Victor William Brooks
Memorial: Downend - Christ Church
Regiment: Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
Medals: British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Private 35680
Parents: Walter and Emily Brooks
Marital status: Single
Home address: North Street, Downend, Bristol
Pre-war occupation: Scholar
Date of birth: 1897
Place of birth: Kingswood, Bristol
Date of death: 04/05/1917
Buried/Commemorated at: Savona Memorial, Genoa, Città Metropolitana di Genova, Liguria, Italy
Age: 20
Further information:
Victor William Brooks was baptised on 2nd February 1898 at Christ Church, Downend. He formerly served as Private 5246, Training & Reserve Battalion before being taken by the 1st/4th Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Private Brooks is recorded as dying at sea but upon further investigation it shows that he was drowned when the troop ship he was travelling on was torpedoed. From the Summer of 1917 until late 1918, the Mediterranean lines of communication for the British Salonika Force ran the length of Italy from Taranto in the south-east, to Turin in the north-west. On 4th May 1917, the Hired Transport "Transylvania", proceeding to Salonika with reinforcements (among them being the 1st/4th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry) was sunk by torpedo off Cape Vado, a few kilometres south of Savona, with the loss of more than 400 lives. The bodies recovered at Savona were buried two days later, from the Hospital of San Paulo, in a special plot in the town cemetery. In later life Victor William Brooks was adopted by William and Jane Usher although his stepfather passed away during the time his stepson was serving in the military. In the Register of Soldiers' Effects, Victor's possessions amounted to £1.16s.3d which was sent to his stepmother on 25th march 1918 with a War Gratuity of £3.0s.0d being sent to her on 11th August 1918.
Commemorated on the Christ Church Downend and Staple Hill (Page Park) Memorials.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
Forces War Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Soldiers Died In The Great War, Find A Grave index, England Select Births & Christenings, Free BMD, Register of Soldiers' Effects, Medal Rolls Index Card, UK Censuses, David Blackmore – Mangotsfield Residents Association