WAR MEMORIALS IN THE PARISH OF NORTHOP
The villages of Northop, Northop Hall and Sychdyn (Soughton)
The villages of Northop, Northop Hall and Sychdyn (Soughton)
Name Walter Brookes
Regiment Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Service Rank and Number Private 15855
Military Cemetery/Memorial Unusually, this soldier was buried in his local churchyard at Northop
Ref No. of Grave or Memorial Country of Cemetery/Memorial Wales
Medals Awarded British War Medal 1914-1920 Victory Medal 1914-1919 The 1914-15 Star
Date and Circumstances of Death Walter was wounded in France and taken to Caerynwch Auxiliary Hospital, Dolgellau where he contracted pneumonia and died aged 27. The date of his death is different on two sources. The CWGC state 12th November 1918, (The day after the Armistice was signed). His actual grave states 29th October 1918.
Biographical Details Known
Walter's parents were Mary and William Brookes.
The father, William Brookes had been born in Shropshire in 1861 and had been 'in -service' since he was 10 years old. There is a vague story (that might or might not be true), that he met his future wife at Bodnant. She was Mary Munday, born in 1858 in Conwy where her parents collected toll money on the Conwy bridge - although her father (Llewelyn) also made a living by being a journeyman joiner.
By 1891, the couple William and Mary Brookes were living and working on the Penbedw Estate in Nannerch where William was a gamekeeper and they were raising a family. By 1901 they had moved to the estate owned by the Bankes family of Soughton Hall where William was made head gamekeeper. They lived in the Keepers Cottage, Pwll y Gaseg. This cottage is located at the beginning of Hall Lane (leading to Soughton Hall). Mary Brookes gave birth altogether to thirteen children although seven of them did not survive (she lost two sets of twins and three other babies).The children that survived were twins Jemima and Thomas (born 1885), William (born 1886), Mary Alice (born 1888) Walter (Born 1891) and Frank (born 1896).
William's work as a gamekeeper was arduous but much was expected too, of his wife such as providing meals for the under keepers on the estate. Mary Brookes had a particular talent for making potato whisky which was such fearsome stuff that the corks had to be tied down. It is said that certain doctors in the area called for bottles of this special brew - for strictly medicinal use - of course.
Before young Walter joined the army, he worked on an estate somewhere in the south of England and it is said that after he'd left there he received annual birthday gifts of boxes of violets from a mystery lady. Walter was a talented woodcarver and he made beautiful pieces of furniture.
In 1910 another tragedy befell this family as the youngest and very beautiful daughter, Mary Alice died aged 22. The family believe that she died from consumption -TB. She was the eighth child of William and Mary to die. There was worse to come.
Walter joined the army on the 30th September 1914 and he entered his first theatre of war on the 19th July 1915. He served in the Machine Gun Section in both Italy and France. His placement as a gunner made a lot of sense because of course handling guns as a gamekeeper's son was something he'd grown up with. He was wounded in France and shipped home to Wales and was sent to a hospital in Dolgellau where he contracted pneumonia and died.
The very strong story that has passed down the family (but is not yet proved), is that when Mary Brookes heard that her son Walter had died, she borrowed a horse and flat cart and she drove it alone all the way to Dolgellau to collect Walter's body to bring it home. That journey must have been unbelievably difficult emotionally and physically and was a remarkable and brave achievement by a strong, loving and determined mother.
Walter's brother Frank Brookes also died but he is not listed on the War Memorial in Sychdyn. Frank joined Kitchener's army in September 1914. He served for 95 days with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers 10th Btn. where he was Private 15407. He was discharged. He re-enlisted on 12th December 1915 - this time he was Private 37650 of the 3rd Btn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He served 88 days and was again discharged in consequence of being medically unfit. His poor health which included defective eyesight and chronic eczema meant that despite his two attempts to join the army, he never made it to a theatre of war. 1918 saw Britain and much of Europe in the grip of a deadly inflenza epidemic and Flintshire too had many many cases and many deaths. Frank Brookes was one of the casualties. He died at home, of this dreaded illness tragically only two weeks after Walter died. He had been a very popular and genial young man who had so wanted to serve his country and he became the tenth child to die from this one family.
Both of the other brothers served in the war and survived. Thomas (Private 22552 4th Grenadier Guards) saw active service in France and was wounded several times including at Ancre Battle 1916. He was also gassed in London in a Zepplin raid. Thomas went on to become the gamekeeper on the Soughton Hall Estate just like his father.William (Private 35994 of the 1st Loyal Lancashires) served in France. It is said that he later wrote for the Times newspaper on 'country matters'.
Jemima grew up to become a Red Cross nurse. A family legend tells of how she once prepared her kitchen table for her own appendix operation. She obviously inherited her mother's grit and courage.
Walter and Frank Brookes were buried in the family grave in Northop Churchyard alongside their sister Mary Alice.,
Regiment Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Service Rank and Number Private 15855
Military Cemetery/Memorial Unusually, this soldier was buried in his local churchyard at Northop
Ref No. of Grave or Memorial Country of Cemetery/Memorial Wales
Medals Awarded British War Medal 1914-1920 Victory Medal 1914-1919 The 1914-15 Star
Date and Circumstances of Death Walter was wounded in France and taken to Caerynwch Auxiliary Hospital, Dolgellau where he contracted pneumonia and died aged 27. The date of his death is different on two sources. The CWGC state 12th November 1918, (The day after the Armistice was signed). His actual grave states 29th October 1918.
