Thomas Augustine Brady (Any Info Please?)

[Guest Debd]

Hello everybody,

Could anyone please help with my quest? I'm looking for information, photos etc of connections/anything to do with my Great Grandfather:

Thomas Augustine Brady

Private

235216

1st/7th Bn., Northumberland Fusiliers

who died on Tuesday 17th April 1917 aged 26

in Arras

After looking and searching and looking again, I'm still in a muddle as to where to find out about any other family of soldiers who may have served with him or known him etc... where do I start? I managed to download his medal card (victory) but there wasn't any 'readable' information on there to help me, as I don't understand what the numbers represent.

I feel I maybe the last interested link to him after my Dear nan passed away 2 years ago, (she was about 4 when he was killed and her mother wouldn't talk much about him after he died, too painful for her), and I am also desperate to visit his memorial at Arras, Pas de Calais, as I believe nobody ever has! I feel so sad and don't want him to be forgotten. I only have one photo of him that my Nan gave me and nothing else.... I'm in desperate need of help to gain further knowledge of him to pass on to my own children. It would be great to have another picture, maybe of his unit, to treasure. I also wonder if he had any brothers or sisters, where do I start??

I posted a similar enquiry to this a few weeks ago but I cannot remember whish site it was on, (I was sure it was this one!) but I had to re-register because it didn't recognise me! Is there another similar website to this that I may have got mixed up with? I spent so many hours on it including all the links that I became weary and forgot the name of it perhaps! I remember somebody even offering to take a photographs of graves/memorials in France and I replied but lost that too! Anyway, any help would be SO appreciated, thankyou in advance from a very sad great granddaughter, Debra

[SOMMESOLDIER]

Hi There,

Here is SDGW entry:-

235216 Pte Thomas Augustine Brady 1/7th Northumberland Fusiliers Killed in Action 17-1 17.

Cheers

Tim

[Guest Debd]

Thankyou very much Tim. Was the date different? It looks like January instead of April!

Thanks again, fro Debra

[SOMMESOLDIER]

Hi Debra,

Sorry that my reply wasn't correct, my brain was a bit dead at that time this morning !!!!!!!!!

Here goes:-

235216 Pte Thomas Augustine Brady 1/7th Northumberland Fusiliers Killed in Action 17-4-17.

No place of birth or Residence given just enlisted Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

Cheers

Tim.

[SOMMESOLDIER]

Hi Debra,

Here are the other ones who died on the same day with the 1/7th N.F.

291007 Pte Frank Allen born Alnwick, Northumberland. Killed in Action

291833 Pte William Bell Born Walker-on-Tyne Enlisted Wallsend-on-Tyne Died.

291100 Pte Thomas Edwards born Amble, Northumberland. Died.

291030 Pte Thomas Frazer Enlisted Alnwick, Northumberland. Died of Wounds.

290507 Pte William Glass Enlisted Alnwick, Northumberland. Killed in Action.

291835 Pte Harry Nicholson born Farnley, Yorkshire, Enlisted Leeds. Killed in Action.

292074 Pte James F. Ryan Born Donegal, Ireland, Enlisted Castlebar, County Mayo. Died.

292077 Pte Horace Shaw Born Nottingham, Enlisted Nottingham. Killed in Action.

291853 Pte John Wilson Born Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Enlisted Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Killed in Action.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Tim.

[John84]

Hi Debra....the link below will take you to a site about the 7th Bn., Northumberland Fusiliers.., it includes the account of the action your Great Grandfather lost his life.....at Wancourt Tower. You could also try and get hold of the book 'History of the 7th Northumberland Fusiliers' by Captain Francis Buckley.

I have also noted on his medal index card indicates he was originally a member of the 4th Bn,. Northumberland Fusiliers....this is confirmed when you see his name?....T. Brady on the Nominal Roll for the 4th Bn., Northumberland Fusiliers at this excellent web site (link below) about the 4th Battalion

Hope this helps with your research a little bit

John.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...1&resultcount=1

http://www.4thbnnf.com/index.htm

http://www.fairmile.fsbusiness.co.uk/7thn_f.htm

[Papineau]

Buckley's battalion history mentioned above is good, as is his memoir 'Q6A and Other Stories'. It is long out of print, but worth hunting for.

