Name
Douglas Brace
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/09/1916
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
27000
Somerset Light Infantry
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HEILLY STATION CEMETERY, MERICOURT-L'ABBE
IV. I. 31.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Hoddesdon and Rye Park Town Memorial, Hoddesdon,
St Catherine & St Paul’s Church, Hoddesdon,
St Cuthbert's Rye Park Church Memorial, Rye Park,
Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford,
Not on the Great Amwell memorials
Pre War
Douglas was born 1897 in Great Amwell, the son to Arthur Brace, a labourer, and Alice (nee George).
On the 1901 Census Douglas together with his parents, elder Brother Arthur Henry, who was employed as a groom, elder sisters Rose, Violet, Ellen, Jessie and younger brothers William and James were living at Western terrace, Hailey Brickfield, Great Amwell. On the 1911 Douglas was employed as a house boy, aged 14, with his parents, brothers William and James, both at school, were living at London Road, Great Amwell, there had been the additions to the family of Kitty and Bert. The family later lived in Rye House, Hoddesdon.
Wartime Service
Douglas enlisted as Private 6670 in the Hertfordshire Regiment. This would seem to be late 1915. No Service record could be found so facts are difficult to confirm.
At some time Douglas transferred to Prince Albert’s (Somerset Light Infantry) and served with them in France. On 16 Sep 1916 during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, 43rd Brigade attacked GRID and GRID Support lines but were beaten to a stop by heavy machine gun fire from the German troops. Both 6th Somerset Light Infantry and 10th Durham Light Infantry lost all of their field officers and almost 400 other ranks from each battalion. The attack was resumed that evening but again failed. It was during these attacks that Douglas was wounded and later died on 28 Sep 1916.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £3 and arrears of £2 15s 9d was paid to his father Arthur. His brother Sergeant Arthur Henry Brace served in Royal Garrison Artillery and was killed in action on 30 Sep 1917.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Malcolm Lennox, Jonty Wild
