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Our Family
Genealogy Pages
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 1889 - 1940 (51 years)
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| Name |
Oliver Brooks |
| Suffix |
VC |
| Born |
31 May 1889 |
Paulton, Somerset, England, UK  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Military Service |
Between 17 Apr 1906 and 1919 |
| Lance Sergeant, 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards |
| Military Award |
8 Oct 1915 |
| Victoria Cross |
- Awarded the Victoria Cross for most conspicuous bravery near Loos on 8 October 1915. a strong party of the enemy having captured 200 yards of our trenches, L Sgt Brooks on his own initiative led a party of bombers in a most brave manner and succeeded in regaining possession of the lost ground. The signal bravery displayed by this N.C.O. in the midst of a hail of bombs from the Germans was of the first first order and the complete success attained in a very dangerous undertaking was entirely due to his absolute fearlessness presence of mind and promtitude.
London Gazette 26 October 1915
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Oliver Brooks VC (31 May 1889 - 25 October 1940) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Born in Paulton, Somerset, he was 26 years old, and a Lance-Sergeant in the 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 8 October 1915 near Loos, France, Lance-Sergeant Brooks led a counterattack comprising a party of 'bombers' (Grenade armed soldiers - especially trained and skilled in their use) against German Infantry who had recently captured 200 yards of British trenches. They ejected the enemy so regaining of this lost ground; this was entirely due to the bravery and presence of mind of this NCO who accomplished his task in the midst of a hail of grenade and small arms fire from the enemy.
He later achieved the rank of sergeant. His Victoria Cross is displayed at The Guards Regimental Headquarters (Grenadier Guards RHQ), Wellington Barracks, London. The attached account of his actions was written by James Price Lloyd of the Welsh Regiment, who served with Military Intelligence. After the war, the government to destroyed all the archives relating to this propaganda (section MI 7b (1)). They were regarded as being too sensitive to risk being made public.
Remarkably these documents have survived in the personal records of Captain Lloyd. Many of these papers are officially stamped, and one can trace the development of many individual articles from the notes based on an idea, to the pencil draft which is then followed by the hand-written submission and the typescript.
The archive "Tales of the VC" comprises 94 individual accounts of the heroism that earned the highest award for valour, the Victoria Cross. These are recounted deferentially and economically, yet they still manage to move the reader. Date stamp: 18 February 1918.
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| Occupation |
1939 |
London, England, UK |
| Commissionaire - Dorchester Hotel |
| Died |
25 Oct 1940 |
Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK |
| Buried |
Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK |
Address:
Windsor Borough Cemetery, St. Leonards Road, Windsor, Berkshire, |
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Grave of Oliver Brooks VC
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| Person ID |
I20320 |
Lasbury Family |
| Last Modified |
10 Jan 2024 |
| Father |
Joseph Henry Brooks
b. 1852, Paulton, Somerset, England, UK
d. 1925, Wells, Somerset, England, UK (Age 73 years) |
| Mother |
Mercy Jane Snelling
b. 1855, Paulton, Somerset, England, UK
d. 1892, Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England, UK (Age 37 years) |
| Married |
1874 |
Clutton, Somerset, England, UK |
| Family ID |
F7318 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Wife |
Marion Loveday
b. 20 Dec 1894, Ramsbury, Wiltshire, England, UK |
| Married |
17 Aug 1918 |
Aldbourne, Wiltshire, England, UK |
| Children |
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| Last Modified |
10 Jan 2024 |
| Family ID |
F7319 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Event Map |
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 | Born - 31 May 1889 - Paulton, Somerset, England, UK |
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 | Married - 17 Aug 1918 - Aldbourne, Wiltshire, England, UK |
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 | Occupation - Commissionaire - Dorchester Hotel - 1939 - London, England, UK |
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 | Died - 25 Oct 1940 - Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK |
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| Buried - Address:
Windsor Borough Cemetery, St. Leonards Road, Windsor, Berkshire, - - Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK |
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