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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Angus Brodie 1930 Corps Royal Engineers


CarolBrodie

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I am new to the forum so still trying to find my way around. If I am posting this in the wrong place perhaps someone with more knowledge could kindly point me in the right direction ?

My Grandpa's cousin, Angus Brodie, was killed 12th June 1915. I am trying to discover how and where he died. I know that he is buried at Ypres (Ieper), West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen), Belgium and that he is commemorated at the Menin Gate.

I have discovered, via Ancestry, 'UK Soldiers Died in the Great War', in the notes, that he was 'formerly 1145 Northumberland Fusiliers 50th Northumbrian Division Signal Co RE - apologies for my ignorance but I,m not sure what this means.

Can anybody help me or point me in the right direction ?

Many thanks and in hope !

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You'll find useful information about how to conduct searches here:

http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/research/index.php/find-your-soldier/

You will see from Soldiers Died in the Great War that Angus Brodie was a Driver ("Dvr") in the Royal Engineers Signals Company of the 50th Northumbrian Division (a Territorial Force Division). You can find information about 50 Division on this site at

http://www.1914-1918.net/50div.htm/ .

From SDiGW you will see that in the Royal Engineers his service number was 1930. Previously he had been served in the Northumberland Fusiliers (probably one of the Territorial Battalions), his service number was 1145.

Using his Name, RE service number and "Royal Engineers" you should be able to find his Medal Roll Index Card using ancestry. It will tell you the Unit with which he first went abroad and the date when he first went abroad (sadly not long before he was killed).

You could also use ancestry to see if his Soldier's record is one of the few which survived.

You should also be able to find his Commonwealth War Graves Commission register entry in ancestry. If you haven't already done so you can also look at his CWGC entry on their site.

I hope this helps.

Roger.

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Hi Roger

Indeed it does help, very many thanks, it gives me more to go on. The photograph I'm using may well be Angus but I don't know, the other chap is definitely my Grandpa, they were both very similar ages. Grandpa appears to be wearing some sort or riding trouser - they are jodphur-like whilst the other chap has a different shape of trouser.

I'm really grateful as this is all going towards a family history for my boys

Carol

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If you post the pictures you I am sure someone will readily identify the uniforms for you.

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My Grandpa's cousin, Angus Brodie, was killed 12th June 1915. I am trying to discover how and where he died. I know that he is buried at Ypres (Ieper), West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen), Belgium and that he is commemorated at the Menin Gate.

If he has a known grave I am not sure that he would be on the Menim Gate Memorial as this is a memorial to the missing. Could be he had a marked grave that was destroyed by the following fighting.

Perhaps you could let us know the details you have of his burial?

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The link below is where I found the Menin Gate information, not understanding that Menin is for those with no known grave I went on the the Find a War Grave site and took down the details quoted there thinking that was a grave

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/929234/BRODIE,%20ANGUS%20LAYBOURNE

Is it likely that Angus was killed in at some point during the second battle for Ypres and that his body was not recovered ? I realise he was a driver so this may sound like a daft question; what would a driver in the RE be transporting

I'm sorting photographs and postcodes out and hope to post these either tomorrow or Monday

Many thanks

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As I said in post 5, he may have been buried near the spot that he fell. He could have been buried by shell fire. Shells could remove a lot of earth. He could have been left where he fell and not found again. There are lots of senarios. I think his will is held in archives which should mean that someone removed it from his pocket after his death. War Diaries may tell you where he was at the time of his death but are unlikely to show his name as a casualty. He will be included in the total number of deaths that day under OR [other ranks]

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Angus was a driver. Driver is used to describe a mounted horseman pulling a wagon. Most RE drivers were just that with a few motorcyclists. If he was in Signals he was probably a rider, the quickest way to get about.

Your avatar picture, if it is of him would help with identification by those here well up on uniforms. Can you post it?

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Thank you Johnboy. I think the photograph is in the office so will post tomorrow, if I have got it at home will scan and post later today.This has helped so much; obviously I didn't know him but haven;t been able to stop thinking about him, finding the will is so poignant - those poor lads......

Carol

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Carol, just slipping off on a tangent here, my middle name is Leybourne and was my mothers maiden name. It's not often I see the name spelt this way and I would be interested in knowing if this was a family name of the Brodies'

Jon

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Hi Jay

yes it is, sometimes it's spelled Laybourne and other times it's Leybourne

The link is through Elizabeth Laybourne who was born 1818 near Durham, she was Angus's ( and my Grandpa's) paternal Great Grandmother

Interesting !

Carol

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Just had a quick look at my records.

The 1911 census, which would have been completed by his Dad, spells Leybourne with an 'E', so I assume his Dad must know how to spell it even though the birth entry is spelled with an 'a' - so it has changed through the years

Carol

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Just had a quick look at my records.

The 1911 census, which would have been completed by his Dad, spells Leybourne with an 'E', so I assume his Dad must know how to spell it even though the birth entry is spelled with an 'a' - so it has changed through the years

Carol

The joys of handwriting. Loads of stuff got wrongly transcribed so sometimes don't think you have hit a brick wall, try other variations.

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Carol, just slipping off on a tangent here, my middle name is Leybourne and was my mothers maiden name. It's not often I see the name spelt this way and I would be interested in knowing if this was a family name of the Brodies'

Jon

Hi Jay

yes it is, sometimes it's spelled Laybourne and other times it's Leybourne

The link is through Elizabeth Laybourne who was born 1818 near Durham, she was Angus's ( and my Grandpa's) paternal Great Grandmother

Interesting !

Carol

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This photograph is of my Grandfather, Norman Brodie , looking at the photograph he is the one of the left ie sitting on the chair's arm. I don't know who the seated person is and am wondering if it could be Angus ? Their uniforms look different particularly the trousers.

I'd be grateful for any pointers

Many thanks

Carolpost-101496-0-12337600-1378136582_thumb.

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Thanks Khaki. The tunic collars look different. On the left; thinner and more pointy? Would this have a bearing on the job they did ?

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Thank you - are they both ASC ? I thought my Grandpa (on the left as you look at it) appeared to have jodphur like trousers on - he did ride before the war and did tell me that he spent the first two years of the war on horse back but that doesn't necessarily fit with him being in the ASC does it ?

Thanks !

Carol

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He could have been a waggon driver in ASC. I know this does not tally with the memorial.

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Carol, just slipping off on a tangent here, my middle name is Leybourne and was my mothers maiden name. It's not often I see the name spelt this way and I would be interested in knowing if this was a family name of the Brodies'

Jon

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