GEORGE BRITTAIN (1917 - 1943) - DIED OF WOUNDS IN NORTH AFRICA
I spent a few hours on Saturday, February 25th 2012 at Walkley Cemetery (Sheffield) "sprucing up our paths and steps, clearing leaves and brambles, ready for our spring and summer tours. ..... our last chance before the birds begin nesting in earnest, to tackle some of the denser ivy on long-hidden gravestones".
And it was whilst we were tackling "some of the denser ivy and brambles" that I discovered the following memorial that was covered in debris
The headstone had a beautiful relief on either side - a really marvellous monument but what also struck me was the information on the stone. It referred to the BRITTAIN family - the lowest inscription read
ALSO GEORGE BRITTAIN BELOVED HUSBAND OF ELLEN BRITTAIN AND BELOVED SON OF THE ABOVE WHO DIED FROM WOUNDS IN NORTH AFRICA FEB 22nd 1943 AGED 25 YEARS
When I returned home I checked the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database and found the following entry
BRITTAIN, GEORGE
Rank: Lance Serjeant
Service No: 4745749
Date of Death: 22/02/1943
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery 71 Field Regt
Grave Reference 16. C. 16.
Cemetery MEDJEZ-EL-BAB WAR CEMETERY - Medjez-el-Bab is approximately 60
kilometres west of Tunis. The Cemetery is situated 5 kilometres west of
Medjez-el-Bab on the road to Le Kef (Route GP5).
GPS Co-ordinates: Latitude: 36.626687, Longitude: 9.570444
The Royal Artillery 71 Field Regt. were West Yorkshire based and were heavily involved in the final throes of the North Africa campaignI
I then checked the FREE BMD database and found the following entry for George's birth - Births Sep 1917 Brittain George Duckitt Ecclesall Bierlow Volume. 9c Page 605. George's mother's maiden name was DUCKITT and so a further check found the following entry for his parents marriage - Marriages Jun 1903 Brittain George Robert Ecclesall Bierlow.Volume 9c Page 571 Duckitt Lilly
The dates on the headstone stated that GEORGE died on 16th February 1943
aged 67 (Deaths Mar 1943
Brittain George R B 67 Sheffield Volume 9c
Page
460) - 6 days before his son!. I did wonder if the two events were related
George being wounded, and his father dying when he heard the news. Whatever
happened, that week must have been worst week ever in his wife's life. To loose
a husband and a son in six days is a tragic event to say the least
I still did not know about the family and so I checked the 1911 UK Census and found the following
Name George Robert Brittain
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Condition Married
Gender Male
Age 35
Estimated Year of Birth 1876
Occupation Fleeted Steel Grinder
Employed Yes
Working at Home No
Industry Butchers Steel Manfr
Place of Birth Sheffield Yorks
Enumerator Information -
Address 11 Providence Road
Parish Ecclesall
Type of Building Private House
Number of Rooms 4
Inhabited Yes
Reference RG14PN27702 RG78PN1587 RD509 SD1 ED2 SN24
Administrative County Yorkshire (West Riding)
Registration District Ecclesall Bierlow
Registration Sub District Ecclesall North
Enumeration District 2
Living at the house was his wife LILLY and three children Marion (6) Frank (4) and Henry (6 months)
Births Jun 1904 -
Brittain Marion Ecclesall B. 9c 406
Births Dec 1906 -
Brittain Frank Ecclesall B. 9c 387
Births Dec 1910 -
Brittain Henry Ecclesall B. 9c
375
They lived in a "two up two down" house that was demolished many years
back. But knowing that they were a "local family" I checked the school records
on the excellent Sheffield Indexers website and was astounded to find details of
their school records
Brittain, Marion (Student, dob 15 May 1904).Parent or guardian name (s): George R. Brittain (~), of 31 Linaker Rd.
Admitted to Bole Hill School, Bole Hill Rd, Walkley, Sheffield, as of 25
Aug 1913,
until 27 Jul 1916, reason for leaving: Morley St.. Previously attended
Bole Hill Junr.
Brittain, Frank (Student, dob 06 Nov 1906).Parent or guardian name (s): Geo. Robert (~), of 31 Linaker Rd.
Admitted to Bolehill Junior & Infants Council School, Bole Hill Rd,
Walkley, Sheffield, as of 15 Jan 1912,
until 11 Jun 1915, reason for leaving: Senr Dept. Previously attended
None.
Brittain, Frank (Student, dob 06 Nov 1906).Parent or guardian name (s): Lillie (~), of 31 Linaker Rd.
Admitted to Bole Hill School, Bole Hill Rd, Walkley, Sheffield, as of 14
Jun 1915,
until 25 Jul 1918, reason for leaving: Morley St. Previously attended
Bole Hill Jnr.
Brittain, Henry (Student, dob 06 Oct 1910).Parent or guardian name (s): George Robert (~), of 31 Linaker Rd.
Admitted to Bolehill Junior & Infants Council School, Bole Hill Rd,
Walkley, Sheffield, as of 11 Oct 1915,
until 27 Jun 1919, reason for leaving: Senior. Previously attended None.
Brittain, Henry (Student, dob 06 Oct 1910).
Parent or guardian name (s): George (~), of 31 Linaker Rd.
Admitted to Bole Hill School, Bole Hill Rd, Walkley, Sheffield, as of 01
Jul 1919,
until 30 Oct 1924, reason for leaving: Over Age. Previously attended
Junior Dept.
Brittain, George (Student, dob 11 Jun 1917).Parent or guardian name (s): George (~), of 31 Linaker Rd.
Admitted to Bolehill Junior & Infants Council School, Bole Hill Rd,
Walkley, Sheffield, as of 19 Jun 1922,
until 23 Dec 1926, reason for leaving: Senior. Previously attended None.
Brittain, George Hy (Student, dob 11 Jun 1917).
Parent or guardian name (s): George (~), of 31 Linaker Rd.
Admitted to Bole Hill School, Bole Hill Rd, Walkley, Sheffield, as of 10
Jan 1927,
until 23 Jul 1931, reason for leaving: Over age. Previously attended Bole
Hill Junior Dept.
And so soon after the 1911 census was taken the family must have moved to
Linaker Road which is just a couple of roads away from GEORGE and LILY's final
resting place.
Notes
1. Deaths Mar 1957 BRITTAIN Lily 80 Sheffield Volume2d page 132
1901 Census Name Lilly Duckitt Relation to Head of Family Daughter Age Last Birthday 25 Sex Female Profession or Occupation Condition as to Marriage Single Where Born Yorks Sykehouse Address Foster Houses Civil Parish Fishlake Rural District Thorne Town or Village or Hamlet Fishlake Ecclesiastical Parish Fishlake St Cuthberts Mc Parliamentary Borough or Division Doncaster County Borough, Municipal Borough or Urban District Administrative County Yorkshire West Riding
Lily was the daughter of SAMUEL and ELIZA DUCKITT a 59 year old farmer living in Thorne to the north of Doncaster
2.
1901 Census Record
Name George R Brittain
Relation to Head of Family Son
Age Last Birthday 25
Sex Male
Profession or Occupation Steel Fluter
Condition as to Marriage Single
Where Born Yorkshire Sheffield
Address 56 Bower Rd
Civil Parish Nether Hallam
Rural District
Town or Village or Hamlet Sheffield
Ecclesiastical Parish St Thomas Crookes
Parliamentary Borough or Division Hallam
County Borough, Municipal Borough or Urban District Sheffield
Administrative County Sheffield
Ward of Municipal Borough or Urban District Nether Hallam
This page was last updated on 28/02/12 08:54