Strand Military Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Strand Military Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Joseph Brand, one of 12 children of whom only 5 survived, was the youngest of his siblings. His father John Brand was born at Middlesbrough, Yorkshire in 1851 as was his mother Mary Jane Whitfield in 1855, they were married in the district of Bishop Auckland in 1875. Two years later they had moved to Shildon, County Durham, where their son William was born in 1877, daughter Sarah in 1880 at Crook and had returned to Shildon as in 1881 they occupied 3, Hudson Street, John supported his family employed as a coal miner. They were still living in Shildon 10 years later at 6, York Street, Mary Jane had given birth to a further 2 children, James, March 31st 1884 and Albert 1891, sadly their son James died in 1893 aged 9 years. Their youngest children Mary Jane and Joseph were born May 27th 1894 at Bishop Auckland and June 2nd 1897 Stockton-on-Tees respectively. John Brand had abandoned his employment as a coal miner and was now a hawker (scourers and whitening) for his own account, his wife was employed as a charwoman, Sarah (21) remained at home to look after her younger siblings, Albert (11), Mary Jane (8) and Joseph (4), listed as a visitor was 20-year-old Ann Noble, a hawker (fruit). By 1911 only Mary Jane (17) was living at home, her mother still employed as a charwoman supplemented the family income having taken in 2 lodgers, widower Samuel Eubank a retired labourer and John Atkinson a tailor, John Brand is not included in this census presumably he was away hawking, Joseph (13) was a student at Earl’s House Industrial School, Earl’s House, Chester-le-Street, County Durham.
John Brand died during the 2nd quarter 1914 just prior to the declaration of war with Germany, aged 72 years, registered in the district of Bishop Auckland. In 1914 Joseph was 17 years of age, still too young to enlist, however I believe he was a part-time soldier as he is listed as Private 2679, 6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, a Territorial Force with headquarters in Bishop Auckland and drill halls at Barnard Castle, Consett, Crook, Spennymoor, Stanhope and Bishop Auckland. Over the next 9 months the part-time volunteers trained with the more experienced men of the battalion for service overseas and were formed into 4 companies, A, B, C, and D. The main body of the 1st/6th Battalion departed for the front, April 19th 1915, Private Brand was not amongst them having been posted to the 10th Battalion, however he returned to the 1st/6th, remaining in England until 1916, when having turned 19 years of age he was eligible to serve overseas.
Private 2679 Brand departed for the front as of June 1916 joining his regiment in the field attached to the 151st Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division on the Ypres salient in Belgium, until in August 1916, having suffered huge losses the 1/6th amalgamated with the 1/8th to form the 6/8th Battalion D.L.I. which July 15th 1916 was reduced to cadre strength and transferred to the Lines of Communication, ferrying troops and supplies from the base depot to the front line trenches.
August 11th 1916 having received reinforcements they resumed duty as the 1/6th D.L.I. and joined the 117th Brigade, 39th Division on the Somme participating in the final stages of the Battles of the Somme at Thiepval, September 26th-28th 1916, on the Ancre, October 1st-18th and the capture of Schwaben Redoubt and Stuff Trench.
During 1917 and with a change of service number as Private 250250 Joseph Brand he was posted to the 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry which was being rebuilt after the huge losses sustained on the Somme. The battalion participated during the Arras Offensive of spring 1917 during the 3rd Battle of the Scarpe and the capture of Oppy Wood. In 1918 they saw action at the Battle of St. Quentin, September 29th-October 10th, the Battle of Bapaume and the 1st Battle of Arras.
Private 250250 Joseph Brand Durham Light Infantry was killed in action during the Battle of St. Quentin, October 1st 1918, his body buried on the battlefield by his comrades and marked with a cross bearing his name and military details.
After the Armistice at the request of the French and Belgian Governments smaller concentrations and isolated graves were brought into larger cemeteries. The remains of Private Brand were found at map reference Sh. 36. C. 4, a. 55, exhumed, brought into Strand Military Cemetery, 12.5 kilometres from Ypres, Belgium, December 24th 1919 and re-buried with military honours. Private 250250 Joseph Brand Durham Light Infantry is at rest grave IX. C. 1. At the time of his demise in 1918 he was 21 years of age and single.
His mother Mary Jane Brand of 64, Newton Cap Bank, Bishop Auckland received all monies due to him from the Army, a pension of 8 shillings 6 pence a week as of April 24th 1919 which was reviewed at intervals, last entry available March 28th 1922, 15 shillings 2 pence a week, and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Mary Jane Brand nee Whitfield died at Middlesbrough, Yorkshire in 1938 aged 82 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Joseph Brand is remembered at Bishop Auckland on B140.03, B140.05, B140.12 page 4 and B140.27 part 6 page 87 and at South Church on S144.01 and S144.05
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 269
