Pte 3153 Sidney BROOKES 2nd Glosters died Nov 1918 (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Thursday, November 01, 2012, 02:10 (4408 days ago) @ m p griffiths

Searching for Albert & Leonard Brookes of Hartpury I cannot yet find evidence of their war service, but I found this photo of the village War Memorial which sadly does includes their elder brother Sidney who died three years after being gassed... it's to be hoped he would have at least known the outcome of the War before finally succumbing to what was probably considerable & prolonged suffering.

It contains a photo of Sidney and states he "enlisted with the 2nd Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment on 7th January 1915 and was send to France in March. He was "gassed" on 2nd May 1915 and was returned home. He died on 28 Nov 1918 and is buried in the churchyard of Hartpury Methodist Chapel. He was the eldest son of Francis Brookes of Broad Street, previously of Woolridge. He was 23 when he died."

Francis and Louisa Brookes had at least 11 children, the first seven of which were girls and the first two were illegitimate, presumably by Francis. Francis was a hay trusser and had been born and brought up in Hartpury. Louisa was the daughter of William and Eliza Bendall of Maisemore who later moved to Hartpury."

From GlosBDM:
Marriage Details
Groom Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
BROOKES Francis George BENDALL Louisa Gloucester Gloucester St Mary de Lode 1881 33 No 7 6

From FOD PRs:

1881 BROOKS Fanny Elizabeth, Francis George & Louisa Hartpury Labourer Hartpury
1885 BROOKS Mary Ann, Francis & Louisa Hartpury Laborer [sic] Hartpury
1883 BROOKES Alice Eliza, Francis & Louisa, Hartpury Labourer Hartpury
1886 BROOKES Rowena Elizabeth, Francis & Louisa, Hartpury Labourer Hartpury
1889 BROOKES Ellen, Francis & Louisa, Hartpury Labourer Hartpury
1892 BROOKES Florence Beatrice, Francis & Louisa, Hartpury Labourer Hartpury
1893 BROOKES Winifred, Francis & Louisa, Hartpury Labourer Hartpury
1895 BROOKES Sidney Walter Charles, Francis George & Louisa, Hartpury Labourer Hartpury
1900 BROOKES Leonard William Arthur, Francis George & Louisa, Hartpury Labourer Hartpury
1901 BROOKES Albert Reginald James, Francis George & Louisa, Hartpury Labourer Hartpury
1905 BROOKES Millicent Doris, Francis George & Louisa, Woolridge Hartpury Hay Trusser Hartpury

Record_ID: 272974
Entry_Number: 1279
Year: 1895
Month: Jun
Day: 2
Parents_Surname: BROOKES
Child_Forenames: Sidney Walter Charles
Fathers_Forenames: Francis George
Mothers_Forenames: Louisa
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Hartpury
Occupation: Labourer
Officiating_Minister: W G S Addison Vicar
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P165 IN 1/16
Page_Number: 160
Parish_Chapel: Hartpury
Soundex: B622

The website states that 125 men of Hartpury served during the Great War, the Memorial lists 14 of them....
Given their older brother had enlisted and returned home wounded before they were of age, I hope young Albert & Leonard were spared service, tho' they may well have thought & even done otherwise.

http://www.hartpuryparish.org.uk/index.htm