRIDGE HIGHLANDERS. HE WAS ISSUED THE SERVICE NUMBER 736746. HE ARRIVED IN ENGLAND ON OCTOBER 6, 1916 ON THE SS TUSCANIA. HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE 16TH BATTALION CEF ON NOVEMBER 22, 1916 AND EMBARKED FOR FRANCE SHORTLY THEREAFTER. PRIVATE BETTS REMAINED AT THE FRONT LINES WITH THE 16TH BATTALION FOR FIVE MONTHS AND SAW ACTION AT VIMY RIDGE. ON APRIL 9, 1917 PRIVATE BETTS WAS ONE OF 3,598 CANADIAN SOLDIERS WHO FELL AT VIMY RIDGE. HIS I.D. TAG BEARS THE SCARS OF THE TRAUMA THAT WAS INFLICTED UPON HIM THAT DAY. ACCORDING TO THE BETTS FAMILY, CLARENCE WAS WITH EARL AT THE TIME THAT HE WAS KILLED. SADLY, THE ONCE-KNOWN LOCATION OF EARL’S REMAINS—AND 43 OTHERS—WERE LOST IN THE YEARS FOLLOWING THE WAR. THE STORY OF THE LOST 44 MEMBERS OF THE 16TH CANADIAN SCOTTISH BATTALION IS A RESEARCH FOCUS OF CANADIAN HISTORIAN NORM CHRISTIE. HIS EFFORTS TO LOCATE THEM IS FEATURED AS PART OF THE HISTORY CHANNEL’S 2017 DOCUMENTARY “SEARCHING FOR VIMY’S LOST SOLDIERS.” PTE. EARL BETTS IS REMEMBERED AT THE VIMY RIDGE MEMORIAL. HE WAS AWARDED THE VICTORY MEDAL AND THE BRITISH WAR MEDAL. HIS MOTHER, JULIA RECEIVED THE MEMORIAL CROSS AND DEATH PLAQUE IN HONOUR OF HER SON'S SACRIFICE. FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE BETTS’ BROTHERS’ MILITARY SERVICE IN ADDITION TO BACKGROUND FAMILY INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE THIS DONATION’S PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20110006003

Acquisition Date

2011-02

Collection

Museum

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