Private 9455 Albert FAIRBROTHER

South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One

Private 9455 Albert FAIRBROTHER - 1st Battalion Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

Died on Tuesday, May 16th, 1916 aged 23

Military History

Theatre

Mesopotamia

Action/Battle/Other

Died of disease whilst a POW

Place of Death

Al Amarah, Iraq

Medals

1914-15 Star, British War and Victory Medals

Medal Citation (if app)

Enlisted Date/Place

Aug 4 1914 or before at Banbury

Commonwealth War Graves Page

Amara War Cemetery

SWFHS War Memorial(s)

Brailes & Winderton

Other War Memorial(s)

Other Information/Previous Regiments/Units

Arrived in the Asiatic Theatre on 5 Dec 1914

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)

Albert was part of the garrison at Kut which surrendered to the Ottomans on 29th April 1916 in what one historian described as "the most abject capitulation in Britain's military history". After they were captured they were taken on a forced march by the Turks to Airan where the survivors were forced to construct a railway in abject conditions. Read more here.

Albert was one of approximately 2,962 white British officers and other ranks who were captured at Kut, and 1,782 of them would go on to die in Ottoman captivity. Albert died of disease near Amarah.

See also Pvt Joseph Alexander, also from Brailes, who suffered a similar fate.

Personal & Family History

We are still researching Albert's family history.

Birth Date/Place	Bapitsm Date/Place
Jul Qtr 1891 in Paddington	Not Found - mothers maiden name (MMN) Lawrence

Parents Names	Abode
Bertram Harry Fairbrother b Todenham c1867	Paddington
Alice Fairbrother nee Lawrence b Clapham c1867

Brother
Charles Cornelius Fairbrother	Born Jul Qtr 1892 in Fulham MMN Lawrence
	1901 lived with the Box family in Brailes 1911 lived with the Box family in Brailes
Schools	Colleges
	~

Address History	Employment History
1901 - Upper Brailes with the Box family as a boarder 1911 - 1916 West Street, Banbury (boarder)	Labourer

This is complicated one but Wendy, our resident genealogist, found strong evidence to suggest the Bert Fairbrother named on the memorial served in WW1 as Albert Fairbrother.

Both names Albert and Bertram can be shortened to Bert
The Albert Fairbrother above gave the Army his place of birth as Briales.
There are no Bert, Bertram or B Fairbrother's with registered CWGC graves/memorials
His army pension card gives his next of kin as Charles C Fairbrother (see above)
In 1901 both Bertram and Charles were living with Fred and Kate Box - who have no children listed - as boarders aged 10 & 8
In 1911 Charles was still living with Fred and Kate but Bertram was now in Banbury
In 1921 Charles was in hospital in Smethwick with his record stating he was born in Fulham (see above)
In 1922 Charles married Annie Hall at Meriden and they had four children the oldest being Charles Bertram Fairbrother

In conclusion it is our belief that Bertram (Albert) and Charles were "adopted" by Fred and Kate Box for reasons we can speculate at because, as yet, we have not found their death certificates.

From a newspaper report we know that Charles Cornelius Fairbrother, a farmer in Hatton, died aged 55 years in 1948 after an accident when he collided with a pedestrian and fell from his bike. He died in Hospital in Birmingham and is buried in Great Packington Churchyard next to his foster Aunt, Agnes Annie Print, and her family.

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