2 uniform IDs please

[Gma]

3 hours ago, AndyJohnson said:

Hello

I spotted this thread as I do an occasional Forum search for Tipton, that being my "Specialist Subject". 

 

PRC did an excellent piece of detective work following Clara to 218 Dudley Port, Tipton - her wedding certificate will prove this hopefully - father's name Thomas (age 48 in 1911).

 

If this is the case then, GMA, you have a Great-Uncle who was killed on that most auspicious of days, July 1st 1916 - Clara's brother, William Brookes, who was mentioned in one post. He was killed near Leipzig Redoubt serving with the 9th York & Lancaster Regiment (the subject of Derek Clayton's fine book "From Pontefract to Picardy"). He appears on my Tipton website at: https://www.tiptonremembers.net/index.php/brookes-william

 

This ties in with the Brookes family moving to Yorkshire some time after 1911 Census, as William enlisted in Mexborough around December 1914 - not far from Doncaster. Also Clara marrying in Doncaster in 1914.

 

The WFA Pension Card for William Brookes shows that his & Clara's mother re-married in 1922, also in Doncaster. She then became Mrs M Gillatt, this is proven via freebmd - see below.

 

Gillatt - Gilyeat - rather close isn't it? A post above does mention different spellings. A coincidence or....

 

good luck with the search

Andy

 

PS If the lady on the left is Clara (your g/mother), might the older lady be her mother Margaret (your gg/mother)? It would seem that the entire Brookes family had moved to Yorkshire, this was not an uncommon migration route.

 

 

Thank you so much Andy.

I really appreciate this information, I will credit your website with Williams information on my family tree once I update it

You have inadvertently cleared up a mystery that I hadn't started on yet - I haven't found any information on my Great Uncle William Brookes.

The photograph was definitely my Grandmother, Clara & the other lady has been definitely identified as my Great Grandmother Sarah Elizabeth House nee Gilyeart. I do have a photograph of Claras mother, Margaret Bate/Brookes/Gillatt. I also have a copy of her marriage certificate.

[Gma]

On 09/04/2020 at 00:59, FROGSMILE said:

I think it’s fantastic that between us all, but especially you, Barry and Peter, we’ve captured a snapshot in time over a hundred years ago when a cousin from Canada looked up his English cousin before he went of to fight for kith and kin. With you now in Australia, where my own great uncles ended up after that war, we’re spread right across the span of the Old Commonwealth, Northern and Southern Hemispheres.  It’s a heart rending story, all told in one snapshot.  When the photo was taken so long ago and probably not annotated until years later by another generation, it’s entirely natural that there should be the occasional error in recognition.  Whoever wrote on the back clearly did not recognise the Canadian regimental features that we have between us been able to ID.

 

I'm rather blown away by it all - in a good way

[Gma]

On 09/04/2020 at 05:44, The Inspector said:

Hi Jenny and all,

Will carry on looking for "brother James House", as I posted previously there is a mine of info. on the Gilyeart family in Canada, various spellings of the surname but I won't spoil your searching. If you get stuck send me a PM.

Regards Barry.

 

Thank you so much Barry. It's very much appreciated

[Gma]

Hello again to you all,

I have just received my Aunt Margaret Lilian House birth certificate - 20th Feb 1915.

I said that I would let you know, here it is

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, Gma said:

Hello again to you all,

I have just received my Aunt Margaret Lilian House birth certificate - 20th Feb 1915.

I said that I would let you know, here it is

Well it confirms your aunt’s father, William House, was in the Royal Field Artillery and serving within a Battery of the 147th (i.e. CXLVII) Brigade RFA.

 

”CXLVII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery served as Divisional artillery with 29th Division. The Division was formed in late 1914 from regular units arriving home from the most distant garrisons of Empire, having been replaced by Territorial units. The new division concentrated in the Stratford-Warwick-Leamington-Rugby-Nuneaton area in the first three months of 1915. They were training for France when orders arrived to prepare to depart for Gallipoli. They embarked from Avonmouth between the 16th and 22nd March 1915 sailing via Malta to Alexandria then on to Mudros in April. They landed at Cape Helles, Gallipoli on the 25 April 1915 and were involved in heavy fighting until the evacuation on the nights of the 7th and 8th of January 1916 when they returned to Egypt. In March they were sent to France, sailing to Marseilles and travelling by train to concentrate in the area east of Pont Remy by the end of March. In July they went into action in the Battles of the Somme. In January 1917 they left 29th Division.”

 

”On the trip from Egypt to Gallipoli the 147th brigade, consisting of 650 men was on board the troopship SS Manitou when it was intercepted by a Turkish gun boat. They were given a few minutes to evacuate, but they only had lifeboats for a third of them. The Turks made three attempts at torpedoeing the Manitou before being chased off by HMS Minerva. They were at a standstill in the water, but in the panic to evacuate, one of the lifeboats broke and spilled its contents into the water and 50 men were drowned.”

 

Originally comprising 10, 97 and 368 (regular army) Batteries, CXLVII brigade was joined in Feb 1915 by 460 (Howitzer) Battery.

460 (Howitzer) Battery exchanged for 370 Battery from XVII Brigade in May 1916.
 

371 Battery joined in Mar 1916, having exchanged with B Battery of CXXXII Brigade, and was redesignated D Battery, in May 1916.
 

D Battery, having expanded to a 6-gun unit, transferred to XVII Brigade in January 1917. At the same time A Battery of LXXXI Brigade joined, remaining as A Battery in its new unit. In Jan 1918, C Battery of CCCXXXII (Howitzer) Brigade joined and was redesignated D Battery.

 

After Gallipoli only 16 men of the Brigade were killed between then and the end of the war.

 

 

Edited 14 May , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[PRC]

1 hour ago, FROGSMILE said:

”CXLVII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery served as Divisional artillery with 29th Division. The Division was formed in late 1914 from regular units arriving home from the most distant garrisons of Empire, having been replaced by Territorial units. The new division concentrated in the Stratford-Warwick-Leamington-Rugby-Nuneaton area in the first three months of 1915. They were training for France when orders arrived to prepare to depart for Gallipoli. They embarked from Avonmouth between the 16th and 22nd March 1915 sailing via Malta to Alexandria then on to Mudros in April. They landed at Cape Helles, Gallipoli on the 25 April 1915 and were involved in heavy fighting until the evacuation on the nights of the 7th and 8th of January 1916 when they returned to Egypt.

 

 War diaries for Gallipoli and the Dardenelles are only available online at Ancestry. I don't subscribe so can't send a direct link but if you head to https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/60380/

and use "Browse this collection" on the right hand side you should be able to use the criteria shown in the screenshot below to locate the one for his Brigade - if it's any help.

 

 

The ones for his time in France should be available both on Ancestry and the National Archive. The latter have currently made downloads free of charge for UK residents - I don't know if it was extended to those overseas. You just need to register for an account. Would also give you access to the War Diary for the period Claras' brother died.

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

Edited 14 May , 2020 by PRC
typo

[Gma]

Thank you both, I have an Ancestry account & will check to see if I can access National Archives also

cheers Jenny

[sadbrewer]

A bit you may find interesting

Courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive. 

 

 

 

 

From April 3rd, 1915.

 

 

Edited 7 June , 2020 by sadbrewer

[Gma]

sadbrewer - thank you so much, I hadn't seen these. I really appreciate you posting  

[sadbrewer]

12 hours ago, Gma said:

sadbrewer - thank you so much, I hadn't seen these. I really appreciate you posting  

Pleased they were of interest....if you have any other Mexborough queries please let me know.

Andy