Ralph J. Whitehead Posted 21 September , 2004 Share Posted 21 September , 2004 I just watched a show called History Detectives where a segment dealt with WWI. It appears there is a large bronze plaque in a prison located in Philadelphia, Pa. that honors the men from the prison who served in the war. There are no names on the plaque, only the prisoner's numbers. It looked rather odd but the research indocated that the men, from pimps to murderers, all served honorably. The total was about 300 men. Has anyone come across anything similar? First I had ever seen. Ralph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc leroux Posted 21 September , 2004 Share Posted 21 September , 2004 I don't know if there are plaques, but thre is evidence that approximatly 50% of the prison population of Ontario served in the war. marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broznitsky Posted 21 September , 2004 Share Posted 21 September , 2004 Ralph/Marc: did these men serve as combat infantry, or were they farther back, or never left North America??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 21 September , 2004 Share Posted 21 September , 2004 It also appears that, in the UK, when men were being tried and had been found guilty of minor offences, a magistrate would often give the man the option of 'volunteering' for the army instead of a prison sentence. I can't remember where I read this. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 21 September , 2004 Share Posted 21 September , 2004 It also appears that, in the UK, when men were being tried and had been found guilty of minor offences, a magistrate would often give the man the option of 'volunteering' for the army instead of a prison sentence. I've come across examples of this in local newspapers, particularly in 1914/15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 22 September , 2004 Share Posted 22 September , 2004 There are mentions of this practice in the South London Press of 1915. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 22 September , 2004 Share Posted 22 September , 2004 I just watched a show called History Detectives where a segment dealt with WWI. It appears there is a large bronze plaque in a prison located in Philadelphia, Pa. that honors the men from the prison who served in the war. There are no names on the plaque, only the prisoner's numbers. It looked rather odd but the research indocated that the men, from pimps to murderers, all served honorably. The total was about 300 men. Has anyone come across anything similar? First I had ever seen. Ralph I seem to think that I have read of a similar memorial in a British prison. Also, IIRC one of the ex-convict soldiers won the VC? If anyone else has 30 years worth of back copies of the Military Historical Society Bulletin, and the time to read through them, they might find the original article. I have the journals, but I don't have the time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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