A Few small finds today at WW2 camp site

[harry211]

bit of a strange find this time. At a dump site for the WW1 camp, in amongst the usual .303s, broken crockery and assorted domestic stuff was this medal/plaque, which is about 2.5 inches in diameter and very well made. The chap on it is a Dutch philanthropist from the 19th Century - Willem Hendrik Suringar - and I believe that this is some sort of award for doing good deeds for the poor as it says "steun van gevallenen. hulp van verwaarloosden" (support of the fallen. help for neglected - I believe?).

Not military related I know but a very odd thing to find on a WW1 CEF camp site. Why it is there I have no idea...I have written to the Maastricht university to see if I can find out any more about this and what the connection may be to an army base.

[SailorTzipi]

Great finds!

The last picture is very interesting!! I can't wait to hear what you find out about it

[stekker]

It's a Dutch plaque.
I will do some research.

[stekker]

First of all I found out there is one museum in Holland which has the same plaque only made of gold.
I've searched the internet but couldn't find a brass one.
The following information was found on the Dutch Wikipedia, but I couldn't find it on the English version.
So I had it translated by Google.

Nederlandsch Mettray was a Protestant upbringing home for non-criminal youth with behavioral, founded in 1851 by William Henry Suringar. It was built as an agricultural colony on the estate Rijsselt in Eefde at Zutphen in the Dutch province of Gelderland to the example of a similar device in the French Mettray.
William Henry Suringar.

Someone who is the fate of juvenile offenders was attracted WH Suringar. This was a young man born in Friesland whose dream had become a minister. Because his father, who had his own business, had to help, he had to finish his studies. Yet he tried to do something about spiritual care. He regularly visited prisoners and tried to give them. Moralist support and education The presence of a prison in Leeuwarden, his hometown, would also have contributed to his interest was aroused prisoners. He wanted to do something for prisoners, particularly for youth. He and two others, and Nierstrazz Warnsinck, the "Society for moral improvement of the prisoners' on.

The Society for the moral improvement of the prisoners.

The creation of such a philanthropic partnership fits in the eighteenth-century Enlightenment. It was believed in the perfectibility of society and the good in the mens.Mensen that the problems were touched could be brought by them to form so that they would make the right choices in the future and not the straight on the right path again path would slip. The Society was recognized by Royal Decree of October 6, 1823. It was engaged in religious and moralistic improve prisoners. This would be achieved by giving the prisoners in the prison education. But they also played a role in rehabilitation, helping ex-offenders in their return to society. They also made recommendations to the government to put in the prison system improvements. So it was with the Society believes that a cellular approach would be for the captured better. Caught could better each get their own cell than they were locked together. When one is only locked one gets the chance to reflect on his actions and ponder his sins, only then could one come to repentance. They also found that children of the adults had to be separated. People were afraid that children, by allowing them to come up with thieves and murderers, in contact only but it could be worse, since where they mistreated one is infected with it.

Regulations.

Although there were some regulations on the distribution of inmates in prison. By Decision of the Sovereigns Frost February 26, 1814 the instruction was given that had to be captured. Separated as much as possible to their booth and crime Men and women were separated and children were all placed together under the supervision of the prisoners who had been guilty of the slightest offenses and those who behaved exemplary. In a Royal Decree of later date, that of November 4, 1821 is described that children separated as much as possible of the adult prisoners were to be held. According to the Society this meant that children had to be separated. At any time of the adults There would thus separate juvenile prisons to come.

The Society had sought to achieve such a prison in Amsterdam, however, this was not possible because no suitable location would have been. Available in Amsterdam In Rotterdam there was a suitable location, they could house juvenile offenders in prison there present. There was room in this prison come now that a new prison was opened in Hoorn, Rotterdam prisoners were transferred to this device in Hoorn. Initially, boys and girls together in Rotterdam trapped here, came to an end in 1836 when a separate prison for girls in Amsterdam was founded.

Mettray.

Suringar made many trips abroad, he wanted to see how other countries dealt with juvenile offenders. On one of those trips he comes in Mettray, a town in France near the city of Tours. A man named Demetz, who councilor had been at the Royal Court had a home for neglected and criminal children realized. For this he had copied the art of a similar home in Hamburg, the 'Rauhe Haus'. Together with the support of the Earl Bretingnères, who initially wanted to set up a retirement home Demetz had an agricultural colony founded where neglected and criminal youth could be brought to heel. The concept of the agricultural colony and the state of affairs there spoke to the imagination of Suringar. Upon his return to the Netherlands he was determined to create something similar in the Netherlands. He had a book of his experiences in France. The book was titled The Agricultural Colony to Mettray (in France) is an example for the Netherlands. The book was preceded by a speech as he that he did on May 6, 1847 in Amsterdam where he called to join forces in the Netherlands and that the French model could be an Agricultural Colony within three to four years rise

Nederlandsch Mettray.

The story goes that a half hour after the aforementioned book to have read, Mr. Schuller proceeded to Suringar a considerable amount to offer. Eventually Suringar was dependent on donations because the government assistance to neglected children left to private initiative. This gentleman Schüller offered enough money to be able to focus. An agricultural colony However, he suggested a number of requirements, he wanted his money, a sum of 16,000 guilders, not just give up. He wanted to establish the colony would be located. Gelderland It was to be used for Protestant youth and especially for neglected youth. Initially wanted Suringar help criminal youth just as happened in Mettray. Seemed by focusing more attention on neglected youth plan more like the Rauhe Haus in Hamburg.

After a long discussion it was decided to save. Tacks The estate Rijsselt at Eefde in the municipality Gorssel had 'Nederlansch Mettray' rise. In the selection of the particular property is taken to ensure that this spot was well insulated. Was revealed that the three largest cities, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague were the most criminal and neglected youth. It would be good for them if they were far from these places and separated from the outside world. In the winter of 1851-1852 were the first children to be housed on Dutch Mettray.

[harry211]

First of all I found out there is one museum in Holland which has the same plaque only made of gold.
I've searched the internet but couldn't find a brass one.
.

Many thanks for the info

Could you tell me which museum has the gold version of the plaque as I will get in touch I think and ask if they can provide further info (and see if they want to swap !!! ) ?

[stekker]

I found a museum wich has the bronze one:
GEDENKPENNING W.H.SURINGAR 1860 | Collectie Gelderland

[harry211]

A few more bits and bobs that have been coming out of a dump site at the WW1 camp. A fair few buttons, most General Service but a few Canadian Expeditionary Force ones. A LE oiler bottle with spoon and lid, a Broad Arrow marked teaspoon, a Canadian army issue pocket knife with bone handles that cleaned up pretty well, and a nice R White and Sons bottle from the early 1900's, still with the stopper in situ.

[flak 18]

Hi...lovely stuff. Nice to see. The .30 cal RA 43 cartridge case... isn't that really a 7.92 BESA case ?

[harry211]

seems to be the season for knives and buttons. Now found 5 CEF issue pocket knives but only 1 had been in half decent shape - now here's the second. As well as the buttons got another Canadian shoulder flash. Also been finding horse related stuff and here is a boot spur after being cleaned up - no markings unfortunately but WW1 in date given the context in which it was found - had a 1914 dated .303 rusted to it so good evidence of date I think.

[harry211]

Has anyone ever seen a dogtag like this?? Found at my CEF WW1 site. Not sure if it is a trench art piece as seems to have been made in the shape of a bullet so maybe is a label for a tool box. It is marked

113411
W Moulden
CMGC

The owner was a machine gun technician in the Canadian Machine Gun corps who signed up in July 1915 aged 19.

To say I am please with this particular find is an understatement :-)