Genealogical war memorials of Bournemouth’s fallen
St Julien: May 3rd, 1915
Introduction
Tales from the Front (45) tells the story of William James Brown, a native of Victorian Bournemouth, who fought in the Great War. He worked as a painter in Bournemouth, where construction never seemed to cease. When war came, Brown enlisted with the 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, and went to fight in France. His battalion fought in the desperate Battle of St Julien, where many fell, among them Brown.
Tales from the Front (45): Background
Cross-continental kinship
Brown’s father, William, came from the Australian branch of a family that had divided during the previous generation. His grandfather, a Basingstoke native, posted to Tasmania with the 11th North Devon Regiment, played in its band. During that posting, he married in Launceston and started a family whose members later moved in opposite directions across the world. William travelled from Australia to England and played trumpet for the 9th Lancers’ band in London. His English cousin, descended from the branch that had remained in Hampshire, worked as a musician in Bournemouth. William lodged in Orchard Lane in 1881, sharing a house with his cousin and working in the same trade, a clear sign of strong family pull. Cross‑continental kinship shaped their choices. Both cousins settled in Bournemouth, earned a living through music, and raised families; Brown, one of William’s children, grew up within this small musical network.
Painter not performer
The early death of his elder brother left Brown as the only male child. In 1911, while his sisters, now in their twenties, had found employment, Brown had also entered the job market. At the age of 16, he contributed to the household income as a house painter. None of the children had followed their father into music as a profession. Nevertheless, Brown became the third generation in his family to serve in the army. After the war began, Brown answered his country’s call by enlisting with the 1st Hampshire Battalion. If he had joined early and come to France, he would have experienced a series of savage engagements. The war diary, referring to the events at St Julien in early spring 1915, shows that the battalion received a big draft of new men before May 3rd. Thus, Brown may have arrived as one of their number.
Tales from the Front (45): St Julien
May 3rd, 1915
During the Second Battle of Ypres, the Germans brought substantial pressure to bear on the British salient, which bulged out to Grafenstafel and St Julien. The 1st Hampshires led the 11th Brigade east from Ypres to this area, arriving in late April 1915. ‘It is hopeless to attempt to describe [the German barrage] … for eight days and nights their guns never ceased … all there is to be said is that we hung on from daylight on the 26th till darkness on the 3rd and not only did we not give way a yard, but we pushed our trenches forward …’ On May 3rd, they spotted the Germans setting up a gas apparatus, but nothing materialised. They received orders to withdraw after darkness fell. The Hampshires succeeded in this manoeuvre; ‘… not a man was left behind except our hundred dead.’ Among these lay the erstwhile housepainter Brown.
Hot tea
The highlight of the Hampshires’ experience at St Julien, recorded by their colonel, consisted of hot tea. His battalion played a leading part in supporting a line collapsing under the weight of the German attack. Mental stress came from different sources. The British needed to keep their wits about them, for one German unit arrived, attempting to deceive them by speaking in English. Their broken accents, however, did not pass the test. Continuous artillery shelling for days provided another trial. Superior enemy forces, however, compelled them to retire across the canal. Shell-shocked, filthy, and commanded by officers as young as 17, they came into a field where they found hot tea waiting. The enormous pleasure of this simple offering reflected the appalling stress brought by continuous bombardment, yet one which did not break them. The tea drew officers and men together, yet came too late for poor Brown.
Aftermath
Brown’s family losses did not stop with him. His eldest sister, Beatrice, had married a grocer’s assistant in 1914 and had a daughter. By 1921, however, she had become widowed. She and her daughter lived with her parents. The next year, however, she also died at 36. Brown’s other sister had emigrated to Canada with a motor mechanic from Southbourne. In 1912, they married in Toronto. She also died young (41). Indeed, both of Brown’s parents outlived all four of their children. After Brown’s loss, the 1st Hampshire Battalion continued to move around the area just to the east of Ypres. They took up positions near Shell Trap farm, a well-known focal point for much fighting. During the Battle of St Julien, they suffered many casualties, both wounded (including their colonel) and killed; more men, however, arrived as replacements. Things quietened down by the end of the month.
Takeaway
Tales from the Front (45) has explored the background, life, and military career of William James Brown (1894-1915). A member of a musical family, connected by active kinship, Brown, however, pursued a different career, becoming a house painter. At some point, he enlisted in the 1st Hampshire Battalion and went to France, a journey from which he did not return.
‘Tales from the Front’
A collection of personal stories honouring the natives of Victorian Bournemouth who gave their lives on the battlefield and the regiments with which they served. Blending social and military history with genealogical insight, it explores their roots, families, occupations, and the ultimate sacrifices they made for their country.
The posts weave genealogical data together with eyewitness accounts found in war diaries, contemporary press coverage, and official military histories. The series offers a powerful and intimate portrait of Bournemouth’s wartime heroes offset with live accounts of battlefield action.
Serving as a companion and continuation of Victorian Bournemouth, Tales from the Front forms part of News from the Past: History for the Rest of Us.
References
For references and engagement, please get in touch. Main primary sources: here and here (subscriptions needed). For War Diaries, go here. See also here. The featured picture shows an imagined scene—genealogical information based on available sources.
Kitablios Shu