Stephanie K.
Brummie babby
Hello Everyone, I hope you can help. I am the Cultural Heritage officer at Elan Valley and I have recently been contacted about an old wooden dipping pen and nib
The label reads
Used by Prince Albert, Duke of York, in September 1917 in Elan Valley
Does anyone know anything about this visit by "Bertie"? He would have been about 22 years old and before he married Elizabeth Bowes-
Lyon (the Queen Mum).
Apparently the pen belonged to Harry Reginald Skerritt, who was originally from Birmingham. He was a corporal aircraft engineer in the Royal Flying Corps/ Royal Air Force in the first world war from 1915 to 1919. Because he was in France at the time the pen was used, it might have belonged to his father, George Samuel Skerritt who was aged 47 and living in Birmingham in 1917.
Harry was a Special Constable in Birmingham and received a long service medal in 1926 so maybe George (his father) was also one, and also maybe one of the Special Constables from Birmingham who guarded the water treatment works during the first World War, from July 1917 until November 1918.
After the war a memorial to these men was built with money was raised by subscription, and a water spout and drinking trough was built at Abernant, some 100yds above Caban Coch Dam in the Elan Valley.
Does anyone know how I could find out whether George was an SC too? I've had a quick look in Birmingham archives and the history of the West Mids Police but nothing helpful.
Many thanks for your help with this
The label reads
Used by Prince Albert, Duke of York, in September 1917 in Elan Valley
Does anyone know anything about this visit by "Bertie"? He would have been about 22 years old and before he married Elizabeth Bowes-
Lyon (the Queen Mum).
Apparently the pen belonged to Harry Reginald Skerritt, who was originally from Birmingham. He was a corporal aircraft engineer in the Royal Flying Corps/ Royal Air Force in the first world war from 1915 to 1919. Because he was in France at the time the pen was used, it might have belonged to his father, George Samuel Skerritt who was aged 47 and living in Birmingham in 1917.
Harry was a Special Constable in Birmingham and received a long service medal in 1926 so maybe George (his father) was also one, and also maybe one of the Special Constables from Birmingham who guarded the water treatment works during the first World War, from July 1917 until November 1918.
After the war a memorial to these men was built with money was raised by subscription, and a water spout and drinking trough was built at Abernant, some 100yds above Caban Coch Dam in the Elan Valley.
Does anyone know how I could find out whether George was an SC too? I've had a quick look in Birmingham archives and the history of the West Mids Police but nothing helpful.
Many thanks for your help with this