Bernard Brownlow

He was the grandson of William and Elizabeth Brownlow and the nephew of Ernest Brownlow. In 1901 they lived at 16 West Street Hucknall Torkard Nottinghamshire. He was the son of Mary Ann Weston (formerly Brownlow) In the 1911 census Bernard was in the Army and is shown as being single 19 yrs and a Private soldier in 2nd battalion South Staffordshire Regiment and is living in barracks at Whittington, Litchfield, Staffordshire.

He was a regular soldier serving in 1911 with 2nd Bn South Staffordshire Regiment.

Private Bernard Brownlow, enlisted at Nottingham and served with the 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment. He landed in France on 4th October 1914 and was reported missing (for more than a year) before being confirmed as having been killed in action on 7th November 1914. He is buried in Ypres Reservoir Cemetery.

Missing for more than a year, confirmation of Bernard Brownlow’s death was received on 30th November 1915. As a boy he had worked for the ‘Hucknall Dispatch,’ selling the newspaper on the streets, and his passing clearly made an impression on the staff. “SAD NEWS OF BERNARD BROWNLOW. “As was generally feared, Private Bernard Brownlow, 1st South Staffs., who has been missing for more than a year, is numbered among the fallen heroes, the official news coming to hand on Tuesday morning [30th November 1915] that he was killed on November, 7th, 1914 – more than a year ago. “Bernard was one of the nicest lads it was ever our pleasure to know, and we are deeply sorry for the bad news; for which we had been prepared owing to the long absence of tidings from him. As a boy he lived with his grandparents in West street, but now the old gentleman spends his declining days in Orchard street. His mother resides at Blackwell, but Hucknall was always his home, and he attended the Wesleyan Sunday School.” [1] [1] ‘Hucknall Dispatch,’ 2nd December 1915. Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918