Your relative was killed in the fighting near Wancourt Tower, by the way. This was a structure, possibly an old windmill, used by the Germans. It sits on a high point and commands ground for some distance around. The remains of it are still there; and it is is only a short walk from Wancourt Military Cemetery.

[sandyford]

Hi Debra,

Here is an account of the action at Wancourt from the War Diary of the 6th Northumberland Fusiliers, who were in the same area as 7th Battn (Both Bns. part of the 149th Inf. Brigade), and acted together on the 16th & 17th April.

14th April 1917

The 6th had moved up in Artillery fromation to BROWN LINE S.W. of Wancourt.

------ At night the Bn moved up and relieved the 9th Durham Light Infantry. The digging of the front line system, which had commenced at dusk was taken over & continued. Contrary to information received it was discovered that the line ran 50 yds W. of Wancourt Tower.

15th April 1917

At day break a bombing party of 4 men pushed out and established a post in the tower, in order to prevent the enemy re-occupying the next night and to enable the Bn. to include it in the front line system & to consolidate it.

This tower was so placed as to be the only position from which the enemy had observation frm the ridge running North & South.

At 3.30 p.m. the enemy were observed digging a sap with the intention of re-occupying the house. A platoon was at once ordered to occupy the tower & prevent the enemy from reaching it.

This was carried out after brief hand to hand combat and consolidation was begun.

The position was held in spite of a very heavy hostile barrage and 2 bombing attacks which were both repulsed. Organisation for the defence of the position was commenced and a C.T. from the front line to the North of the tower dug.

16th April 1917

This day was spent in improving the position of the tower as the division on the right hand had failed to join up a T sap as had been arranged. Orders were received for the Bn. to be relieved by the 7th Battn. N.F.

At 10 p.m. shortly after the commencement of the relief, after an intense bombardment, the enemy attacked in force and, overwhelming the garrison of the Tower, succeeded in occupying a small portion of our original front line.

Bombing attacks were at once launched but, owing to the darkness and the uncertainty of the dispositions were unsuccessful. The remainder of the night was spent in reorganisation and preparing for a counter-attack, on a larger scale. The relief was postponed. (In other words the 6th N.F. stayed beside the 7th)

17th April 1917

At midday in cooperation with a frontal attack by the 7th N.F. our bombers attacked the flanks of the enemy with success, the result being that the whole of our front line was reoccupied and the Tower was again captured together with a small section of the trench to the North of the Tower, which had been previously used as a bombing post by the enemy.

The remainder of the day was spent in consolidating and getting stores up to the front line.

At dark, the Bttn. was relieved by the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers.

The 6th War Diary records citations for Military Cross for 2nd Lts. Greenfield & Garrard, & Military medals for CSM C. Finch & Pte S. Crump, for bravery during the period 15/04/1917 & 19/04/1917.

Casualties in the 6th N.F. War Diary for the period are:

K.I.A. or D.O.W. 15/04/1917 - 8

K.I.A. or D.O.W. 16/04/1917 - 3

Missing 16/04/1917 - 5

K.I.A. or D.O.W. 17/04/1917 - 5

Wounded 15/04/1917-17/04/1917 - 30

K.I.A. or D.O.W. 17/04/1917 5

It sounds as though the 6th & 7th Battns were in action together here, so I hope this account has given you part of the picture, until you can read the 7th War Diary.

It would also be good to see a trench map of this location.

Kate

[Guest Debd]

Wow! Thankyou you so much for all this amazing information.

Thankyou Tim for your replies, the list of names is very informative, (and heart wrenching!), also thankyou to John for telling me about the 4th Bn too and I will check out your links.

Papineau, how eerie to still have Wanacourt Tower's ruins! I will go there now I know, thankyou so much for that information. And Kate, I really appreciate the diary leading upto my Great Grandad's death, it makes me wonder if I'm the only relative of his to know so much about the events! Well, I've been in tears reading all of these replies, I can't shake off how sad and pointless the deaths of all of these brave men, both sides, are! If I had more time I could well imagine that it would take hours and hours each day gathering more and more info and getting a mental picture of the past. I feel quite ignorant to now know a bit more of what some soldiers may have gone through! I've read books and watched films of war but nothing compares to actually knowing some raw facts of a brave relative that you never were lucky enough to know! So thanks again everybody for bringing me closer to my Great Grandad,

Debra