The three grandsons of a soldier who died following the First World War have been reunited with his “Dead Man’s Penny”.
Willie Greener, 75, had not seen his Fife cousins David and Leonard in nearly 60 years, but the three men and Willie’s niece Linda McDonald met up when retired Dundee academic Leona Elder handed them their grandfather Septimus Greener’s memorial plaque.
Last month The Courier reported how Leona discovered the so-called Dead Man’s Penny in an antique shop just two days after photographing his grave for a war graves website.
Struck by the uncanny coincidence, she bought it and set out to find the family. Only a week later both David and Linda contacted The Courier and both sides of the family met Leona.
“It was a big surprise,” said David, 79, from Cupar.
His brother Leonard, 72, said they had only heard bits and pieces about Septimus but this was now the second plaque in the family.
“Our mother’s father was shot by a sniper in the First World War, so that’s two Dead Man’s Pennies within the family.”
And the brothers’ father, also Leonard, served as a paratrooper in the Second World War. Septimus was a private in the Tank Corps who died on March 2 1919, just months after the conclusion of the war.
His wife Mary, who lived at 201 Hilltown, Dundee, would have been given the commemorative plaque as they were issued to the next of kin of all British and Empire service personnel killed in the conflict. It is still unclear exactly how Septimus died.
Speaking of their first meeting in decades, Leonard said: “It’s great to see Willie.”
Willie added: “I haven’t seen them since I was 17. It’s a strange feeling.”
And now David and Leonard will be able to visit their grandfather’s grave in Balgay Cemetery, guided by Leona and Linda’s instructions. Linda has been going to Septimus’s graveside ever since she discovered it.
“I had been given my family tree for my 40th birthday. When I did trace the grave I got my husband to make a wooden cross,” she said.
Of the plaque she added: “I’m just delighted it’s back in the family. So long as it’s a Greener keeping it safe.”