15248 CPL. F. BRIERLEY. MM. M.G.C.

 

I can’t be certain but it’s possible that Frank Brierley was the brother of 59689 Pte Jesse Brierley.  The hint comes from the London Gazette, on the publication of Frank’s award on 13 March 1919, it says that he came from East Manchester.  Frank and Jesse were born in Failsworth.  If this is correct, then Frank was born on 21 October 1894 and before the War (i.e. in 1911) he was an office boy.

 

From the military records, we know that Frank originally enlisted with the Manchester Regiment, with service number 18480, but was then transferred to the Machine Gun Corps with service number 15248 (Jesse was also in the MGC).  Frank was posted to 31 Company which came under orders of 31st Brigade in 10th (Irish) Division.  10th Division had been in Gallipoli in 1915 but Frank’s Medal Index Card does not show the award of the 1915 Star so it’s possible he was sent out to join them in 1916 when they had moved to Salonika (if this is the case, then he was there at the same time as his brother Jesse who was also in Salonika in 1916).  Jesse died in Salonika in November 1917, but by this time Frank’s Division had been withdrawn from Salonika and had been moved to Egypt and from October 1917 they took part in the Palestinian campaign.  It was during this campaign that Frank was awarded the Military Medal.

 

Frank was demobbed on 24 March 1919, but I don’t know what happened to him after that.