Category Archives: Army

Serjeant R. John Brill

Army, Other Regiments, Reading Blue Coat School, Registered War Grave, Royal Berkshire Regiment

Sergeant. R. John Brill
3461 2nd/4th Royal Berkshire Regt.
transferred to (224543) 251st Div.,
Employment Coy., Labour Corps. 

Division 17 

 BRILL RJ  CIMG2189

 

 John Brill, was the son of Frederick William and Ruth Brill, 76, Sherman Road, Reading.   He died 9th June 1918 of wounds received on March 21st 1918, aged 25 years.   His parents may have referred to him as “Reg”.  A relation, Jan Brown,  who has contacted the site states that his name was actually Reginald Jessie Brill.

Sergeant Brill was wounded in action loosing his right leg, the other was also hit.   A native of Reading R J  Brill joined up when war started, prior to this he worked for Messers. Bradley and Bliss.  He saw over two years service in France.  Educated at St. Giles school and the Bluecoat School.  An active member of the A.O.F., being associated with  the Court of Sherwood Forest and was a member of the Spring Garden (Prize) Band.  He was buried with full military honours.

 The grave number is 17. 3555 and is marked with a CWGC war pattern headstone and kerb stone surrounds. 

Sergeant Brill had two brothers.  They are not commemorated on his grave but information about them was obtained from the newspapers of the time.

BRILL AV

 L.Corpl., 15256, Albert Victor Brill had been employed by Phoenix insurance prior to the war.  He eventually reached the rank of Company Quarter Master Sergeant.  He  survived the war to later marry and have two sons.  He was wounded at least three times, once during the Battle of Loos. He died in 1949.

BRILL WALTER

 Pte. 12854, Walter Ernest Brill, the 3rd son, was a stretcher bearer in 6th Royal Berkshire Regt.  He was killed in Action  19th July 1916  Aged 23 years.  A  letter from an officer was published in the Reading Standard September 2nd 1916

 “I cannot tell you exactly where your son met his death.  He was engaged in carrying a wounded man to the rear when a shell struck the stretcher and your son was killed instantly.  I can vouch for this, as he was seen by a runner who was afterwards wounded, and I received the news from several men in the company that it occurred on July 19th in _____Wood.  No one in the magnificent battalion did better than he as a stretcher-bearer.  You have my sincerest regrets for the loss of your boy”.

The death of Frederick William Brill (father of the Brill boys) after a short illness – aged 54 years, was notified in the Reading Standard September 27th 1919. William Brill had worked in the Huntley and Palmers Biscuit Factory. In the 1911 census return, he described his occupation as “Biscuit factory shooting off biscuits”!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Aldridge

Army, Other Regiments, Registered War Grave

Robert Aldridge
Private 87384
35th Company Millbank
Royal Army Medical Corps

Division 46

Aldridge pic  CIMG2204

Robert Aldridge is buried in a registered war grave with a CWGC war pattern headstone., number 5681. His tragic death, at the age of 38, at the hands of a patient was reported widely in the papers.

Mercury December 14 1918

“Private Aldridge was shot by Lieutenant Sidney Hume of the RAF and a patient at Latchmere House Military Hospital. Lieutenant Hume was repatriated in August and had been a patient since then. Hume was suffering from delusions. He alleged that he had been hypnotised by German doctors and that they had experimented upon him. He also said that hypnotism was going on at Latchmere. He had improved and his people were anxious for him to home. This was done several times with family taking and bringing him back. Three weeks ago the delusions became strongly marked  and he was placed under constant observation. The hospital was not aware that a revolver was in the institution. A verdict of ‘Wilful murder’ was returned. Private Aldridge was an orderly at Latchmere and formerly a porter at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.”

Aldridge article

Arthur George & Charles William Thear

Army, Arras, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Registered War Grave, Somme

 Arthur George Thear
Private 2613
13th Kensington Battalion London Regiment

 AGThear photo  CIMG2145

Arthur George Thear was the  son of Charles and Carrie Thear,  of 12, Victoria Street, Kings Road, Reading. He died of wounds and is buried in a registered war grave number 16097.  His name is commemorated on the scroll headstone of the family grave.

Arthur Thear joined up very soon after the war was declared but as the following newspaper article shows he had hardly been at the front any length of time before he was seriously injured.

The Chronicle April 9th  1915:

“ Private Arthur George Thear, 13th (Kensington Batt.), wounded at Neuve Chapelle, died on Saturday 3rd April at Wandsworth Hospital, and was buried on Wednesday at Reading.  He was only in France two weeks before being wounded.  The toes of one foot were shot off, and the other foot was altogether blown off.  Previous to joining the Army he was a footman in the service of Lord Ilchester at Holland House Kensington W., and at the funeral there was a wreath from the Countess of Ilchester, besides wreaths from many of his friends.

 

 

Charles William Thear
Lance Serjeant 2496
Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders 

Charles W Thear photo

Charles William Thear was the  son of Charles and Carrie Thear,  of 12, Victoria Street, Kings Road, Reading. He was killed in action on 5th August 1916 aged 30.  He is buried at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval. Plot XVI. K. 10.

He is  commemorated on the scroll headstone of his brothers grave. The inscription on the scroll states that Charles Thear was killed in action and buried at Martinpuch.  This may have been the case but after the Armistice a number of smaller cemeteries and battlefield graves were concentrated in larger cemeteries.  Caterpillar Valley is such a cemetery and has been chosen by the Royal Mail to feature on one of its Millennium stamps.

On August 5th 1916 the Somme battle was still raging and a particularly important objective was High Wood on the way to Martinpuch.  Thousands of men died in a number of attempts to capture the wood so that they could press on the Martinpuch, situated near the Albert to Bapaume road.  It was not until 15th September in a major offensive involving tanks that this objective was finally taken.  Charles Thear was killed in one of the unsuccessful earlier attacks.