James H. Brothers
| With grateful thanks to Andrew Duckworth for the information relating to the life and service of James. | ||||||
|
James Harold Brothers was born 5th December 1887 and his birth registered at Sheppey, Kent. He was the younger son of Captain James Brothers, who traded between England and Australia. In December 1882, he had married Louisa Allen from Port Adelaide. The couple had two older children, a daughter born in Demerara, British Guiana (1883) and a son born in England (1886). Captain James died in 1897 at Stoke Newington, Hackney, at the age of 57. In May 1909 James travelled from London to Fremantle aboard RMS Ormuz of the Orient Line. He was registered as a farmer, agriculturists were frequent emigrants to Western Australia at this time. In 1910, he was listed as a farm hand on the Western Australia electoral roll and, in 1914, as a clerk at the Central fire station. He was in San Francisco when war was declared and returned to England in March 1915. Following his return, in May, James was granted a temporary RNVR commission as a Sub Lieutenant. His mother was recorded as his next of kin residing at Weald Lane, Harrow. In July, he was placed in the 1st Battalion and drafted to Hythe for machine gun training, which he passed with distinction. On his return to the Division, he was posted to the 3rd Reserve Battalion in August and granted a week’s leave in September. In October, he was posted to Nelson and embarked for Gallipoli. When the Division’s machine gun companies were reorganised, he was transferred to the 2nd Brigade Machine Guns in June 1916, subsequently redesignated the 189th Brigade Machine Gun Company. |
|
|||||
On the 22nd August 1916, the Perth Daily News published the following article:
On the opening day of the Battle of the Ancre, James was reported to be missing, believed killed. He was subsequently officially presumed to have been killed in action. James’ body was never recovered and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.  Sub Lt. James Brothers
| | |||||
| ||||||