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Auction: 19003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 183

An extremely rare Great War Memorial Plaque and Scroll issued in memory of Member V. M. Porter, Women's Royal Air Force, No. 4 Aircraft Repair Depot (Chelsea), whose death was recorded on 11 November 1918

Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Violet Maud Porter); Memorial Scroll, dedicated to 'Violet Maud Porter W.R.A.F.', together with original Buckingham Palace letter of condolence, extremely fine, housed in a glazed wooden frame as displayed by her family, professionally re-backed with pencil annotation stating 'Opened + resealed 2/12/1999' (Lot)

Provenance:
Glendining's, March 1993, the sale attracting attention in Antiques Trade Gazette and featuring in Medal Yearbook report.

Violet Maud Porter was born in 1898 at Peckham, London, the daughter of Walter Porter, a Horse Keeper, and his wife Elizabeth, of 23 Ledbury Street, Camberwell. She enlisted into the Women's Royal Air Force (No. 5739) and served at No. 4 Aircraft Repair Depot, Chelsea, from 30 January 1918, noting her address as 58 Lupus Street, SW1. It was whilst in this role that she contracted influenza, which caused her tragic demise with her younger brother by her side, with the death being registered on 11 November 1918. Porter is buried in the Kensal Green (All Souls') Cemetery, London, which contains the graves of 4 members of the Women's Royal Air Force, who lost 41 of their number during the entire Great War; sold together with a large archive of copied research and documentation, including the original invoice.

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Sold for
£3,500

Starting price
£2800