Overseas Help at Christmas

Bert Shore has featured a few times in this blog. Earlier this month we looked at a very old multi-tool he had – something which may have originally belonged to his grandfather. Today, we look back again to Bert’s own childhood and his involvement with one aspect of World War One – The Overseas Club. The Patron of this club was His Majesty the King. That would be George V for we are looking at 1915. And here we see Bert’s certificate for Christmas Day Gifts which helped to bring happiness to brave sailors and soldiers.

Christmas Day Gifts from Bert Shore of the Overseas Club

The aims of the Overseas Club are explained on the certificate.

The Overseas Clun Mission

We also have the banners of six empire countries.

It is interesting that India sent many men to fight for the allies at a time when British soldiers were based in India to attempt to keep order. We also note that Newfoundland was a country in its own right. It did not become a part of Canada until 1949.

Once again, we do not know what Bert Shore actually did to earn his certificate but I dare say men, bogged down in the mud, were pleased to know that they were thought about back home.

An Overseas Club Certificate

This blog post could be called another request for First World War stories. Here we look at work that children could do on the home front.

The child in question here is Bert Shore

Overseas Club Certificate awarded to Bert Shore in 1915

Albert (Bert) Shore was the oldest child of John Shore, a Market Gardener and his wife Annie. He was born in 1906 in West Lavington and he probably lived in that parish during the time of World War One. In 1911 the family were certainly in West Lavington with a home on Rickbarton.

But Bert later married a Market Lavington girl, and one close to the hearts of people involved at the museum, for his bride, when he married in 1940, was none other than Flo Burbidge, born and raised at our museum building. The couple lived in Market Lavington and many of their artefacts ended up in our museum, including this certificate.

The certificate certifies that Bert Shore has helped to send some comfort and happiness to the brave sailors and soldiers of the British Empire, fighting to uphold liberty, justice, honour and freedom in The Great War.

We do not know just what Bert did but as someone aged 9, we feel sure he was proud of his certificate. This one was issued for Empire Day in 1915.