David Brown, ASC died Nov 1918

[Verrico2009]

Finally managed to find Wills Street by calling up every street in Smethwick (no idea why I was having problems) and found no. 74 in 1911. Fraid it's a family of Wilmshursts with two very young daughters (5 and 2), so not marriageable material (and the names don't match). Never knew they did an "other establishments" section - 292 entries, a lot of them with nothing but a schedule number!

[Bardess]

Oh dear . Thanks for your time and patience Louise and CGM

I fear we may never get to the bottom of this. I wonder what the reference relates to under each entry in #2?

[CGM]

..........I wonder what the reference relates to under each entry in #2?

I wonder if, just maybe, the original forms used to compile the Birmingham Honour Roll are stored away in a local record office???

Might be worth checking.....

CGM

[CGM]

Finally managed to find Wills Street by calling up every street in Smethwick (no idea why I was having problems) .....

Try going straight to 1911 address search and just putting in Wills Street.

You should get a choice of two.

You can do this with any street but obviously it only works if there aren't a trillion of them. High Street would probably cripple the site!

[Verrico2009]

I did - several times (both Wills Street on its own and with Smethwick) and it just didn't want to know!

[CGM]

Oh, that's odd.

[Bardess]

I will certainly send an email to Birmingham City Council to check it out!

[PaulC78]

Was this mystery ever solved? I've checked the pension records and found Joseph Brown 17635 Worcester Regt. of 74 Wills Street, Smethwick, Staffs. He died of wounds on 12 April 1918 though, but perhaps a brother? Mother's name was Emma Brown.

This is his entry on CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/69581/j-brown/

[Matlock1418]

On 07/01/2012 at 11:36, Bardess said:

Name: BROWN

Initials: D

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment/Service: Army Service Corps

Unit Text: Mechanical Transport

Secondary Unit Text: attd. Anti Aircraft Sect.

Age: 26

Date of Death: 07/11/1918

Service No: M2/191303

Additional information: Husband of Bertha Brown, of 43, Rabone Lane, Smethwick, Staffs.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: S. II. U. 24.

Cemetery: ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN

On 07/01/2012 at 11:48, Bardess said:

...

This second abstract I presume is from the National Roll of the Great War - a privately funded and privately 'fed' publication so prone to unusual and potentially inaccurate details.

Pension records at WFA/Fold 3 have:

Pte David BROWN, M2/191303, Army Service Corps - Died 7.11.1918, Influenza & Broncho-pneumonia whilst on active service [perhaps not quite so 'heroic' as KiA I'm afraid]

Widow: Bertha Annie BROWN/FOREMAN [remarried], b. 1.6.1892, 42 Rabone Lane, Smethwick, Staffs.  Children: Doris May BROWN, b. 28.6.14, and James Joseph Thomas BROWN b. 19.3.16.

On 09/01/2012 at 06:25, CGM said:

I can also offer a David Brown who married a Bertha A Taylor in the 4Q 1913, and the marriage was registered in Kings Norton, Worcestershire.

See previous - perhaps the same.

:-) M

Edited 17 October , 2021 by Matlock1418
trim

[Matlock1418]

On 09/01/2012 at 12:42, Bardess said:

Post #2 is from the Birmingham Honour Roll and is listed, as shown, one under the other

Oh, I missed that earlier - [? ROLL OF HONOUR OF BIRMINGHAM MEN AND WOMEN WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR, 1914-1918, Birmingham Printers ,1925 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1500040826] - same sort of issues as the NR could apply I think.

:-) M

Edited 17 October , 2021 by Matlock1418
addition

[Bardess]

9 hours ago, PaulC78 said:

Was this mystery ever solved?

Not solved; more accepted that the entries came from David's mother and wife as the addresses show. And, yes, Joseph was his brother