Selected Biographies

Brewer, Albert ‘Bert’ James Underwood – Born: Farnham, Surrey on 29.9.1915.  Parents: William Thomas Brewer (Boot Repairer) [see details below] and Mary Ann [née Corrigan].  Family Connections: Brother to William Andrew Walter Brewer [b1903], Harry Charles Edward Brewer [b1905] and Frank Albert Thomas Brewer [b1906]; also, nephew of Harry Alfred Brewer [b1882], Alec Willie Brewer [b1887] and Frank Underwood Brewer [b1893].  Home: 11 Thurbins Cottages, Wreclesham, Farnham, Surrey [1937],[1] 80 Green Lane, Farnham [1978].  Married: Edna Eileen Jeffrey in 1946.  Service Record: Albert enlisted in 1934 as Pte.6086147 with The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), posted to 1st Battalion on 17.12.1939, serving in India and latterly against the Japanese in Burma.  He transferred to the Army Reserve in 1946.  Died: Farnham, Surrey on 23.2.1978.[2]

Brewer, Alec Willie – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 4.10.1887.[3]  Parents: Henry Edward Underwood Brewer (Millwright) and Eleanor Elizabeth [née Parmenter].  Family Connections: Brother to Harry Alfred Charlie Brewer [b1882], Walter Thomas Brewer [b1884] and Frank Underwood Brewer [b1893]; also, uncle of William Andrew Walter Brewer [b1903], Harry Charles Edward Brewer [b1905], Frank Albert Thomas Brewer [b1906] and Albert James Underwood Brewer [b1915], and brother-in-law of Dominique Delva [b1881].  Home: St Marys Street, Long Melford (1891), living with Francis Snell (Grandfather) in St Catherines Road, Long Melford (1901), 58 Dunston Road, East Dulwich, London [1915], 65 Chaucer Buildings, Tabard Street, Southwark, London [1919], 18 Hengrove Lane, Bristol, Gloucestershire (1939).  Occupation: Dock Labourer [1919], Storekeeper for Imperial Airways (1939).  Married: Rose Ellen Shipway in 1915.  Service Record: Alec enlisted on 11.5.1915 as Pte.C3183 with 17^th [Reserve] Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps, transferring on 20.10.1915 to 19^th [Reserve] Battalion, KRRC, receiving his discharge on 7.4.1916 as ‘no longer physically fit for War Service’.  He re-enlisted in 1919 as Pte.51512 with 19^th Battalion, Essex Regiment and was posted to France on 28.7.1919 for garrison duty, receiving his discharge the following year.[4]

Brewer, Frank Albert Thomas – Born: Farnham, Surrey on 14.8.1906.  Parents: William Thomas Brewer (Boot Repairer) [see details below] and Mary Ann [née Corrigan].  Family Connections: Brother to William Andrew Walter Brewer [b1903], Harry Charles Edward Brewer [b1905] and Albert James Underwood Brewer [b1915]; also, nephew of Harry Alfred Brewer [b1882], Alec Willie Brewer [b1887] and Frank Underwood Brewer [b1893].  Home: 7 Bales Mead, West Street, Farnham, Surrey (1911), 7 McDonalds Alms-houses, West Street, Farnham [1976].  Occupation: Labourer [1931].  Married: Marjorie Kate Thompson in 1931.  Service Record: Frank enlisted as Pte.6082328 with The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment).  He was posted as a Company Sergeant Major with 2/5^th Battalion in 1939 as part of 169^th [Queen’s] Brigade with the British Expeditionary Force.  Sent to France as a pioneer battalion his unit was poorly armed with Frank and many of his comrades being captured on 22 May 1940.[5]   The men were to spend the next five years as Prisoners of War in Stalag XX^a at Thorn (Torin in Poland) and Stalag 383 at Hohenfels in Germany.  Following repatriation in May 1945 he transferred to the Army Reserve in 1946.  Died: North-West Surrey on 12.9.1976.[6]

Brewer, Frank Underwood – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 27.5.1893.[7]  Parents: Henry Edward Underwood Brewer (Millwright) and Eleanor Elizabeth [née Parmenter].  Family Connections: Brother to Harry Alfred Charlie Brewer [b1882], Walter Thomas Brewer [b1884] and Alec Willie Brewer [b1887]; also, uncle of William Andrew Walter Brewer [b1903], Harry Charles Edward Brewer [b1905], Frank Albert Thomas Brewer [b1906] and Albert James Underwood Brewer [b1915], and brother-in-law of Dominique Delva [b1881].  Home: St Marys Street, Long Melford (1901 and 1911), 3 Wellington Cottage, Girling Street, Sudbury [1916], St Marys Street, Long Melford (1939).  Occupation: Apprentice Harness Maker (1911), Saddler [1916], Public Service Vehicle Driver and Special Constable (1939).  Married: Lily Susan Chambers (Dressmaker) in 1915.  Service Record: Frank enlisted as Pte.T195 with the Transport and Supply Column, Army Service Corps, his service terminating in 1912.  He was conscripted on 14.4.1916 as Driver, later Saddler Cpl.T4/185878 in 799^th [Horse Transport] Company, Army Service Corps, transferring to 23^rd Reserve Park, ASC.  This latter unit was restyled 13^th Auxiliary Horse Transport Company and with it he was posted to Salonika from 31.8.1916, receiving his discharge in 1919.[8]  Died: Middlesex South in 1959.

