Pte 49013 Harold Brooks

• Age: 29
• From: Tottington, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Tuesday 3rd July 1917
• Commemorated at: Perth Cem Zillebeke
  Panel Ref: II.C.27

Harold Brooks was born in 1888 in Tottington, Lancashire and was the son of Collinwood and Matilda Brooks. Harold was employed at Tottington printworks prior to his enlistment.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 36, Victoria Street, Tottington Lower End, Bury, Lancashire.

The father Collinwood aged 29, born in 1862 is a crofter in a bleach-works who was born in Bury and his wife Matilda is aged 27, born 1864 and employed as a cloth stitcher in a bleach-works and was born in Tottington as was their son Harold aged 3, born 1888.  

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 52 Victoria Street, Tottington Lower End, Bury, Lancashire.

The father Collinwood is not listed on the Census. Matilda now aged 37 is the head of the household and remains employed as a cloth stitcher also in a bleach-works. She has two children Harold aged 13, is a labourer in a bleach-works and daughter Elizabeth was born in 1901.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 52 Victoria Street Tottington, Lancashire.  

The mother Matilda aged 47, born 1864 occupation cotton bleacher and was born in Tottington as were her children. She has been married for 25 years and had four children of which one died. Harold aged 23, born 1888 and William aged 18, born 1893 both work as labourers in a calico printers and Sarah Elizabeth aged 10, born 1901 at school.

He enlisted in Bury in May 1916 and was formerly 33931, Lancashire Fusiliers and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 49013 when he died of wounds on the 3rd July, 1917 aged 29.

A newspaper had the following report about his death.

PTE. H. BROOKS.

Miss E Brooks, of 1, Turner’s Place Tottington has been officially informed of the death of her brother, Private Harold Brooks, King’s Liverpool Regiment, which took place on July 3rd. She has also received a letter dated July 5^th, from a Church of England Chaplain, of which the following is an extract:

“ I sent off a field postcard from your brother (Private. H. Brooks, 49013) I am very sorry to have to write and tell you that he has died. He was carrying rations for his battalion and was severely wounded by a shell which burst near the party. H ewas removed to a R.A.M.C. first aid post where they did everything they could for him. We hoped he would pull round, but he had lost so much blood that he became unconscious about three hours afterwards, and quietly passed away. His friends all say he was a splendid soldier, and a great fighter; always willing to do his full share of the work, and never shirked. He will greatly missed by his friends out here. . .His body has been buried by me in a quiet corner of the battle area, close to where he fell, and a cross has been put up by his battalion.”       

He now rests at Perth Cemetery, Zillebeke, Belgium.

The cemetery was begun by French troops in November 1914 (the French graves were removed after the Armistice) and adopted by the 2nd Scottish Rifles in June 1917. It was called Perth (as the predecessors of the 2nd Scottish Rifles were raised in Perth), China Wall (from the communication trench known as the Great Wall of China), or Halfway House Cemetery. The cemetery was used for front line burials until October 1917 and contained 130 graves. It was not used again until after the Armistice, when graves were brought in from the battlefields and smaller cemeteries around Ypres.  There are now 1,426 WW1 Commonwealth burials in the cemetery.

He is also commemorated on the Tottington Cenotaph and St John’s Free Church Roll of Honour.

We currently have no further information on Harold Brooks, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.