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Courageous act in RND Service docs


NR72

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Hi 

 

I am researching a Petty officer Lionel Horace Brooks Bristol Z/161, I know after this he was commissioned as a Temp S/Lt. 

 

In his service docs there is a entry , where would i find out what he did?  i would love to see a picture of him, all i know is that he ended his days in Jersey passing away in 1974

 

Thank you 

 

 

Capture.JPG.abe838e7376192584939d144174aead1.JPG

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1 hour ago, NR72 said:

where would i find out what he did?

Difficult. Howe Bn. had spent the previous few weeks being introduced to BEF trench routines understudying army battalions, after transferring from the Dardanelles in May 1916. The RND had been deemed competent to take over in the front line on 17 July and had relieved 47th Division in the Angres-Souchez sector. The Howe war diary gives only one possible clue to how Petty Officer Brooks may have been commended: it records -  "25/6/16:- "At about 10.45pm Ration Party from 'B' Company got shelled, 4 men being hit, of whom Petty Officer J.H.R. Smith later died." There was no other significant action recorded (and the Howes were only in the trenches 14 -10 July) so it is possible that PO Brooks was involved in this incident but it may have been something else.

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I note that his medals where sold on E-Bay last month. ...….

 

Lionel Horace BROOKS born 4th April 1896 Gloucester, son of William (grocers manager) & Matilda Brooks, attended Park School, Dudley from 1905 – civilian occupation Clerk. Attested to Bristol Division RNVR 19/10/1914 – with the Royal Naval Division to Stavros, Greece June 1915 prior to landing at Gallipoli – November 1915 at Mudros then back to Gallipoli with the Howe Bn.

Following evacuation from Gallipoli accompanied the RND to France where he was awarded the RND certificate A 28/07/1916 for ‘Courageous and Gallant Conduct in the Field (France)’ – wounded 13/11/1916 on the Somme – GSW to the abdomen – the UK where he recovered sufficiently to return to France and was wounded again 25/04/1917 (2nd Battle of the Scarpe) but remained on duty.

Appointed T/Sub Lieutenant 63rdRND 14/05/1918 continuing to serve in the many battles the RND took part including Passchendale, St Quentin, Bapaume, Albert, Cambrai and the final advance in Picardy. Having survived the hardships of war he was invalided to the UK 20/04/1919 ‘result of injury during recreational training’ and demobilised 14/10/1919. In 1939 Lionel is shown as working as a solicitor in Westminster, London.

An interesting and scarce collection of items relating to an RNVR officer (promoted from the ranks) who saw extensive combat from Gallipoli to France wounded on at least two occasions and received a RND certificate for courageous and gallant conduct. Worthy of further research.   

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34 minutes ago, Kitchener's Bugle said:

I note that his medals where sold on E-Bay last month. ...….

 

Lionel Horace BROOKS born 4th April 1896 Gloucester, son of William (grocers manager) & Matilda Brooks, attended Park School, Dudley from 1905 – civilian occupation Clerk. Attested to Bristol Division RNVR 19/10/1914 – with the Royal Naval Division to Stavros, Greece June 1915 prior to landing at Gallipoli – November 1915 at Mudros then back to Gallipoli with the Howe Bn.

Following evacuation from Gallipoli accompanied the RND to France where he was awarded the RND certificate A 28/07/1916 for ‘Courageous and Gallant Conduct in the Field (France)’ – wounded 13/11/1916 on the Somme – GSW to the abdomen – the UK where he recovered sufficiently to return to France and was wounded again 25/04/1917 (2nd Battle of the Scarpe) but remained on duty.

Appointed T/Sub Lieutenant 63rdRND 14/05/1918 continuing to serve in the many battles the RND took part including Passchendale, St Quentin, Bapaume, Albert, Cambrai and the final advance in Picardy. Having survived the hardships of war he was invalided to the UK 20/04/1919 ‘result of injury during recreational training’ and demobilised 14/10/1919. In 1939 Lionel is shown as working as a solicitor in Westminster, London.

