GORDON BYRON BROOKES M.C.
18 September 1880 - 16 September 1916
At School - 1892 - 1896
Capt 9th attd 6th Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Gordon was born in Manchester and in 1881, aged 6 months, was living at 350 Oxford Road, Manchester with father Warwick, Photographer, mother Mary, elder sister Blanche, elder brother Warwick and one domestic servant. Warwick senior's sister Hannah also lived with the family as his Photographic Assistant. By 1891 Blanche and Warwick junior were working in the business and the family had acquired an additional domestic servant. The only apparent reference to Gordon in the School Magazine is that he came second in the Three-Legged Race, with H P Brown, in 1896. In 1901 Gordon was the last remaining sibling living at home and is described on the census as a Photographer Operator. On 30 April 1907 Gordon married Mabel Osborn Walker at the Parish Church of St George, Bloomsbury, London. His profession was described as actor and Mabel's as actress, and his address was given as 1 Vernon Chambers, London. Gordon produced many of his own sketches, touring with his wife and appearing on the Manchester Music Halls on a number of occasions with considerable success. In 1911 Gordon was staying as a guest with George Whyte at 4a Bloomsbury Square, London, described as a Variety Artiste . George was a witness at Gordon's wedding and probably best man. On the census form Gordon was described as single but this was then crossed out and "married" inserted. (It has not been possible to trace Mabel on the 1911 Census as yet!). He petitioned for divorce in 1912 - Respondent Mabel Osborn Brookes; Co-respondent James Miller.

Gordon received his commission as a temporary Lieutenant in the Infantry on 8 December 1914. At some stage he was posted to the 9th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. This Battalion was formed on 29 October 1914 at Falmouth as a service battalion of the Fourth New Army (K4) as part of the 103rd brigade of the 34th Division. On 10 April 1915 it became a 2nd Reserve Battalion and in May 1915 moved to Wareham, Dorset, as part of the 10th Reserve Brigade. Gordon was attached to the 6th Battalion, under the command of 43rd Brigade in 14th (Light) Division, and on 11 August 1915 joined his new Battalion at the front.
At this time the Battalion was in Ypres and on the following day Gordon received his baptism of fire as the Germans
bombarded the city with a 17 inch gun from a wood 10 miles away. The bombardment lasted all morning and caused considerable damage to Ypres and its inhabitants. The Battalion lost 2 officers and 18 Other Ranks killed and 2 officers and 19 Other Ranks wounded. Throughout the rest of 1915, the Battalion alternated between the front line trenches in the Ypres sector, divisional reserve and "rest" camps, where they assisted in camp construction . In late November and December the Battalion was in trenches at Wieltje and Saint Jean, to the North East of Ypres. The War Diary reported that the trenches were in a bad condition and communication trenches impassable. Subsequent hard frosts and thaws together with heavy rain made the situation worse. The Battalion suffered casualties from intermittent heavy shelling although the sector

was generally quiet. On 4 February 1916 Gordon was promoted to acting Captain. Shortly afterwards, on 7 February, the Battalion was relieved and moved to rest camp at Vlamertinghe. From there they moved to billets north of Houtkerque and, after a period of training and refitting, on 22 February marched off at 3 a.m. to Esquelbecq station from where they entrained to Longeau, a suburb of Amiens. They bussed to billets in Vignacourt, from where they marched to Agny, on the southern outskirts of Arras, arriving on 29 February, to relieve the 207th French Infantry Regiment. The march had taken 6 days, the roads being frozen and crowded with disorganised French and British motor and other traffic, while snow fell continuously.
The following day the Battalion began work on the Agny defences, support and communication trenches. The War Diary reported that Agny had received shelling but generally the position was quiet. The Battalion stayed in this sector until the end of July, undertaking the usual tour of front line, reserve and rest camps. Shelling, trench mortar fire, machine gun fire and sniping was suffered the whole time but casualties were relatively light, with 1 officer and 21 Other Ranks being killed or died of woundsduring the period.

