No.43130, Private, William James BRAZIER
Aged 22
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Born in 1895 (2nd qtr Bury St. Edmunds 4a:805) son of William James and Mary Jane BRAZIER (née DAY)
1901 census...Aged 6, he was at 28 Mill Lane, Bury St.Edmunds, with his father William James BRAZIER [35] bootmaker; his mother Mary Ann [35] born Dalham; sisters Kate [4] and Ethel [3]; brother Percy [11 months]. All except his mother were born in Bury St.Edmunds 1911 census...Aged 16, stockman for coal merchant, he was at 33 Mill Road, Bury St.Edmunds with his parents; sisters Kate, Ethel, Edith [8] and Mabel [2]; brother Percy. His mother had lost one of her seven children. |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds. The war diary just refers to an appendix, which is far too detaled for here. In "The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927" by Lt Col Murphy is an account which I summarise here. It was a week after the start of the German Spring Offensive, the Kaiserschlacht:- The morning of the 26th March 1918 the battalion found itself engaged in the defence of the Albert bridge-heads and those of the 7th who had served in the 8th in the Spring of 1916 found themselves taking up defensive positions that they themselves had constructed two years earlier..a desperate battle was in progress and the battalion had little in the way of artillery support, bombs, rifle grenades or trench mortars. Even shovels were scarce. Their front was from the Albert railway station on the left to about 300 yards south of the Albert-Amiens road. By about 4.30 pm the Germans were seen approaching and attacks along the railway line were repulsed. About 10.30 pm the Germans again attacked in strength, this time taking the bridgehead and installing a machine gun in a house just west of the bridge. "C" company counter attacked and retook much of the line, except the actual bridgehead. Before midnight a further attempt was made, but due to lack of bombs and grenades this failed. The line was withdrawn about 300 yards and stabilised, despite heavy casualties and exhaustion. One platoon was reduced to three men.....they were relieved shortly before dawn on the 28th. The battalion then went back for rest at Henencourt having sustained over the three days 4 officers killed, 8 wounded and 244 OR either killed, wounded or missing.
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