70972 PTE. J. H. BRIERLEY. K.L.R.

 

James Henry Brierley was born in January 1878 in Helmshore, Lancashire.  His father was James Brierley (b. 1850 in Helmshore), a cotton weaver by trade.  His mother was Susannah Boothman (b. 1852 in Haslingden).  James and Susannah were married in 1874 and they had 5 children, all of whom survived: John (b. 1876), then James Henry, then Susannah (Sissie) (b.1880), Bertha (b. 1888) and Clara (b. 1894).  The family moved briefly to Burnley in the 1890s but by 1911 had settled in Oswaldtwistle.  James Henry was married in 1910, to Elizabeth Woods (b. 1877 in Oswaldtwistle).  In 1911, James and Elizabeth were living with Elizabeth’s widowed mother at 21 Cecil Street, Oswaldtwistle, where both of them were cotton weavers.

 

James signed his attestation form on 10 December 1915 and was assigned service number 70972.  He was a month off his 38th birthday.  He was 5’ 3¾” tall and had a 34” chest and weighed 102lbs.  His physical development was described as ‘poor’.  On enlistment he was initially assigned to the King’s (Liverpool Regiment), 13Bn Infantry Labour Corps.  He was mobilised on 28 February 1917 and went to France on 13 March.  In France on 14 May he was transferred to 78 Company of the Labour Corps.  In the Labour Corps he had a new service number: 46261.  As the Labour Corps did not keep a War Diary, it is not possible to find more details about the circumstances in which James died.   James was listed as killed in action on 11 September 1917 and he is buried at Canada Farm Cemetery.  He was 39 years of age.  On the same day, 13 other men all in various Battalions of the Labour Corps and associated with the KLR were killed in the northern part of the Ypres Salient.

 

Rank:  Private

Service No:  70972

Date of Death:  11/09/1917

Age:  39

Regiment/Service:  The King's (Liverpool Regiment), 13th Inf. Labour Coy. transf. to (46261) 78th Coy. Labour Corps

Grave Reference:  II. D. 14.

Cemetery:  CANADA FARM CEMETERY

Additional Information:  Son of James and Susannah Brierley; husband of Elizabeth Brierley, of 48 Rhyddings Street, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington.

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