Old Contemptibles Unit Plaque
- Appointment
- Unit Plaques
- Unit
- Old Contemptibles, British Expeditionary Force
- Plaque number
- L426
- Dedicated by
- the Old Contemptibles Association on 17 April 1966
- More information
The Old Contemptibles Association dedicated the Honour Plaque on 17 April 1966. The Associations’ Honour Plaque is one of ten unit plaques placed in the Kings Park Honour Avenues on that date following invitations sent to a number of unit associations, some of whom declined the offer. Prior to this, the only unit plaque in the Avenues was the Returned Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Imperial League of Australian (now the Returned and Services League) Subiaco Sub-Branch plaque dedicated in 1920.
The name 'Old Contemptibles' arose from an Order of the Day issued by the Kaiser during World War One which mentioned the British Army as 'Sir John French's contemptible little army'. All ranks of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) who served in France and Flanders within range of the enemy artillery from 5 August 1914 to 22 November 1914 were entitled to call themselves 'Old Contemptibles'. The Old Contemptibles Association was founded by Captain J P Danny, Royal Artillery, on 25 June 1925. The Association had 178 branches in the United Kingdom and 14 overseas branches, including one in Perth, Western Australia. It produced its own magazine The Old Contemptible and all members were known as "chums".
Soldiers from the Australian Imperial Force did not serve on the Western Front until early 1916 and were not eligible for membership of the Association. However, there were likely men from Western Australia serving in the British Army who would have been eligible along with the post-World War I migrants from Britain who settled in Western Australia.
The honour plaque is placed in the Avenues in memory of all who served in the British Army on the Western Front meeting the criteria given in the preceding paragraphs. They are remembered with honour.