Suitable commemeration

Everytime I enter my father-in-law’s house I take the time to look at the two frames on the wall. The first one you pass as you walk from the front door contains a photograph of Wilfred in his WW1 army uniform. Under the photo is a commemorative plaque and then his medals. Below this is a letter sent to his father in 1922. The letter accompanied the medals when they were sent to the family four years after Wilfred’s death. It is a beautiful way to remember a man who never saw his 30th birthday but was dearly loved by his family.
Next to Wilfred’s frame is Arnold’s. Like Wilfred’s it contains a photograph, plaque and medals. Arnold’s letter, however, is the official one that was sent to the family on the occasion of his internment in Norway. It was sent almost 40 days after the sinking of the ship and was the formal acknowledgment of the internment. Fortunately, the family was aware of Arnold surviving the torpedo attack prior to this date and this letter was a formality.
The most important things in the frame, however, are the four birch trunk rounds which Arnold used as a canvas in 1916. We had to make the decision which side of the discs to display as there are markings on the rear but these were the sides that seemed the obvious ones to display. They are such precious and personal mementos of a challenging time in one mans life. It feels right to have them displayed so beautifully.

(please excuse the very obvious reflections from the glass. I am not sure how to avoid them!)

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