Both Soldiers
Died in the Great War and The Commonwealth War Graves’ Commission’s Debt of Honour register note James Brazier’s
rank at the time of his death, as corporal and this is confirmed on his medal index card held at The National Archives in
London. The card also notes that James arrived in France on 6th
March 1915. He served with the 81st Siege
Battery, RGA and must have arrived in France as part of a small follow-up party to the Battery which had disembarked
the previous day.
The Battery formed
part of the 48th Heavy Artillery Group and according to the latter's war diary, the day on which James was killed, 23rd March
1918, was a fine day which saw the Battery situated west of Sapignies. The history of the 81st Siege Battery gives further
details:
“During the afternoon of Mar
23rd No 3 gun received a direct hit. This exploded a fuzed shell which killed Cpl. Brazier. He was buried the same evening
and the funeral party was bombed by enemy aircraft at the graveside, but no casualties occurred”.
James Brazier's
grave must have been lost in subsequent fighting as today he has no known grave and is commemorated on Bay 1 of the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais under
the name W J Brazier (above). His army service number was 37224.
In May 1918, Chailey
Parish Magazine added Corporal Brazier’s name to its roll of honour, albeit incorrectly noting his date of death as
24th March 1918.
It is possible
that James Brazier was a pre-war regular soldier. When war was declared, the 81st Siege Battery was stationed in India
and arrived back in England on 23rd December 1914. The photo included on this page is of a trumpeter
with the 81st when the Battery was stationed at Roorkee, India in 1911. It is possible that this is James Brazier although
this needs to be confirmed.
Since this
website was published I have also been contacted by Geoff Isted of Sussex who has been researching over 200 letters written
by a Fletching school master to his son in Canada. In one of the letters he writes, "I had a postcard from another boy
today from Fareham saying his regiment was leaving for the front. I don't think you know him he is related to the Halls at
the station and his name is J. Brazier."
In July 1926,
James's sister, Miss L Brazier, joined the women's section of the British Legion, Fletching Branch.
Sources & Acknowledgements:
- 1901 Census of England and Wales
- Chailey Parish Magazine
- Soldiers Died in The Great War
- Commonwealth War Graves’ Commission Debt of Honour
- The National Archives – Medal Index Card
- Ororkep of the Great War
Forum for providing me with details of James Brazier's death as recorded in the 48th HAG war diary and the History of the
81st Siege Battery by Major H Gales, and for the photo of one of the two trumpeters from the 81st Siege Battery taken in India
in 1911.
- Garth McGowen for the photograph of William Brazier's name on the Arras Memorial, France
- Geoff Isted of Sussex for
information regarding James Brazier
