Brook,+Walter

Army Service Corps. Service number: T4/057537. Brother of Asa Brook and Willie Brook
 * Driver Walter Brooke**



1895: Birth, 21st May. Registered in Keighley in the third quarter of the year, parents Asa and Annie Brook. Father's occupation: Machine shop labourer. 1901: Census. Age 5 years, living at 8, Church Street, Keighley, with parents, three sisters and four brothers. No date: Attended Eastwood Board School. 1910: 5th March. Caught for stealing and trying to pawn a pair of boots (see newspaper transcription dated 19th March). Home address, 33, Beck Street, Keighley. Bound over at a cost of £2 for 6 months. 1910: 19th April. Age 14 years. Caught for stealing and trying to pawn a shirt. April 25th, found guilty at Keighley Borough Children's Court and sentenced to serve at Calder Farm Reformatory School until aged 19 years (5 years in total) (see newspaper transcription dated April 30th). Height: 4 ft 6,1/2". Complexion: Fresh. Hair: Light brown. Eyes: Blue. Figure: Stiff built (broad). Wesleyan Methodist. Has worked in a mill as a bobbin setter. 1911: Census. Age 15 years, inmate of Calder Farm Reformatory School, Hopton, Mirfield, near Dewsbury. (108 inmates) Personal occupation: Saddler. 1912: Medical examination at Calder Farm states his weight as 8st 9lbs. Faint tattoo marks on both forearms. Slightly bowlegged. 1915: 8th February. Age 19 years, 8 months. Enlisted at Keighley. 16th May. Embarked for Mediteranean. June 5th. Entered war theatre (3) (Egypt), with Royal Army Service Corps. Rank: Driver. Trade: Saddler. No date: Found guilty in FGCM for disobedience. Sentence: 24 days Field punishment number one. 1916: 10th July. First attack of malaria in Salonica. 1918: 2nd December. Last malarial attack. He had 9 attacks in all, 2 of these were in hospital. 1919: 29th April. Transferred to Class Z Reserves. Home address: 23, Mary Street, Keighley. 1977: Death aged 83 years, registered at Keighley in December.

Awarded the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory medal for his war service.

//[Men of Worth comment: It looks like Walter went off the rails in his early teens but when taken away from the bad influences, he learned a trade (Saddler) whilst at Reform school and took this into the Army with him, where he is likely to have worked with horses as a driver in the Royal Army Service Corps.]//

KEIGHLEY BOROUGH CHILDREN'S COURT. MONDAY. (Before Mr R N Smith and Mr J J Waterworth) STORY OF A PAIR OF BOOTS. A fourteen year old millhand was summoned for stealing a pair of lady's boots, valued at 5s. the property of Mr. Arthur Mitchell, boot and shoe repairer, Bradford Road, keighley. Mr Mitchell stated that at 11:50 am on the 5th inst. defendant called at his shop and asked if he had an old boot he could give him. Witness said he had not, whereupon the lad left the shop. Shortly afterwards witness found that a pair of lady's boots had disappeared from the counter. William Chadwick, pawnbroker, High Street, said that at 12:20 pm on the 5th inst. defendant came to the shop and offered in pledge a pair of lady's boots. He asked for 2s. 6d. for them, but witness only advanced him 1s. 9d. Defendant said the boots belonged to his mother. Witness afterwards handed the boots over to the police. The defendant admitted the theft. Mr R N Smith: "What did you do with the 1s. 9d.? - Defendant - "I spent it in the football field." "How much did you pay to get in the football field?" - "A penny." What did you do with the other 1s. 8d.?" - "I spent it in peas and pies." - "Did you spend it all on yourself?" - No, I treated other boys." Defendant was bound over in £2 to come up for judgement within six months if called upon, and was also ordered to pay 10s. towards the costs of the court.
 * Keighley News dated March 19th 1910:**

KEIGHLEY BOROUGH CHILDREN'S COURT. MONDAY. (Before Dr O'Connell and Mr Hartley Whitaker) SHIRT STOLEN FROM A CLOTHES LINE Two boys were charged with stealing a cotton shirt, valued at 2s. 6d., the property of Mrs Kilshaw, Bradford Street, on the 19th inst. Superintendent Birkhead stated that Mrs Kilshaw had been washing, and had hung the clothes on a line in the street. She had occasion to go into the house, and on her return discovered that the shirt was missing. When arrested the youths were trying to pledge the shirt. - Constable Woodhall deposed that at four o'clock on the afternoon of the 19th inst. he was called to the pawnshop of Messrs Morley, Limited, East Parade, and there saw the two defendants. The manager handed him the cotton shirt (produced) and stated, in the presence of the defendants, that they had offered it in pledge. Witness asked the boys where they had got the shirt, and one of them replied that they had found it in a passage in Bradford Street. The lads were taken to the police station, where they admitted having stolen the shirt from a clothes-line in Bradford Street. The father of one of the boys stated that he was about "fast" with his lad. About six weeks ago he was before the magistrates, and in the meantime had not worked above two days. Superintendent Birkhead said this lad was before the court on the 14th of March for stealing a pair of boots, and was placed under the care of the probation officer for six months. The other boy was before the court on the 20th of January, for gaming with cards, and was also placed under the care of the probation officer for a similar period. Miss Hedley, the probation officer, informed the bench that the boy under her care for gaming had behaved well while under probation but his home surroundings were of such an undesirable character that it would be in the best interests of the lad if he were sent away. With the other lad she had had a great amount of trouble. He had only paid two visits since March 14th, and on each occasion she had had to send for him. The bench ordered this lad to be sent away to the Calder Farm Reformatory School until he was nineteen years of age. In answer to Superintendent Birkhead, the father said that the household earnings were 31s., out of which he had to maintain himself, his wife, and four children, one of whom was a cripple. The bench ordered the father to contribute 2s. per week towards the upkeep of his son while in the reformatory. The other boy, whose record was not so bad, was placed under the care of the probation officer for six months, but was warned by Dr O'Connell that if he appeared again he would in all probability be sent away. The parents were ordered to pay 5s. each towards the costs. The manager for Messrs. Morley Limited, was thanked for having rendered assistance in the apprehension of the lads.
 * Keighley News dated April 30th 1910:**

This transcription is for his brother Asa Brooke, who was killed in WW1. It does mention Walter at the end though: "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 sadler in the Army Service Corps, and has been in Egypt a few months.**
 * Keighley News report 1st January 1916, Page 3:**