Sources
		CWGC	SDGW	Uttoxeter Advertiser	Other
Parents	Thomas and Ellen Georjiana Brough				9l
Where born	Uttoxeter, Staffordshire		Yes		9a
When born	January-March 1879				4
	Late February or March 1879				9a, 9c
	About 1879				5
Address	John Street, Uttoxeter			7a, 7b, 7c, 7e	9o, 9p
	2 John Street, Uttoxeter				9p
	Wife: 32 Park Street, Uttoxeter				9l
Spouse	Yes			7a, 7b, 7c
	Mrs. E. A. Brough				9p
	Emmeliah Ann Brough				9l
Children	2			7b
	William, born 16 February 1912				9l
	Lily born 16 August 1909				9l
	More than 1			7c
Employment Before Joining up	Leighton Ironworks, Uttoxeter			7b
	In 1911: Marine Stock Dealer				9a, 9u
Where enlisted	Uttoxeter, Staffordshire		Yes		9f, 9u
Regiment & Unit	North Staffordshire (Prince of Wales’s)	Yes	Yes	7c, 7e	9a, 9f, 9j, 9p, 9q, 9s, 9u, 9w
	6th Bn., "B" Coy.				1
	6th Bn	Yes		7g	9a, 9f, 9s, 9u, 9w
	6th T.F.				9q
	1st/6th Bn		Yes		9j, 9p
Rank	Private	Yes	Yes	7a, 7b, 7g	1, 9d, 9e, 9j, 9q, 9s, 9w
Service Number	1428	Yes	Yes		1, 9a, 9d, 9e, 9f, 9i, 9j, 9p, 9q, 9u, 9w
Date of Death	Received wounds on 13 October 1915			7b, 7c, 7e, 7g	9s
	14 October 1915		Yes		1, 2, 9f, 9i, 9j
	25 October 1915 - WRONG	Yes
Age at time of death	36			7b
Where Killed or died	France / Flanders		Yes
	Received wounds at Loos - Hohenzollern Redoubt			7b, 7c, 7e, 7g
How he died	Died of wounds		Yes	7b, 7c, 7e, 7g	1, 9f, 9j, 9s, 9u
	Gunshot Wounds to left arm and ribs				9s
Where he died	In the Field				9f, 9j
	France / Flanders		Yes
	Number 33 Casualty Clearing Station				9j, 9s
Location of Grave or Memorial	Bethune Town Cemetery Grave IV. F. 29.	Yes
	Bethume Cemetery				9s
Awards	Two South African Medals			7b
	1914-15 Star				9e, 9i
	British War Medal				9d

During the South African war he enlisted in the 2^nd7b North Staffordshire Regiment^{7b, 9a} and saw service throughout the campaign^7b. He was promoted to Sergeant at Capetown^7b and held two South African medals^7b.

Prior to the Great War he was employed at the Leighton Ironworks in Uttoxeter^7b, the precursor of the modern JCB company.

William joined the Territorial Forces on 12^th January 1911^9f. He was 32 years and 11^9a or 11¾^9c months old and gave his occupation as “Marine Store Dealer”at the time^9a. At this stage he was living at 36 Smithfield Road, Uttoxeter^9a and was already married^9a.

His Attestation Paper^9a gives us a sample of his signature:

He was enrolled by John Latimer  Collyer^9a, another of Uttoxeter’s men who would later died serving his country during the Great War.

William was 5 ft 8½ inches tall^{9c, 9u} and had a chest size of 37¾ inches^{9c, 9u}. His Army Medical Records of 15^th February 1911^9c describe his vision as good^{9c, 9u} and physical development as good^{9c, 9u}. He weighed 147 lbs^9u.

He attended annual training camps in 1911 and 1912^9f and his Service Record shows that he was “Embodied” into the main forces on 4^th August 1914^9f.

He embarked for service in France⁹ⁱ on 5^th August 1915⁹ⁱ.

