Name
Henry Alexander Brand
16 Jun 1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/07/1916
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
GS/24805
Royal Fusiliers *1
20th (County of London) Bn., att Royal West Surrey Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
SERRE ROAD CEMETERY No.2
XXIII.J.6
France
Headstone Inscription
PEACE PERFECT PEACE BY THRONGING DUTIES PRESS'D TO DO THE WILL OF JESUS THIS IS REST
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Welwyn Village memorials,
Pre War
Henry Alexander Brand was born on 16 June 1893 in Marylebone, London, the son of Herbert Edward and Charlotte Jemima Brand (nee Smith). He was baptised on 11 April 1896 with his sister Hilda Daisy at All Saints, St Marylebone. His father was a brass finisher and they lived at 57 Upper Marylebone Street.
They were still living in Marylebone in 1901 but his father died in 1907 and by 1911, he was living with his sister and widowed mother in 57 Corinne Road, Tufnell Park, and he was working as a Telegraph Messenger.
On enlistment, he gave his address as East Finchley. His mother gave her address as 11 Chandos Road, East Finchley on pension records and later lived at 73 The Crescent, Welwyn, Herts.
Wartime Service
Henry enlisted in St Pancras, London and joined the London Regiment, Royal Fusiliers. He was sent to France on 1 Jun 1916 with the 20th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers and was attached to 7th (Queens) Royal West Surrey Regiment on 17 Jun 1916.
On 13 Jul 1916 the Battalion took part in an attack on Trones Wood, Longueval, during the Somme battles. During this action Henry was killed, aged 23. He was originally buried as an Unknown British Soldier with three soldiers from the Royal West Surrey Regiment but was exhumed at the end of the war (January 1929) and reinterred at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2, France. He was identified by his pocket book and spoon marked with his service no. of 24805 as well as a cap badge.
Additional Information
His mother, Mrs C J Brand, Rectory Cottage, School Lane, Welwyn, Herts. ordered his headstone inscription: "PEACE PERFECT PEACE BY THRONGING DUTIES PRESS'D TO DO THE WILL OF JESUS THIS IS REST". There is also an inscription on a family grave headstone in Welwyn Parish Cemetery which says "also of HENRY ALEXANDER BRAND, son of the above, interred Serre Road Cemetery, Somme".
His mother received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £2 13s 4d. She also received a pension of 7s 6d a week.
1 Believed more correctly, (County of London)
Bn. London Regiment (Blackheath and Woolwich).
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Brenda Palmer, www.findagrave.com
