Brook,+Asa

Private Asa Brook, 1st/6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment. Service no. 2916.



1891: Birth second quarter registered in Keighley. Parents Asa and Annie Brooke (sic). Census. Age 1 month. Living at 35, Garden Street, Keighley, with parents, 1 sister and 4 brothers. Father's occupation: Labourer in a coal yard/unemployed. 1901: Census. Age 10 years. Living at 8, Church Street, Keighley, with parents, 3 sisters and 4 brothers. Father's occupation: Labourer in a machine shop. 1911: Census. Age 20 years. Living at 33, Beck Street, Keighley, with parents and 3 sisters. Father's occupation: Fitters's labourer, textile loom making. Asa's occupation: Doffer, worsted yarn spinning. 1914: 7th February. Age 22 years. Marriage to Nellie Ingham at Keighley Parish Church. Living at 23, Mary Street, Keighley. Occupation: Labourer at loom works. (George Hattersley's) Nellie's age 24 years. Occupation: Worsted twister. Address: 36, Brunswick Street. Enlisted in Keighley at outbreak of war. Keighley's Gallant Sons listing: Brooke, Asa. m. 21, Albion Square. 6th WR 1915: Entered France on 14th April. Shot in head at 8 pm on 17th December. Died of wounds on 20th December in 2nd West Riding Field Ambulance.

Buried in grave 1, row H, plot 2 of Ferme-Olivier Cemetery (7 km NW of Ypres). He is buried in the same grave with 3409 Private J. Reynolds, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Graves registration report shows Reynolds as 4th Battalion West Riding Regiment, later changed by IWGC to KOYLI.

In the 'Soldier's Effects' record, his widow Nellie received a first payment of £1 19s 5d on 7th April 1916 and a second payment of £4 10s 0d, on 6th August 1918. Awarded the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, for his war service.

"ONE OF THE MOST CHEERFUL OF FELLOWS" Private Asa Brooke (24), of the first 6th West Riding Regiment, and of 36, Brunswick Street, Keighley, has died from wounds received in action in Flanders. The news of his death was received by his wife on Tuesday morning last in letters from Second-Lieutenant Arthur Driver and Privates Bailey and Riley. Writing under date December 22 from the trenches, Second-Lieutenant said "I am very sorry to have to inform you that our husband died in hospital yesterday after being wounded in the head on the 17th by machine gun bullets, and I wish to convey to you the deepest sympathy of all officers and men in his company." Private Bailey, writing on the 23rd, said: "We are all very sorry to lose him, as he was one of the most cheerful fellows we had in our company. No matter what kind of job we got sent on, he had a smile on his face. He was hit in the head by a machine gun bullet whilst he was coming out of the trenches in a field just behind the lines. Danny Riley, one of his best pals, was with him at the time, and Private Brooke is buried just beyond the lines in a village." Private Brooke enlisted in the Territorials immediately after was was declared, and went out to France in April last. He was formerly employed by Messrs. George Hattersley and Sons, and was well known in the town, especially in football circles, having won a medal in a competition a short time ago. Private Brooke had recently been home enjoying a short rest, and had only been back at the front a week when he was fatally wounded. Two brothers of the dead soldier are also serving in the Army. Private Willie Brooke is now in the Charing Cross Hospital suffering from a bullet wound in the chest. He was a member of the 6th West Riding Regiment, and went out to France in June last. Walter Brooke is a saddler in the Army Service Corps, and has been in Egypt a few months.
 * Keighley News report 1st January 1916, Page 3:** (picture of him above appears in the same issue)

Asa was the brother of Walter Brook and Willie Brook.