Brewer, Harry Alfred ‘Charlie’ – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 9.8.1882.[9]  Parents: Henry Edward Underwood Brewer (Millwright) and Eleanor Elizabeth [née Parmenter].  Family Connections: Brother to Walter Thomas Brewer [b1884], Alec Willie Brewer [b1887] and Frank Underwood Brewer [b1893]; also, uncle of William Andrew Walter Brewer [b1903], Harry Charles Edward Brewer [b1905], Frank Albert Thomas Brewer [b1906] and Albert James Underwood Brewer [b1915], and brother-in-law of Dominique Delva [b1881].  Home: Living with Charles Sillitoe (Uncle) at Ivy Cottages, Chapel Green, Long Melford (1891), recorded as Charlie Brewer in Holt, Norfolk (1911 to 1939).  Occupation: Grocery Shop Assistant (1911), Grocer [1918], Grocer’s Manager (1939).  Married: Ethel Turner in 1907.  Service Record: Conscripted under the name Charlie Brewer on 10.12.1915 as Pte.35281 with 29^th Battalion, Duke of Cambridge’s Own [Middlesex] Regiment, transferring on 27.7.1916 as L/Cpl.162668 to 369^th [Home Service] Company, Labour Corps.[10]  Died: North Walsham, Norfolk in 1949.

Brewer, Henry ‘Harry’ Charles Edward – Born: Farnham, Surrey on 12.2.1905.  Parents: William Thomas Brewer (Boot Repairer) [see details below] and Mary Ann [née Corrigan].  Family Connections: Brother to William Andrew Walter Brewer [b1903], Frank Albert Thomas Brewer [b1906] and Albert James Underwood Brewer [b1915]; also, nephew of Harry Alfred Brewer [b1882], Alec Willie Brewer [b1887] and Frank Underwood Brewer [b1893].  Home: 7 Bales Mead, West Street, Farnham, Surrey (1911), 4 Kiln Lane, Lower Bourne, Farnham [1982].  Married: Selena Bridget Hansen in 1934.  Service Record: Henry enlisted in 1923 as No.353408 with the Royal Air Force, by 1941 reaching the rank of Warrant Officer.  Died: Farnham, Surrey on 30.11.1982.[11]

Brewer, Walter Thomas – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 14.1.1884.  Parents: Henry Edward Underwood Brewer (Millwright) and Eleanor Elizabeth [née Parmenter].  Family Connections: Father to William Andrew Walter Brewer [b1903], Harry Charles Edward Brewer [b1905], Frank Albert Thomas Brewer [b1906] and Albert James Underwood Brewer [b1915]; also, brother of Harry Alfred Charlie Brewer [b1882], Alec Willie Brewer [b1887] and Frank Underwood Brewer [b1893], and brother-in-law of Dominique Delva [b1881].  Home: St Marys Street, Long Melford (1891), 7 Bales Mead, West Street, Farnham, Surrey (1911), 11 Thurbins Cottages, Wreclesham, Farnham [1934].[12]  Occupation: Boot Repairer (1911).  Married: Mary Ann Corrigan in 1902.  Service Record: No definitive military record has been found.  Died: Surrey on 14.1.1939.

Brewer, William ‘Bill’ Andrew Walter – Born: Farnham, Surrey on 2.4.1903.  Parents: William Thomas Brewer (Boot Repairer) [see details above] and Mary Ann [née Corrigan].  Family Connections: Brother to Harry Charles Edward Brewer [b1905], Frank Albert Thomas Brewer [b1906] and Albert James Underwood Brewer [b1915]; also, nephew of Harry Alfred Brewer [b1882], Alec Willie Brewer [b1887] and Frank Underwood Brewer [b1893].  Home: 7 Bales Mead, West Street, Farnham, Surrey (1911), Quennells Hill, Wreclesham, Surrey [1915 to 1926], Sandown, Middle Bourne, Farnham [1945].[13]  Married: Ethel Stapley in 1926.  Service Record: No definitive military record has been found.  Died: Isle of Wight, Hampshire in 1993.

Related Biography

Delva, Dominique – Born: Montreal, Quebec, Canada on 5.4.1881.  Parent: Francis Delva.  Family Connections: Brother-in-law of Harry Alfred Brewer [b1882], Walter Thomas Brewer [b1884], Alec Willie Brewer [b1887] and Frank Underwood Brewer [b1893].  Home: 2391 Rue St Andre, Montreal, Quebec [1916].  Occupation: Labourer [1916].  Married: Laura Grace Brewer of Long Melford in 1917.  Service Record: Dominque enlisted on 20.4.1916 as Pte.661024 with 163^rd Infantry Battalion [Canadien Francais] in Montreal.  In 1917 the Battalion was initially part of 5^th Canadian Division when it arrived in England, later being reassigned to other front-line units in the Canadian Expeditionary Force on the Western Front.[14]

Notes – [1] Electoral Roll. [2] National Probate Calendar. [3] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 21.4.1892, St Catherines Mission Church, Long Melford. [4] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363]. [5] see Major L.F. Ellis, The War in France and Flanders 1939-1940 [London: HM Stationery Office, 1954] p.115. [6] National Probate Calendar. [7] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 21.9.1893, St Catherines Mission Church, Long Melford. [8] For details of his movements in Salonika see War Diary of 13^th Auxiliary Horse Transport Company, Army Service Corps [WO 95/4808].  See also his Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Soldiers’ Documents and Pension Claims, First World War [WO 364], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372]. [9] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 21.9.1882, Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford. [10] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363]. [11] National Probate Calendar. [12] Address from the Electoral Register. [13] Electoral Roll. [14] See Canadian Military Record [www.bac-lac.gc.ca ref: B2426-S005].