Well Done Step23

R.Dub.Fusilier

I would just like to say well done to Stephen for a job well done in regard to his work on one of Irelands war dead. The article will tell the story better than I could.

Keep upthe work.

kabakuyu

Great story,well done Stephen.

enfield

Well done that man!!
A great achievement.
Kind regards.
Tom.

Step23

Thanks for the very kind words guys. I only check the WW1 section of Boards ever so often so I am lucky to have spotted his post. I was delighted that CWGC and the MOD accepted Sgt Brooker as a casualty of the Great War. I can only hope that he will get a CWGC headstone in the near future.

Also my thanks go to the author of the article Darren Keegan, he was able to write a very good article, I would have never been able to write something as good.

Again many thanks,

Stephen

Fratton Fred

A piece of useless info for you, Sgt Brooker died where I was born, QA Hospital.

Well done Stephen, how did you find the CWGC? usually they are pretty accommodating with this sort of thing. Were they in this case?

Step23

Thanks Fred!

I thought it was quite interesting that Gordon's wife, well I can only assume, had his remains brought back to Birr to be buried. I can't imagine it was cheap thing to do at the time.

I found the CWGC great, they can take a while to respond but that is completely understandable, as they are a small team and have a lot of work to do. I can only praise the great work they do. Once you have the evidence for your claim (I used MIC, cemetery register and a death cert) CWGC put the case forward to the Ministry of Defence (something I didn't know at the time). The whole process took a bit less than a year.

I am still waiting for a reply on whether Sgt. Brooker will get a headstone or not. I can only hope he will. In the mean time I think a temporary grave marker shall do.

Thanks again,

Stephen

MajorMax

Well done!

2 of my granduncles died in 3rd Ypres within a week of each other. 1 paternal and 1 maternal

RIRI

That's brilliant Stephen, fair play to you

Step23

Thanks for the comments guys!

Also happy to mention, the grave has since been marked with a temporary wooden marker.