Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Private

Army Number : 16514

Unit : 1st Bn

Biography :

Home address given as Ravenstone, Leicestershire. Enlisted at Leicester. Served with the 1st Bn during World War One. Killed in action France and Flanders campaign 27.4.1916. He is buried at La Brique Military Cemetery No. 2, Ieper, Belgium.

Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.

He was the son of Arthur Brooks a coal miner, born 1862 in Donington le Heath, Leics., and his wife Sarah, born 1859 in Whitwick, Leics. William was born in 1888 in Whitwick, Leics., his siblings were Charlotte E., born 1887 and John T., born 1891, both his siblings were born in Whitwick, Leics., in April 1891 the family home was at South Street, Whitwick, Leics. In March 1901 William was employed as an errand boy and fruiterer and was residing in the family home at Margaret Street, Coalville, Leicester together with his widowed father, who remarried in 1894, Louisa Brooks (nee Hancock), born 1862 in Ashby de la Zouch, Leics., and his full blood sibling, John T., and his half blood siblings, Arthur Reginald, born 1895, Ernest, born 1896, Florence L., born 1898, Olive E. M., born 1899, the latter four half blood siblings were all born in Thornborough, Leics., and Evelyn M. G., born 1900 in Coalville, Leics. In April 1911 William was employed as a coal miner and was residing in the family home at Coalville Lane, Ravenstone, Leics., together with his father, step mother and full blood sibling, John T., and half blood siblings, Ernest, Olive and Evelyn. His younger half blood sibling Arthur Reginald died of wounds received in action. The War Diary for the 23rd April records that the Battalion relieved the 1st Bn. East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) in Forward Cottage line. The entry made for the 27th April was as follows:- Working party from 9th Bn. Norfolk Regiment worked on our trenches, enemy also at work but not such big parties as night of 25th/26th. 2nd Lt. F. B. Robertson patrolled along Admirals road starting out from B 14 with a view to finding out if sap 9 crossed Admirals road. Enemy were working on saps. No saps crossed the road. Patrol from B 15 came into contact with the enemy covering party near sap 9. Enemy threw one bomb, patrol replied with 4 causing considerable confusion among covering party. Enemy opened rapid rifle fire. Patrol returned safely. Damage not known.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday January 7th, 1916

COALVILLE MAN’S PATRIOTISM - TRAVELLED 14,000 MILES TO ENLIST

A striking instance of British patriotism is that displayed by Pte. William Brooks, of the 1st Leicesters, who having been seven months in the trenches in France, was recently at Coalville on leave and has just returned to the front. Pte. Brooks is a son of Mr Arthur Brooks, a miner at the Snibston pit, who resides on the Coalville Road, Ravenstone, and from a boy of 14 till he was nearly 23 years of age, also worked in the Snibston mine. But his 23rd birthday was spent on the high seas, he having decided to emigrate to Australia. He had been there about three years – he is now 27 – and was in the bush, in the backwoods of Queensland when war broke out. The call for volunteers, appealed strongly to him and he decided to return home. He was invited to join the Australian contingent, with a payment of 6s per day, but he preferred to return to Leicestershire and join his own county regiment. To do this he had to travel 14,000 miles. The first stage of the journey was a 44 mile tramp to reach the stage coach. In this conveyance he was travelling for a fortnight, then three stages by train of 24 hours, 11 ½ hours and 22 hours brought him to Sydney. Here he joined the R.M.S. Omrah as a trimmer, and after a fortnight took over the duties of stoker. He was 3 ½ months on the water, travelling with the first Australian contingent of soldiers who were coming to assist the motherland in the great war. In this convoy there were 45 ships conveying troops and on the vessel on which Brooks was working, were 44 prisoners from the German “Emden.”

Brooks reached his home at Ravenstone in time to spend the Christmas of 1914 with his parents. Then he went to Wigston Barracks and enlisted in the 1st Leicesters, with whom he went to the front about five months later and has taken part in several engagements.

Pte. Brooks is attached to a bombing party, of which Lieut. Pickbourne (son of the Rev. F. Pickbourne, pastor of the Coalville London Road Baptist Church) has charge, and among a few war trophies which he brought home on a recent visit was a discharged hand grenade of the type which he and his comrades are now engaged in hurling at the enemy.

