At Home Dad Posted 1 July , 2008 Share Posted 1 July , 2008 The disgusting sods that did this need some 'fun' time in Irag/AFG http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7482668.stm Thieves who desecrated a war memorial by stealing four plaques bearing the names of the war dead have been described as the "lowest of the low". One bronze plaque was stolen from the naval war memorial on Plymouth Hoe, Devon, hours after a Veterans' Day event on Sunday. Three more were stolen overnight and a fifth has been damaged. Veterans and families of serving personnel have angrily condemned the callous thieves. The plaques, which are valued at about £2,000 each, are currently being restored. Sculptor Andy Mitchell, who has been employed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to carry out the restoration, discovered the second theft at about 0830 BST. He said he was in a complete state of shock. "It's just so sad and I just don't know what else to say," he told BBC News. "My first priority is to contact the War Graves Commission to tell them what's happened." Mr Mitchell said it was a very deliberate act, as the plaques were not easy to remove. "The plaques have a list of marines who died serving their country and for someone to do this and try to sell it for scrap is just beyond words," he said. "If the families get hold of whoever's responsible, I don't know what would happen." Former Royal Marine Daniel "Dusty" Millar, 80, from Plympton, said it was impossible to comprehend the mindset of the thieves. "It's outrageous that anyone could carry out such a wicked act which will cause such distress to the friends and families of our war heroes," he said. James Cockburn, the stepfather of 21-year-old Plymouth Royal Marine Ben McBean, who lost an arm and a leg when a mine exploded during a patrol in Afghanistan said the thefts were "hideous and disgraceful". Peter Francis, a spokesman for the CWGC, said he was shocked and disgusted. Security measures "To lose the first was bad enough, but what has happened overnight truly beggars belief," he said. "We will definitely be taking steps to secure the remaining panels and will be writing to local authorities, asking them for help with this situation." John Pentreath, the manager of the Devon Royal British Legion, said it was a "despicable act" and described the thieves as the "lowest of the low". Police have appealed to anyone with information to contact them. + + + + Isn't it time to have CCTV pointed at every memorial in the Country? Surely the thefts are going to get much worse in the future what with the metals prices Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KevinEndon Posted 1 July , 2008 Share Posted 1 July , 2008 Lets hope that some of the scum bag scrap metal merchants who wouldnt think twice about melting them down have a change of heart and if they are offered to buy them they either do and hand them in to the police or they report the sellers to the police. Fingers crossed they are returned. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishmen1916 Posted 1 July , 2008 Share Posted 1 July , 2008 The people who do this are lower than scumbags. Hopefully they will turn up. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Blonde Posted 1 July , 2008 Share Posted 1 July , 2008 As I have mentioned before targets of opportunity like these, deserve to have at least one C.C.T.V. trained on them 24 hours a day. I wish much ill luck on who ever perpetrated this crime. Connaught Stranger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 1 July , 2008 Share Posted 1 July , 2008 What is this country turning into, I feel ashamed that I am part of it. Desecrating the memory's of heroes for drugs or drink is low so low I cannot find a word. May they recieve a fitting end, painful and slow. Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphjd Posted 1 July , 2008 Share Posted 1 July , 2008 A pound to a pinch of salt it wont be long before the rest are stolen. May the scumbags responsible be for ever damned. Ralph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
At Home Dad Posted 1 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 1 July , 2008 Is there no way we, as a 'group', can push for councils to install cctv around the memorials, as the thefts will get worse as Ralph says? Or one of those PrimeMinisters Petition things? I think you need 20,000+ names to have it looked at seriously by the Tea Sippers in gov accounting. And, hey! If the Star Wars fans can get 'Jedi' declared a religion.... well, it might be worth it? Does the CWGC have an opinion on cctv protection, I wonder? Seeing as the Councils are MORE than happy to install cctv in an effort to catch dogs that pooh on the street and fly tippers, surely this _desecration_ merits something. I know nothing about initiating this other than by this post. But I'm sure there are some real experts here who can suggest an angle of attack? Other than that, we can call upon all our Ancestors to make sure the brass plaques continually fall on the extremities of the little scumbag who nicked 'em! http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/new Any ideas on the best way to word it? "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to... " Ensure the sanctity and security with cctv of all memorials to those who gave their lives in the service of this Nation? Kind regards, all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoons Posted 2 July , 2008 Share Posted 2 July , 2008 Good news, one of the plaques (cut into 4) has been recovered and 2 men in custody. BBC News Item \Spoons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpgdpg Posted 2 July , 2008 Share Posted 2 July , 2008 Very sad. Hats off to the metal dealer for doing the right thing. Be interesting to see what punishment is issued. steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 2 July , 2008 Share Posted 2 July , 2008 Sad business but glad that somebody will be brought to book. Well done the scrap dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick D Posted 2 July , 2008 Share Posted 2 July , 2008 Don't forget the good old press, who are reminding the thieves how much the plaques are worth ! Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Clark Posted 2 July , 2008 Share Posted 2 July , 2008 Words totally fail me...... Thanks to the scrap dealer for dobbing these utter ******** in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tafski Posted 3 July , 2008 Share Posted 3 July , 2008 Lets hope that some of the scum bag scrap metal merchants who wouldnt think twice about melting them down have a change of heart and if they are offered to buy them they either do and hand them in to the police or they report the sellers to the police. Fingers crossed they are returned. Kevin seems yer rant worked then Kev Tafski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandymae Posted 4 July , 2008 Share Posted 4 July , 2008 Plaques recovered in Somerset - one cut into 4, the others complete although scratched. Local news reported that they were brought back ito Plymouth Police Station last night. Good News! S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 11 July , 2008 Share Posted 11 July , 2008 Unfortunately, not quite such good news as reported above. see http://www.cwgc.org/news.asp?newsid=87&view=yes I can't help wondering whether it wouldn't make more sense to make realistic replacements of resin, as I don't think this a problem that is likely to go away anytime soon; at the end of the day its not the construction of memorials that's the important thing it's the commemoration. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see all memorials kept as the day they were made unfortunately we're living in world which has far less respect than then. NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petroc Posted 13 July , 2008 Share Posted 13 July , 2008 A large part of me feels that it is a shame that the rozzers have caught the culprits....because if they were discovered by the locals down here, especially in Plymouth itself, their punishment would have registered far more in their disrepectful, pea-brained minds than any magistrate's telling-off could even hope to achieve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 18 June , 2009 Share Posted 18 June , 2009 Good news! The missing/ damaged panels are to be replaced see: http://www.cwgc.org/news.asp?newsid=120&view=yes Stolen for a scrap value of £100s: £17,000 to replace though; staggering but not as bad, at least in monetary terms, as the Thomas Moore Bronzes that were stolen in 2006 which probably went the same way see: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol...ticle719381.ece Pity the perpetrators can't be made to pay for the work. NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBI Posted 14 July , 2009 Share Posted 14 July , 2009 The 2 Scumbags who perpetrated this desecration have recieved jail sentences of 2 Years and 18 Months respectivley,before trying to sell the panels to the Scrap dealer the miscreants had also attempted to angle grind the Names from the Panel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Frank Posted 15 July , 2009 Share Posted 15 July , 2009 I know this is not the complete solution but we have taken to moulding the existing plaques in Fibre Glass and removing the originals and placing them in a museum. The FG copies look exactly like the originals. It is a sign of the times (not that this is an excuse) but what else can we do? A copy costs about GBP 100 for a 600mm x 700mm and we know the original is safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshdoc Posted 15 July , 2009 Share Posted 15 July , 2009 What a sign of the times fibreglass copies! its like going to a museum to see some VCs only to be told they are copies as its too expensive to insure them. But what can you do ? (well I know what I would do to the theiving scumbags Feild punishment number 1 ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Posted 15 July , 2009 Share Posted 15 July , 2009 Well, as a former Marine, I must say it can only have been the Navy... The disgusting sods that did this need some 'fun' time in Irag/AFG http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7482668.stm Thieves who desecrated a war memorial by stealing four plaques bearing the names of the war dead have been described as the "lowest of the low". One bronze plaque was stolen from the naval war memorial on Plymouth Hoe, Devon, hours after a Veterans' Day event on Sunday. Three more were stolen overnight and a fifth has been damaged. Veterans and families of serving personnel have angrily condemned the callous thieves. The plaques, which are valued at about £2,000 each, are currently being restored. Sculptor Andy Mitchell, who has been employed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to carry out the restoration, discovered the second theft at about 0830 BST. He said he was in a complete state of shock. "It's just so sad and I just don't know what else to say," he told BBC News. "My first priority is to contact the War Graves Commission to tell them what's happened." Mr Mitchell said it was a very deliberate act, as the plaques were not easy to remove. "The plaques have a list of marines who died serving their country and for someone to do this and try to sell it for scrap is just beyond words," he said. "If the families get hold of whoever's responsible, I don't know what would happen." Former Royal Marine Daniel "Dusty" Millar, 80, from Plympton, said it was impossible to comprehend the mindset of the thieves. "It's outrageous that anyone could carry out such a wicked act which will cause such distress to the friends and families of our war heroes," he said. James Cockburn, the stepfather of 21-year-old Plymouth Royal Marine Ben McBean, who lost an arm and a leg when a mine exploded during a patrol in Afghanistan said the thefts were "hideous and disgraceful". Peter Francis, a spokesman for the CWGC, said he was shocked and disgusted. Security measures "To lose the first was bad enough, but what has happened overnight truly beggars belief," he said. "We will definitely be taking steps to secure the remaining panels and will be writing to local authorities, asking them for help with this situation." John Pentreath, the manager of the Devon Royal British Legion, said it was a "despicable act" and described the thieves as the "lowest of the low". Police have appealed to anyone with information to contact them. + + + + Isn't it time to have CCTV pointed at every memorial in the Country? Surely the thefts are going to get much worse in the future what with the metals prices Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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