Name
John Day Brace
5 October 1886
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/03/1918
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
59635
Royal Fusiliers *1
9th Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BOUZINCOURT RIDGE CEMETERY, ALBERT
I. D. 14.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Christchurch Memorial, Little Heath, Potters Bar, Little Heath & Bentley Heath Memorial, Potters Bar, All Souls Chapel Book of Remembrance, Potters Bar, Not on the Little Berkhamsted memorials
Pre War
John Day Brace was born on 5 October 1886 in Little Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, the son of Thomas Brace and Annie Maria (nee Hummerstone/Humberstone, and was baptised on 31 October 1886 in Little Berkhamsted. He was one of nine children.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at 4 Upton Cottages, Little Heath, Potters Bar, Middx. They had moved to North Mimms, Herts, by 1901 and were living at Thornton Road where his father was working as a carman at a nursery. The family consisted of his parents and John's siblings Abigail, Elizabeth, William, George, Percy, James, Ernest and Annie (two months old). They remained there in 1911 at which time John was working as a gardener.
On enlistment John's residence was given as Potters Bar. (N.B. Little Heath and Thornton Heath are at the northern edge of Potters Bar.)
Wartime Service
John enlisted in London as a Private with the Royal Fusiliers and was posted to 31st (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) a reserve and training Battalion, and initially given service number 1091.
Following his training John was posted to 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers as Private 59635 (probably some time in late 1916), and probably took part in the 1917 Battles of Arras and Cambrai. In 1918 the 12 (Eastern) Division of which 9th Royal Fusiliers were part of 36 Brigade, moved to the positions on the Old Somme battlefield in the area of Montauban- Bazentin to await the anticipated German Offensive. This began on 26 Mar 1918.
John was killed in action on 27 March 1918, aged 31, during this fighting known as the First Battle of Arras 1918, and is buried in Bouzincourt Ridge Cemetery, Albert, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £10 10s and pay owing of £7 14s 8d. Pension cards also exist in respect of John and his brother William, with his mother as dependant, but no pension amount is shown.
His brother William Thomas (reg. no. 265898) served with 1st/1st Kent Cyclist Battalion in India and died of malaria on 4 September 1917, aged 28. He is buried in Dalhousie Military Cemetery, India.
*1 More correctly Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment).
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Martin Cope
