Forest of Dean FHT Forum - Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945

Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945 (reply)

Steve Symonds — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 10:11:35 +0000

Hi Adele,
Very happy to send you the photo and stay in touch. I’m not very familiar with posting on forums but have just edited my profile for contacting to ‘All registered users’. There’s now an email sign next to my name, if you send me a message hopefully I can reply and attach the photo.
Regards
Steve

Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945 (reply)

Steve Symonds — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 09:41:11 +0000

Thanks Harry

Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945 (reply)

HarryBrook — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:38:14 +0000

A nominal index of R.A.F. airmen and airwomen 1918 - 1951 lists Endell Brain with a service number 1204893, it also states that he joined the R.A.F. at Cardington after April 1940.

Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945 (reply)

HarryBrook — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:53:57 +0000

Ex –Army personnel were invited to apply for campaign Stars and Medals after WW2. There is an application card for Tom Brain of The Cross, Drybrook. The cards are on Fold 3 (ancestry site) and Forces War Records site. He applied in June 1950. A list of Stars and Medals was pre-printed on the card and the applicant was to strike out all those that they did not qualify for. Tom struck them all out and then wrote in Africa where he had struck out the Africa Star, so it can be assumed he served in North Africa. He also applied for the Defence Medal and War Medal. He only gave his service number as 1907705 and unfortunately did not write his regiment or other branch of service in the relevant box on the form. There does not appear to be any other online record of him relating to his war service.

Edit: Looking for other soldiers with close service numbers to T. Brain 1907705, found a John Augustus Thomas 1907717 Royal Engineers (he was killed in action in North Africa) and 1907718 P. R. Gazzard who was also Royal Engineers (no other information on him). So it looks like Tom Brain's service number was in a block of numbers allocated to the Royal Engineers.

Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945 (reply)

Adelebrain2021 — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 05:52:39 +0000

Happy New Year Steve.

I would love to see the picture you have to show my dad.
Will ask my dad if he knows any more about Endell and Albert.

Is there a way you can PM me and we can stay in touch.

Tom 1917 and Endell 1909 BRAIN Cinderford (reply)

Steve Symonds — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:47:21 +0000

Thanks Slowhands, much appreciated

Tom 1917 and Endell 1909 BRAIN Cinderford (reply)

slowhands — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 16:26:26 +0000

(my interest is Matilada D)

Year: 1904
Month: Dec
Day: 4
Grooms_Surname: BRAIN
Grooms_Forenames: Tom
Grooms_Age: 26
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Carman
Grooms_Residence: Cinderford
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Brain
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Simon
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Haulier
Brides_Surname: DAVIS
Brides_Forenames: Matilda
Brides_Age: 27
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Cinderford Upper Bilson
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Davis (deceased)
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Endell
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Banksman at Colliery
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns: [not stated]
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: Endell Noah Davies
Witness_2: Damaris
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Th[oma]s Longstaff vicar
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P85/2 1N 1/6
Page_Number: 102
Parish_Chapel: Cinderford St Stephen

1911 Lower High Street Cinderford
Tom Brain Head Married Male 33 1878 Carman railway Cinderford Glos
Matilda Brain Wife Married Female 34 1877 - Cinderford Gloucestershire
Albert Brain Son - Male 5 1906 - Cinderford Glos
Endall Brain Son - Male 2 1909 - Cinderford Glos

First name(s) Matilda
County Gloucestershire
Last name Brain
Volume 6A
Sex Female
Page 334
Birth year 1877
Country England
Age 38
quarter 2
Death year 1915

Marriages Mar 1916 (>99%)
Brain Tom Westbury S. 6a 534
Robins Maud M M Westbury S. 6a 534

1921 High St Cinderford
Head Tom Brain Circa 1878
Wife Maud Mary Brain Circa 1879
Son Albert Brain Circa 1906
Son Endell Brain Circa 1909
Son Tom Brain Circa 1918
Boarder Roland Payne Circa 1898

Marriages Sep 1936 (>99%)
Brain Endell Clutterbuck Ross 6a 1596
Clutterbuck Alice M Brain Ross 6a 1596