On 29 July, the Battalion left Agny, marching to Le Meillard, near Doullens, arriving on 1 August. Training was undertaken for the next few days then on 7 August, the Battalion entrained for Albert. The Battalion remained in support until 15 August when it moved up to the forward trenches at Delville Wood, in preparation for an attack on the enemy lines. The following evening Heavy Artillery and Field Guns bombarded the North East corner of the wood to assist in a minor enterprise against an enemy post, however the raid could not be undertaken as the heavy shells dropped short on the Battalion's forward trench inflicting about 23 casualties on the raiding party. The attack was ordered for 18 August and on 17 August a heavy bombardment of the enemy trenches was undertaken all day. The Battalion lines were also bombarded heavily in return. At 6 a.m. on the 18th a heavy bombardment was also undertaken until 2.45 p.m. when the attack was launched. Intense bombardment was carried on by Field Guns from 2.45 p.m. to 2.50 p.m. and the objective was reached "in perfect order" under the cover of the barrage. The enemy bombarded the trenches heavily causing casualties but the captured positions were held. Battalion losses were 7 Officers killed, 7 wounded, 69 Other Ranks killed, 233 wounded and 50 missing. On 20 August the Battalion was relieved and marched to rest camp near Fricourt.
It is likely that this action was where Gordon won his Military Cross as his citation reads "for conspicuous gallantry in action. Prior to the advance our trenches were heavily shelled, but he calmly walked along the parapet encouraging his men. After an advance through heavy fire he captured his objective, and consolidated his position”.
On 26 August the Battalion were back in support in the Montauban Defences, providing working and carrying parties for the front line troops, until relieved at 6.30 p.m. on the 30th. The Battalion moved to billets at Aumont, west of Amiens, where they undertook training until 12 September when they returned to Albert and the Montauban Defences, arriving at 12 noon on the 15th.

The War Diary reports that the 10th Durham Light Infantry and the 6th Somerset Light Infantry had moved up to hold the front line near Bulls Road, leading from the North-east corner of Flers towards Lesboeufs, and at 5.30 p.m. on 15 September, the Battalion was ordered to support the two forward Battalions by relieving the troops holding Gap Trench, which ran in a south-easterly direction from the south of Flers Village. These trenches had been captured by the 41st Division earlier in the day with the aid of tanks. At about 10 p.m. orders were received that the Brigade was to continue the attack towards Gueudecourt, with the Battalion being ordered to act in support.
At 9.25 a.m., zero hour, on the 16th. the Battalion advanced to occupy the line near Bulls Road in support of the two forward battalions who had commenced the attack. The preliminary bombardment was noted as "very weak". The Battalion advanced in one wave and although heavy machine gun fire was experienced, the fire was high and only slight casualties were suffered. The two forward battalions, however, had suffered heavy casualties during the initial advance. At 10.30 a.m., the Battalion continued the advance in waves of half companies in extended order,with a distance of 100 yards between waves, in view of the heavy casualties suffered by the previous Battalions. Notwithstanding this, each wave also suffered heavily through the terrific machine gun fire, but managed to reach the advanced position and intermixed with the survivors of the 10th Durhams and 6th Somersets.
At about 11.00 a.m. the machine gun fire from the right flank became so severe that it was suspected that the Guards Division on their right had not advanced. Patrols were sent to ascertain if there had been any advance on the right of the 43rd Brigade and reported that there was no movement on the right and the machine gun fire very heavy. A message was immediately sent to Brigade HQ that the advance was being held up by the machine gun barrage, the reply, received at 1.30 p.m., being to "Hang on where you are until situation has been cleared up on Divisional right". At 4.20 p.m. the Battalion received a further message that the Guards Division had been ordered to advance at 4 p.m. to take Lesboeufs at all costs.
At 6.10 p.m. orders were received to resume the attack at 6.55 p.m. in conjunction with the remainder of the Brigade and two battalions of reinforcements from the 42nd Brigade. The objective was to capture Gird Support, in front of Gueudecourt, and, if this proved successful, to continue the attack on Gueudecourt. It proved very difficult to get orders out to O.C's Companies in the short space of time allowed, also to organise, as casualties had been heavy in both officers and other ranks, and the situation had become confused owing to battalions becoming mixed. However, at 6.55 p.m. the whole line advanced with the"utmost gallantry" but an intense machine gun fire opened from both flanks causing excessive casualties. Every Company Commander had either been killed or wounded and only two very junior officers remained in the firing line. After advancing 200 yards, the attack melted away, and the remaining men crawled back.
At 7.40 p.m., after consultation with the other Brigade Battalions, a defensive line, consisting of all units in the Brigade, was established in Bulls Road, reinforced by four Vickers machine guns. Casualties had been 15 officers out of 20 and 294 other ranks out of about 550 all ranks who participated in the operations.
At 8.30 p.m. orders were received from Brigade cancelling the attack on Gueudecourt, but the attack on Gird Support was to be proceeded with. These orders had been issued at 6.15 p.m. but did not reach Battalion HQ until 8.30 p.m!
At 5 a.m. on the 17th the Battalion was relieved by the 10th Yorkshire Regiment of the 21st Division and moved back in small columns to bivouac in Pommiers Redoubt, moving to camp near Becordel at 4.20 p.m. and then to billets at Ribemont the following day.
At some time during the day of 16 September, Gordon was killed in the attack. His body was not recovered or identified and he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Pier and Face 6B.
Probate was granted on 19 December to Warwick Brookes, company director. Effects £100 1s. 4d. His probate notice advised his address at the time to be 45 Addison Avenue, Notting Hill, London.