In May 1915 the Uttoxeter Advertiser published details^7a of a letter he had written to his wife telling her that there had been some very heavy fighting around where he was located. Their company was in the trenches, but up to the time of writing they had been lucky, having only three wounded. His mate had had a lucky escape the previous night as they were going along together with the rations when a bullet went through the bag that he was carrying.

William’s luck held out until October 1915, when he received wounds while in action at the Hohenzollern Redoubt^7b. This was the fateful attack of the  13th of October 1915^{1, 7b, 7c} when Uttoxeter lost to many men. He died of his wounds^{1, 7c} the next day¹.

His service record provides some details of what happened to him. Number 3 Field Ambulance stated that he had suffered Gun Shot Wounds to his left arm and ribs In the Field on 13^th October 1915^9s. This was followed by Number 33 Casualty Clearing Station, which stated that he Died of Wounds In the Field on 14^th October 1915^9s.

He left a wife^{7a, 7b} Emmeliah Ann^9l and 2 children^7b, Lily^9l and William^9l.

Note that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database gives the date for his death as 25^th October 1915, which is wrong. This might be explained by the fact that the official notification of his death was completed on 25^th October 1915 by the Officer in Charge of Number 33 Casualty Clearing Station^9j. Perhaps when compiling their database someone at the CWGC merely scanned this sheet by eye and did not read it properly?

At the time of his death he was accredited with a total of 4 years 52 days of service in Britain⁹ⁱ and 224 days service in France⁹ⁱ, giving a total pensionable service of 4 years and 276 days⁹ⁱ.

Almost four months after his death a letter^9p was sent by the War Office to the Officer in Charge of the Territorial Force Records, asking him to forward any personal effects in his possession to William’s widow. There does not appear to be any record of any effects being sent to her⁹.

On the 3^rd of March 1916 the War Office awarded Mrs. Brough a pension of 18 shillings and sixpence per week for herself and two children, with effect from 8^th May 1916^9q. The notification of this pension was annotated with the words “increasing to 21 shillings from 21 June 1916^9q.

We wonder how they managed between October, when his pay will have stopped, and May, when their pension started?

 

 

These very touching notices were posted in the Uttoxeter Advertiser in October 19167c, 7d to mark the first anniversary of his death

BROUGH. – In Loving Memory of William Brough, of the North Staffs. Regiment, late of John-street, Uttoxeter, who died of wounds received in action, October 13, 1915. I loved you in life, you are dear to me still, But in grief I must bend to God’s holy will; My sorrow is great, my loss hard to bear – I miss you, Dear Husband, your love and your care. -          Fondly remembered by his Wife and Children. A loving son, a brother kind, A beautiful memory left behind; He proudly answered his Country’s call – His life he gave for one and all. He sleeps not in his native land, But ‘neath some foreign skies; Far from those who loved him best, In a hero’s grave he lies. Ever remembered by his Mother, Father, Brothers and Sisters

These two notices followed in the Uttoxeter Advertiser7e, 7f a year later to mark the second anniversary

BROUGH. – In Loving Memory of John William Brough, of the North Staffs. Regt., late of John-street, Uttoxeter, who died of wounds received in action, October 13, 1915. Somewhere on yonder battlefield, There is a silent grave, Of one we loved so dearly, Yet one we could not save; His King and Country called him – He only did his best – But God thought fit to take him To his eternal rest. -          From his loving Wife and Children. Oh, noble was my dear one’s death, His precious life he gave; He faithfully did his duty, His native land to save. He will answer no more the roll-call, Nor rush to the bugle sound; But Lord, when the roll in heaven is called May his name in Thy Book be found.

This notice was posted in the Uttoxeter Advertiser in October 19187g to mark the third anniversary of his death

BROUGH. – In Loving Memory of Pte. W. Brough, of the 6th North Staffs. Regt., who died of wounds received in action, October 13, 1915. Although your hand we cannot grasp, Your face we cannot see, Just let this little token show, We still remember thee. Ever remembered by his Mother, Father, Brothers and Sisters.