IDENTIFIERS ----------- id: 141550 accession number: CM.1456-2009 DATE AUDIT ---------- created: Saturday 6 August 2011 updated: Monday 15 January 2024 DESCRIPTIVE DATA ---------------- object type: The Silver Cross, now known as the Canadian Memorial Cross since the introduction of a similar award by New Zealand in 1960, was instituted in 1914, and was issued to the mother and/or widow of any Canadian serviceman killed in action during the Great War of 1914-1918. The initial award was concluded in 1919, but a new version struck in 1940 for Second World War service deaths and it has remained on issue since that time. In 2006, indeed, the first award was made to a widower in memory of his wife, who had been killed in combat in Aghanistan. This cross was awarded to the next-of-kin of Private C. Smith, of the Royal Canadian Army. As the cross bears the monogram of George V, his fatal service must have been during the Great War, but no more is known. Lester Watson acquired the cross at some point before 1928. title: Silver Cross NOTES ----- type: history note value: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, acquired before 1928 LICENSING --------- text license status: CC0 image license status: CC-BY-NC-SA OWNERSHIP --------- instutition: The Fitzwilliam Museum department: Coins and Medals collection: Lester Watson Collection creditline: Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009 STABLE URL ---------- url: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141550 TECHNIQUES ---------- struck CATEGORIES ------ category: medal DATING ------ creation date: 1914 - 1919 creation date earliest: 1914 creation date latest: 1919 CREATORS -------- maker: London maker: George V (1910-36) maker: Canada maker: GRI (George V) DIMENSIONS ---------- dimension: Diameter units: mm value: 31.8 dimension: Weight units: g value: 13.23 CITATIONS -------- British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959) --- IMAGES surrogate: large format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0339_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 161 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0339_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 161 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0339_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 161 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0339_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 161 pixels surrogate: large format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0339_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 168 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0339_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 168 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0339_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 168 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0339_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 168 pixels