TOPIC:

Hello,


I am French with English origin. Excuse my poor English.

I work in french Air force (Chief Warren Officer), 51 years hold, married, 5 children

My great grandfather Albert BROOKBANK born in 1882 at Manchester made the Boers War II.He obtains the victoria regina et imperatrix south africa medal with 5 attach
Engraved on 6788 GNR A BROOKBANK 85TH BTY RFA.

And I have several questions to subject you on this forum.

Cordially,

Stef

Hello and welcome,
Yes indeed, Albert did serve in the Anglo Boer War, very keen too, he was "absent" from the Militia at the time his battalion was embodied for service and joined the Army instead!
Regards Frank

Albert Brookbank, a 17 year old, from Miles Platting Manchester, originally joined the Militia, the 6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers on the 25th of July 1898.
He was a labourer for the Wholesale Cooperative in Lower Crumpsall, almost certainly in their biscuit works (his trade is shown as a baker in WO97) and lived on Montague Street off the Queens Road.
The last entry shown in WO96 is the 11th of July 1899 for actual Militia service.
He joined the Army on the 20th of March 1900 at Manchester and arrived at Dublin three days later joining the Royal Artillery.
He saw service in South Africa during the Anglo Boer War from the 6th February 1901, having joined the 85th RFA on the 7th of April 1901, until the end of the war.
He remained in South Africa for almost 7 years, until the 23rd of January 1908.
He transferred to the Army reserve on the 2nd of March 1908 and was discharged on the 19th of March 1912.
I believe he volunteered and served again in the Great War, a most interesting gentleman!

A great thanks Frank

I believed that he had joined England in 1902.

To answer the question "I believe he volunteered and served again in the Great War"

He was volunteered in the great war. He went to France on 16 August 1914 he was serving with the 6th Divisional Ammunition Park.

He obtains several British decorations known under the name of Pip Squeak and Wilfred:
- The 1914-15 Star
- The silver British War Medal, 1914-18
- The Allied Victory Medal

He knew his wife at the end of the war in France and having returned 5 years to England he come back to France to finish is life at Arques (Pas de Calais).

1940-1945 - interned in a Nazi camp in Germany as an enemy alien in occupied France

A book tells the story of these British who lived in France in this period, "les oubliés de 39-45"

The war had entered it's end game, a new and most brutal phase by the new year of 1902, he would have witnessed this himself, but, I can assure you that he joined in 1900 as mentioned.

I am afraid of not understanding still the translation. And the translators on the Internet are not always effective.
But I believe to have understood the main part