An interesting and scarce collection of items relating to an RNVR officer (promoted from the ranks) who saw extensive combat from Gallipoli to France wounded on at least two occasions and received a RND certificate for courageous and gallant conduct. Worthy of further research.   

Hi , Yes i bought them !! trying to find out what he did  and get a photo of him 

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PO Brooks was drafted to UK for a commission on 1 July 1917 and did not actually serve in the front line when he returned to the BEF in September 1918 as a Sub Lt.. Although notionally appointed to Drake Battalion he was, on arrival in France, sent on 25 September 1918 to the 63rd Divisional Wing where reinforcements were trained. There is no record of his actually joining the Drakes in the line before the Armistice.. His last period in the line was in June 1917 when the RND was in the Oppy/Gavrelle sector

2 hours ago, NR72 said:

continuing to serve in the many battles the RND took part including Passchendale, St Quentin, Bapaume, Albert, Cambrai and the final advance in Picardy.

The above statement is, therefore, incorrect. He was not even in France for the first four of the six actions listed.

Edited by horatio2
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3 hours ago, Kitchener's Bugle said:

Attested to Bristol Division RNVR 19/10/1914 – with the Royal Naval Division to Stavros, Greece June 1915 prior to landing at Gallipoli – November 1915 at Mudros then back to Gallipoli with the Howe Bn.

Another muddle. He landed at Gallipoli with Benbow Battalion RND at the end of May 1915 and was transferred to Howe Battalion two weeks later when Benbow Bn was disbanded after the 3rd Battle of Krithia. He went to hospital at Mudros with dysentery on 22 October and rejoined the Howes on 23 December just before the withdrawal from Gallipoli. Howe Battalion was sent to Stavros from Mudros on 21 February 1916, returning on 31 March.

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4 hours ago, NR72 said:

Hi , Yes i bought them !! trying to find out what he did  and get a photo of him 

 

That clearly explains your interest then!!! 

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This is his timeline , he had an eventful war , fought in the major battles of the RND , Third battle of Krithia, Ancre and Gavrelle 

 

09/01/15 Benbow

29/03/15 Port Said

08/04/15 to Mudros

30/05/15 Benbow landed at Gallipoli

04/06/15 Third Battle of Krithia

12/06/15 transferred to Howe

22/10/15 Sick to Mudros

09/12/15 discharged Mudros

10/12/15 to ANZAC Base Mudros

23/12/15 re-joined unit Gallipoli

07/05/16 embarked Mudros for Marseilles

12/05/16 disembarked Marseilles

28/07/16 Courageous and gallant act in field (France)

16/09/16 to UK Leave

25/0916 rtn from leave

19/11/16 GSW Abdomen (ANCRE)

24/11/16 Southwark hospital

22/12/16 Furlough

01/01/17 Back from Furlough

27/2/17 Drafted to Howe Bn

22/03/17 Joined Bn BEF

25/04/17 Wounded remained on duty (GAVRELLE)

01/07/17 discharged to UK for Commission

03/07/17 reported 2nd Reserve Bn

04/10/17 Officer training Ayrshire

19/10/17 awarded first GCB

19/09/18 Drafted to Drake Bn BEF Temp S/Lt

20/09/18 Calais Depot

25/09/18 Divisional Wing

19/01/19 to leave

06/02/19 back from leave

13/04/19 hospital, kicked in knee during football match

20/04/19 invalided

14/10/19 Demobbed

Edited by NR72
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2 hours ago, NR72 said:

30/04/15 Benbow landed at Gallipoli

The Benbow, Hawke and Collingwood battalions landed, ex-UK, on 30 May 1915.

Edited by horatio2
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2 hours ago, NR72 said:

29/03/15 Port Said

Benbow Battalion was at Blandford Camp on this date. They did not depart UK until 10 May.

Edited by horatio2
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14 hours ago, horatio2 said:

The Benbow, Hawke and Collingwood battalions landed, ex-UK, on 30 May 1915.

Horatio , yes my mistake i will correct it

13 hours ago, Skipman said:

How much are these medals worth now?

 

Mike

 Hi Mike, i bought them as a group , the real prize for me was the extremely rare cloth badges which came with the group , you never see them

Edited by NR72
incorrect info
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