BRASSINGTON, HENRY OR HARRY

Before he joined-up he was employed as a farm hand^2a and lived with his parents^2a.

The records tell us that Harry was not called-up for service until 12^th August 1918^2g.  This was only three months before the armistice. We wonder if he would have lived if he had not been drafted into the army. Did he contract pneumonia as a result of the harsh drills and route marches in his basic training?

Luckily for us, Harry’s Service Records have been preserved in the National Archives². They only just survived the incendiary attacks during the Blitz of the Second World War. Only about 10% of the non-officer records were saved and Harry’s records must have been rescued while smouldering. The pagers are very charred.

Harry  enlisted on 12^th August 1918^2a at the age of 18 years and one month^2a. That gives his date of birth as about July 1900.

At the time of enlistment he was 5ft 6 ¼ inches tall^2b and had a chest measurement of 36 ½ inches^2b.

He gave his religion as Church of England^ca.

The record for his medical examination^2e is difficult to read and little can be made out. It does tell us that his physical development was good and that he had a defect described as “Thick Apex Boot” (the last word is particularly hard to read, so there is a chance that it might not say “Boot”)

At 18, he was too young for service overseas, so he was serving in England.

He died in hospital of septic pneumonia at Clipstone Military Hospital^1a. His parents were informed of his illness during the last week and made it to the hospital in time to see him before he died^1a. Unfortunately, we do not think that they will have been able to hold a conversation with him because of the details given in the hospital report, which says that he was delirious^2e.

He was due to have come home on leave the week after he died^1a.

Harry’s records in the National Archives includes a report from the hospital^2e. It is scorched and the date of the entry is illegible. The handwriting is very decorative, but extremely difficult to read!

It says something along the lines of:

???????? Physical signs Left lung.

Respirations 40 pulse 128.

No improvement under treatment.

Delirium constant until collapse & death.

Treatment: 2mm ???Hydrochloride

20???????? Brandy.

At the time of his death Harry had a brother James Brassington, who was 23 years old, and a sister Gertrude Elizabeth, who was 14 years old^2f. James was living at 2 John Street, Uttoxeter^2f, and Gertrude was living with their parents^2f.

On 6^th November 1918 the Uttoxeter Advertiser published an account of his funeral^1b, which said that his coffin was brought back to Uttoxeter by railand  was met at the station by a squad of soldiers. They, with a detachment of machine-gunners from the Rugeley Camp, went before the funeral cortege bearing reversed arms.

Soldiers from another Midland Camp also acted as bearers and members of the local branch of Comrades of the Great War and a detachment of the Uttoxeter Volunteers also attended.

There was also a large attendance of sympathetic townsfolk and relatives.

Harry’s coffin was draped with the Union Flag. Volleys were fired over his grave by the firing party and the ceremony was concluded with the sounding of ‘The Last Post’.

A lot of people sent floral tributes, including his Commanding Officer and his battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment.

Harry was buried in the same grave as his sister, who had died just a few years beforehand^1b. The grave is now only marked by Harry’s military headstone. Unfortunately, his sister’s grave is unmarked⁶.

    

His grave is in Uttoxeter Cemetery. The inscription at the bottom of his headstone reads “Peace perfect peace”.