Coalville Times article - Friday, March 10th, 1916. - "RAVENSTONE SOLDIER’S EXCITING EXPERIENCES

Private Wm. Brooks of the 1st Leicesters, writing to his parents, of Coalville Road, Ravenstone, states that he is now back again with his company after an exciting experience. While he was in the trenches, a shell fell, and blew in a portion of the trench, and he was buried by the debris. He lost his knapsack, and also had his rifle smashed. He was considerably bruised, but is all right again after a few day’s rest. His many friends in the Coalville district will congratulate him on his narrow escape.

Private Brooks was in the backwoods of Australia when war broke out, and travelled nearly 14,000 miles to join the regiment of his native country."

Coalville Times article - Friday, 12th May, 1916 - "RAVENSTONE SOLDIER KILLED TRAVELLED 14,000 MILES TO ENLIST

In a recent issue, we recorded how Private Wm. Brooks, of the Leicestershire Regiment, son of Mr A. Brooks, a Snibston collier, residing at Oak Cottages, Ravenstone, travelled 14,000 miles to enlist in the regiment of his native county, and we very much regret now to report that he has been killed in action.

On Monday morning, Mr and Mrs Brooks, received the sad news in a letter from the War Office, intimating that the deceased soldier was killed in action on April 27th. They had been prepared for this, however, by letters received a few days earlier from the deceased’s officer and comrades. Lieutenant H. Pickbourne, who is the son of the Rev. F. Pickbourne, pastor of the Coalville London Road Baptist Church, writing on April 30th, stated:

“I am sorry to have to write this letter. Your son, Wm. Brooks, was killed by a bullet on the 27th of this month. He was with a few others in charge of an advance post and was shot early on Thursday morning. The whole company miss him, for the men knew him as the best of fellows, and all their letters are full of sympathy. He was in my company, and proved on many occasions most brave and reliable, and I knew that I could trust him to do anything, and go anywhere that was required. Shortly after his death, I was passing down the trench and overheard one of the men say ‘He was one of the best fellows who ever joined the regiment’. That was the opinion of all who knew him. He was buried the same evening near ________, just behind our lines. He has made the greatest sacrifice, but he made it willingly. If there are any enquiries I can answer I shall only be too willing to do so.”

Another letter received was from Corporal Paling, of the same company, also writing on April 30th, who stated:

“Your dear son William passed away from us who loved him on the morning of the 27th about five o’clock. It hurts me very much to have to write this letter, but as it has pleased our Father to take our dear comrade away, we must pray that he will go to his last heavenly rest. Your son was my very best chum, and dearest comrade, one whom I loved very much, and one I knew would stand by my side until death. For the last ten months he had been under me as a bomber, and he was the best bomber and the best man in the regiment. He was a gallant soldier, and has done his best, and died bravely fighting for his King and country. The whole battalion and officers mourn his death, and are all very much upset as he was so much liked in the regiment. If there is anything I can do for you, or anything you should like to know, I shall be only too glad to be at your service. With sympathy and regret from all his comrades.”

The letter was also signed by Lance-Corporal Bentley. The War Office letter was accompanied by one from Lord Kitchener, expressing the sympathy of the King and Queen.

Private Brooks was 27 years of age, and formerly worked at the Snibston Colliery. Four years last September he emigrated to Australia and when war broke out was 14,000 miles from home in the backwoods of Queensland. He started for the coast, travelling many days over rough country, and eventually reached port in time to join the ship Omrah which brought over part of the Australian Force, and also had on board 44 prisoners of the German raider “Emden.” He worked on the ship as a stoker. He had been invited to “join up” in Australia, but preferred to come home and join the regiment of his native country. He reached his home at Ravenstone on Christmas Eve, 1914, and enlisted in the Leicestershire Regiment on New Year’s Day, 1915. On May 3rd of that year, he went to France, thus having been at the Front about twelve months. Just before Christmas, 1915, he had leave, and was at home for a few days, but last Christmas Day found him in the trenches again. He brought home several interesting war trophies, one of which was a hand grenade, of which he was an expert thrower.

Date of Birth : 1888

Place of Birth : Whitwick, Leicestershire

Date of Death : 27.4.1916

Place of Death : Belgium

Period of Service : 1910s

Conflicts : WW1

Places Served : France and Flanders