William Holcroft Brocklebank (1891 - 1917)

Born 9 Sep 1891 in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand

Ancestors

Died 13 Oct 1917 at age 26 in Belgium

Biography

Brock Brocklebank is an Anzac who served in World War One.

William Holcroft Brocklebank was born in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand on the 9th September 1891, his parents were Frances Hodgman (Tyree) and William Brocklebank. He was 5'10" tall.

He was living in Devon St, New Plymouth at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. William served as a Driver with the first Australian–New Zealand military operation of the war, the capture of German Samoa in August 1914. He was with E Force; NZ Army Service Corps, New Zealand Samoan Expeditionary Force 15th August - 14th April 1915. The objective was to seize control of the radio transmitter in the hills above Apia which was capable of sending long-range Morse signals to Berlin and communicating with Germany's two heavy cruisers, SMS Scharnhorst and SMS Gneisenau, three light cruisers and other German ships stationed in the Pacific and threatening Britain's supply routes. ^[1]

Later, in civilian life he was a mercer in the drapery trade in Sydney.

On the 8th September 1916, he enlisted in AIF, Australian Infantry, 36 Battalion, 7196 Pvt. William Holcroft Brocklebank. He was with the 2nd Battalion, 24th Reinforcement who embarked on the 10th February 1917 from Sydney aboard RMS Osterley ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Served on the Western Front with the 36th Battalion Australian Infantry.

Killed in action with Australian Forces at Passchendaele, Ypres 13th October 1917

Buried in Potijze Chateau Grounds Cemetery; plot 11 row 3 grave 14

A detailed biography for William Brocklebank including correspondence and images of both his New Zealand and Australian service records The Harrower Collection 9th Infantry Brigade Aif | Online Research Library & Membership site.

Sources

1. ↑ National Archives Archway : BROCKLEBANK, William Holcroft - WW1 5/7 - Army
2. ↑ Australia; First World War Nominal Roll
3. ↑ Auckland War Memorial Online Cenotaph
4. ↑ UNSW Canberra; The AIF Project

• N.Z. BIRTHS - 1891/15864 - Brocklebank William Holcroft - parents : Frances Hodgman & William
• RSL Virtual War Memorial
• National Archives Archway : BROCKLEBANK, William Holcroft - WW1 5/7 - Army
• Auckland War Memorial Online Cenotaph
• New Zealand War Graves Project

See Also

• NZ History : Capture of German Samoa