Births Sep 1937 (>99%)
Brain Jean Clutterbuck F.of Dean 6a 456
Births Sep 1938 (>99%)
Brain Eileen Clutterbuck F.of Dean 6a 444
Births Mar 1940 (>99%)
Brain Geoffrey Clutterbuck Gloucester R. 6a 901
Births Mar 1942 (>99%)
Brain David Clutterbuck Gloucester R. 6a 740
Births Dec 1946 (>99%)
Brain Michael Clutterbuck Gloucester R. 7b 818
Births Mar 1949 (>99%)
Brain Damaris Clutterbuck Gloucester R. 7b 736
Births Dec 1950 (>99%)
Brain Thomas W Clutterbuck Gloucester R. 7b 609

1939 Kilcot
Endell Brain 21 May 1909 Male Colliery Hewer Married 38 1
Alice Brain 23 Jul 1915 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 38 2
The record for this person is officially closed.
Eileen Putterill (Symonds,Brain) 17 Jul 1938 Female Under School Age Single 38 4

1939 The Cross Drybrook
Maud M M Brain 02 Sep 1878 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Widowed 46 1
Tom Brain 15 Jul 1917 Male General Labourer Single 46 2

Year: 1945
Month: Jul
Day: 28
Grooms_Surname: BRAIN
Grooms_Forenames: Tom
Grooms_Age: 28
Groom_Condition: bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: soldier
Grooms_Residence: Drybrook Cross
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: BRAIN
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Tom
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: haulier[?]
Brides_Surname: COOPER
Brides_Forenames: Ruby Myrtle
Brides_Age: 22
Brides_Condition: spinster
Brides_Occupation: domestic
Brides_Residence: Oldcroft
Brides_Fathers_Surname: COOPER
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Albert
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: factory wkr
Licence_or_Banns: banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: Phyllis May Busby
Witness_2: Albert Cooper
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Charles R Williams vicar
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P348 IN 1/15
Page_Number: 34
Parish_Chapel: Viney Hill

Births Dec 1947 (>99%)
Brain Patricia R Cooper F.of Dean 7b 599
Births Jun 1949 (>99%)
Brain Jennifer A Cooper F.of Dean 7b 610
Births Sep 1953 (>99%)
BRAIN Janet M COOPER F.of Dean 7b 548
Births Dec 1958 (>99%)
BRAIN Philip J COOPER F.of Dean 7b 552

Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945 (reply)

Steve Symonds — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 21:56:29 +0000

Just found a photo of Tom in uniform, his cap badge might identify his regiment!

Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945 (reply)

Steve Symonds — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 21:22:48 +0000

Hi Adele,
Tom was my great uncle, his brother Endell was my grandfather, Eileen was my mum.
I remember as a lad going with my Grampy to visit Tom in Drybrook!
Did you manage to get Tom’s army service record!

I’m currently on a similar search for Endell’s service records with the RAF. We have photos of him in uniform.
Interesting they joined different services, I’ll see if I can find out if their other brother Albert also joined up.
Was Tom a miner like Endell? I understand some miners weren’t allowed to join up as mining was a reserved occupation for those aged over 25 or 30 depending on job role.

Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945 (reply)

probinson — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 17:15:22 +0000

To apply for someone's service record you only need their name and date of birth.

Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945 (reply)

adelekirsty1992 — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 16:58:52 +0000

Thank you Mike.

The information you have is all correct to match what I have in my ancestry account already.

Like yourself I have only been able to find that he was a solider when he married Ruby Cooper. Unfortunately the information is running dry and I have not been able to find out any rank or regiment details.

Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945 (reply)

probinson — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 10:24:13 +0000

You could apply for his service record. Details here:

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945 (reply)

shepway — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 14:48:06 +0000

Tom Brain born 1917 is the SON of Tom Brain and Maud Mary Mountjoy Robins who married in 1916. He married Ruby Myrtle Cooper at Viney Hill on 28 July 1945 and is described as a Soldier in the Register. I have checked Ancestry, Find My Past, National Archives and Soldiers of Gloucestershire and cannot find any record of him in their databases. If you have any record of the Regiment he joined I would suggest you contact them as they may be able to help.

Mike

Forest of Dean Soldiers 1945

adelekirsty1992 — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 12:40:33 +0000

Hello my name is Adele Brain
I'm currently looking into my family tree and was wondering if anyone had any insight into websites or information where I may be able to find out where my great grandfather fought in 1945.

His name was Tom Brain (1917-1994), spouse of Maud Mary Mountjoy Brain. They lived at Drybrook Cross, Drybrook.
The only information is that he was a solider in 1945.

If anyone could help that would be brilliant.
Thank you