Biographical Details Known
Walter's parents were Mary and William Brookes.
The father, William Brookes had been born in Shropshire in 1861 and had been 'in -service' since he was 10 years old. There is a vague story (that might or might not be true), that he met his future wife at Bodnant. She was Mary Munday, born in 1858 in Conwy where her parents collected toll money on the Conwy bridge - although her father (Llewelyn) also made a living by being a journeyman joiner.
By 1891, the couple William and Mary Brookes were living and working on the Penbedw Estate in Nannerch where William was a gamekeeper and they were raising a family. By 1901 they had moved to the estate owned by the Bankes family of Soughton Hall where William was made head gamekeeper. They lived in the Keepers Cottage, Pwll y Gaseg. This cottage is located at the beginning of Hall Lane (leading to Soughton Hall). Mary Brookes gave birth altogether to thirteen children although seven of them did not survive (she lost two sets of twins and three other babies).The children that survived were twins Jemima and Thomas (born 1885), William (born 1886), Mary Alice (born 1888) Walter (Born 1891) and Frank (born 1896).
William's work as a gamekeeper was arduous but much was expected too, of his wife such as providing meals for the under keepers on the estate. Mary Brookes had a particular talent for making potato whisky which was such fearsome stuff that the corks had to be tied down. It is said that certain doctors in the area called for bottles of this special brew - for strictly medicinal use - of course.
Before young Walter joined the army, he worked on an estate somewhere in the south of England and it is said that after he'd left there he received annual birthday gifts of boxes of violets from a mystery lady. Walter was a talented woodcarver and he made beautiful pieces of furniture.
In 1910 another tragedy befell this family as the youngest and very beautiful daughter, Mary Alice died aged 22. The family believe that she died from consumption -TB. She was the eighth child of William and Mary to die. There was worse to come.
Walter joined the army on the 30th September 1914 and he entered his first theatre of war on the 19th July 1915. He served in the Machine Gun Section in both Italy and France. His placement as a gunner made a lot of sense because of course handling guns as a gamekeeper's son was something he'd grown up with. He was wounded in France and shipped home to Wales and was sent to a hospital in Dolgellau where he contracted pneumonia and died.
The very strong story that has passed down the family (but is not yet proved), is that when Mary Brookes heard that her son Walter had died, she borrowed a horse and flat cart and she drove it alone all the way to Dolgellau to collect Walter's body to bring it home. That journey must have been unbelievably difficult emotionally and physically and was a remarkable and brave achievement by a strong, loving and determined mother.
Walter's brother Frank Brookes also died but he is not listed on the War Memorial in Sychdyn. Frank joined Kitchener's army in September 1914. He served for 95 days with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers 10th Btn. where he was Private 15407. He was discharged. He re-enlisted on 12th December 1915 - this time he was Private 37650 of the 3rd Btn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He served 88 days and was again discharged in consequence of being medically unfit. His poor health which included defective eyesight and chronic eczema meant that despite his two attempts to join the army, he never made it to a theatre of war. 1918 saw Britain and much of Europe in the grip of a deadly inflenza epidemic and Flintshire too had many many cases and many deaths. Frank Brookes was one of the casualties. He died at home, of this dreaded illness tragically only two weeks after Walter died. He had been a very popular and genial young man who had so wanted to serve his country and he became the tenth child to die from this one family.
Both of the other brothers served in the war and survived. Thomas (Private 22552 4th Grenadier Guards) saw active service in France and was wounded several times including at Ancre Battle 1916. He was also gassed in London in a Zepplin raid. Thomas went on to become the gamekeeper on the Soughton Hall Estate just like his father.William (Private 35994 of the 1st Loyal Lancashires) served in France. It is said that he later wrote for the Times newspaper on 'country matters'.
Jemima grew up to become a Red Cross nurse. A family legend tells of how she once prepared her kitchen table for her own appendix operation. She obviously inherited her mother's grit and courage.
Walter and Frank Brookes were buried in the family grave in Northop Churchyard alongside their sister Mary Alice.,
Walter's father, William Brookes
Walter's mother Mary Brookes
(nee Munday)
(nee Munday)
Mary Alice (Walter's sister) Died aged 22
Jemima (Walter's sister). A Red Cross Nurse
Seated on the right of the photograph above and also standing in the photograph below is Thomas Brookes, (Walter's brother). Private 22552 4th Grenadier Guards. The next gamekeeper at Soughton Hall after his father. We don't know who the other soldiers are
This is Thomas Brookes' citation from the County of Flintshire. All men who had served and survived received one as did the families of those who died.
Many thanks to family member Eveline Taylor for additional information and photographs. (Sadly there isn't one of Walter).
Many thanks to family member Eveline Taylor for additional information and photographs. (Sadly there isn't one of Walter).
The influenza epidemic in Flintshire that killed Frank Brookes
The County Herald 15th November 1918
The County Herald 15th November 1918