Alfred L. Brock
William Kirby and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
Alfred was born to his parents Alfred Herbert Brock and Jane at Berwick upon Tweed. His birth date was January 16th 1891 and soon afterwards he was baptised on February 15th 1891. The couple had married in 1887 at Newcastle.
His siblings were Ernest (died aged 15 years), Gertrude, Sidney and Ethel. His father was a former Superintendent of Police and was also a captain in the Royal Engineers.
In 1891 the family were living at 46 West St Berwick with their 74-year-old dressmaker grandmother, the widowed head of the household. Also living there were daughters, Jane Davidson, his aunt and married daughter Margaret Dodds. Granddaughter Jane Brock shared the home with the children (old Jane’s great grandsons) namely Alfred and Ernest. A grandson, Charles Dodds, (grocer’s assistant) completed the inhabitants.
1901 The census shows all the Brock children staying with a relative, Jane B Davidson and her sister Margaret Dodds at their home in Berwick on Tweed. Jane, head of the household was a dressmaker whilst her sister looked after the home.
Berwickshire News and General Advertiser published the following article on 01/05/1917:-
Captain Brock was born at Berwick 16/01/1891 and received his early education at the British School under Mr Willitts: he later attended Johnston Technical School at Durham and passed through Sunderland College with honours, being subsequently Assistant Master at Chester-le-Street Council School where he endeared himself to masters and scholars alike.
Soon after the outbreak of war he joined 7th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (DLI) as private and was shortly afterwards promoted to Lance Corporal. In March 1915 in 6th DLI and after serving a few months with that Regiment Alfred was seconded for duty with the newly formed Machine Gun Corps. He had command of a machine gun section in France for several months, being in many actions with his guns, on one occasion having to abandon his limbers owing to the heavy and accurate enemy fire and have his gums carried to a new point. His ability as a machine gun officer was such that in July 1916 he was sent to England as an Instructor in Machine Gunnery for 3 months before returning to France early in November 1916. He then re-joined his old regiment and was given command of his old company, with which he had served through all the recent heavy fighting until his death. Two days before he was killed he wrote a cheery letter to his father saying “All’s Well”; on the actual day of his death he wrote to his younger sister saying “Things are getting lively. I am all right”
News of his death was received by his father from the War Office Thursday last but particulars have not yet been received. He was much liked by the officers and men of his regiment and his loss will be greatly deplored by them.
Captain Brock was well known in Berwick and spent many hours with his companion Tom Nicholson, son of the Chief Constable of Berwick.
He was a keen angler and often fished Tweed and Whitadder: a good footballer he frequently played for his school or college. He was also a good swimmer and won prizes in swimming matches.
Captain Brock was engaged to be married to Miss Mary Angus of Norton on Tees and was daily expecting to obtain leave of absence to return home for his wedding at the time of his death.
Deep sympathy is felt for this brave officer’s relatives. “
Other short articles were published in Newcastle Journal, Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 26/04/1917.
Information shown on the Durham at War site indicates that on April 14th 1917 Alfred was killed in action in an attack on German trenches and was buried in Wancourt British Cemetery, south-east of Arras. He was one of 18 men of 6 DLI killed, with 100 wounded and 66 missing. In a letter from hospital, Second Lieutenant George Roberts of 6 DLI, also a teacher, who was wounded in the attack, said that he made sure that Alfred was decently buried.
His father was granted his effects amounting to £466.17s.8d
Medals: British War Medal and Victory Medal
Alfred Lawrence Brock is remembered at Berwick on Tweed at B25.01, B25.08 B25.14 and at Chester-le-Street on C105.01, C105.12, C105.15, C105.35 and C105.40 at Durham on D47.052 and D47.141 and at Sunderland on S140.099 and S140.117
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 84
