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Brandon is a small village in Warwickshire about 6 miles East of Rugby.
The Memorial takes the form of a white stone cross on The Green alongside the Coventry to Rugby Road recording those who laid down their lives in the Great War 1914 - 1919 and the Second World War 1939 - 1945
Those who laid down their lives in the Great War 1914 - 1919 and recorded on the War Memorial in Brandon
Rowland Auriol James Beech Lieutenant 16th (The Queen’s) Lancers. Killed in action 21st February 1915 aged 26 years. Buried in Ypres Town Cemetery, Menin Gate, Ypres, West Flanders. Son of Colonel R. J. Beech and Mrs Beech of Brandon Hall, Brandon, Coventry. Part of the original British Expeditionary Force, he 16th Lancers landed in France on the 17th August 1914, Lieutenant Beech landing with his Regiment. The Regiment formed part of a cavalry screen during the Retreat south, Lieutenant Beech being involved in the destruction of a bridge at Jussy over the Canal de St. Quentin. By the 12th October 1914, the Regiment was back in the North at Hazebrouck, fought dismounted on Messines Ridge then following a wholescale re-organisation of the British line, by the end of 1914 the Regiment was in the area of Shrewsbury Forest when on the 21st February 1915, the enemy exploded a 100 kilogram mine which killed 5 officers and 12 men from the 16th Lancers, and 29 wounded and 11 missing. Lieutenant Beech was one of the officers killed. Lieutenant Beech was awarded the 1914 Star and the British War and Victory Medals and was mentioned in Sir John French's Despatch of 8th October 1914.
George Bostock Private No 36356 Machine Gun Corps (formerly No 16516 Royal Warwickshire Regiment). Killed in action 26th October 1916 aged 22 years. Commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Paschendaele, West Flanders. Son of Arthur and Sarah Bostock of Coventry Road, Brandon. Enlisted Coventry. On the 11th December 1915 George Bostock joined the Army,he was posted to the 3rd Battalion Royal Warwickshire then on the 13th May 1916 transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. He landed in France in July 1916 and after a few moves on the 8th November 1916 joined the 149th Company of the Corps formed in, and supporting, the 50th (Northumbrian) Division. The action beginning on the 26th October 1917 was the 2nd Battle of Passchendaele with the Companu supporting the 149th Brigade which lost heavily from enemy machine-gun fire and sniping. Private Bostock was awarded the British War and Victory Medals.
Ernest Chambers Gunner No 11019 Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery. Died of wounds 7th October 1915 aged 19 years. Commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Cape Helles, Gallipoli. Born and enlisted Coventry. Son of Ernest and Kate Chambers of Rookery Cottages Church Lawford Rugby.
Elliott Glostilow Halford Private No 51000 9th Battalion Cheshire Regiment. Killed in action 7th June 1917. Commemorated on Menin Gate, Ypres, West Flanders. Born Wyken, enlisted Coventry. Son of Thomas and Martha Halford, Binley, Coventry. Elliott Halford joined the Army on the 24th May 1916 and joined the 3rd Reserve Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He landed in France on the 12th May 1917 to serve with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment but on the 28th May 1917 was transferred to the 9th Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment. At 3.10 a.m. on the 7th June 1917 19 mines were exploded at Messines Ridge before the infantry attack. The Battalion advanced immediately after the mines had been detonated, to find the German trenches obliterated, passed through the remains of Grand Bois, a wood, and reached its objective at 4.50 a.m. to consolidate the position, movilng forward later and in the afternoon to reach a final position about a mile north east of Wytschaete. 2nd Lieutenant Frank Gadsdon and 34 other ranks including Private Halford were killed in this advance. Private Halford was awarded the British War and Victory Medals.
Sidney Arthur Halford Private No 16433 14th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Died of wounds 3rd September 1916 aged 20 years. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme. Born Wyken, enlisted Coventry, residence Binley. Son of Thomas and Martha Halford, Binley, Coventry. The Battalion landed at Boulogne on the 21st November 1915 but Private Halford did not proceed overseas until some time after January 1916. The Battalion was in 13th Brigade of the 5th Division and arrived in the Somme sector near Albert on the 16th July 1916. The Battalion sustained heavy casualties in attacks in the area of High Wood and Longueval on the 22nd and 30th July until relieved and going back to near Abbeville. The Division returned to the front line on the 26th August to take part in the Battle of Guillemont, the 5th Division attacking towards Wedge Wood and Falfemont Farm. The Battalion was attacking gun pit positions near Wedge Wood and then German trenches but was caught by heavy enemy machine-gun fire and lost 141 other ranks killed or missing and 152 wounded. Although the date of death from wounds is that of the attack itself, it is unlikely Private Halford was mortally wounded shortly before the Battle of Guillemont began. He was awarded the British War and Victory Medals.
William John Hemmings Private No. 8958 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards. Died 6th February 1917 aged 21 years from Asthma and is buried in the City of Coventry Cemetery, London Road, Coventry. Son of William Henry Hemmings of Brandon Old Silk Mill an House, Brandon. William Hemmings enlisted on the 12th January 1914 in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment but on the 11th April 1914 transferred to the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards. The Regiment landed in France on the 16th August 1914 but Private Hemmings did not join his Regiment until about the 15th/16th November 1914. On the 22nd April 1915 the Germans released chlorine gas near Langemarck which led to the 2nd Battle of Ypres. The Regiment, fighting as infantry, was directly involved on the 9th May 1915 near Zollebeke, 13th May near Wieltje and Bellewaarde Lake and 24th May when the enemy released a further cloud of gas, the Regiment being primarily on the GHQ line north of the Menin Road. Private Hemmings was wounded by gas on the 24th May and remained in Fraqnce probably at a Casualty Clearing Station then a Base Hospital until retunring to England on the 25th July 1915 being treated at a Hospital in Sheffield until November 1915. Tuberculosis was diagnosed with a Medical Board determining on the 9th December 1915 that the disability was due to inter alia exposure to poisonous gas. On the 18th January 1916 he was discharged from the Army. On the 6th February 1917 he was at 9 Upper Well Street, Coventry when he was taken ill and died from Asthma, his sister in law Mary Stagg being present. Buried first on the 13th February 1917 in a public grave, his body was exhumed and then re-buried in a grave purchased by his father, both in London Road Cemetery, Coventry. Private Hemmings was awarded the 1914 Star and the British War and Victory Medals.
Charles Alfred Ward Rifleman S/2758 10th Battalion the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own). Killed in action 3rd September 1916. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme. Born Brandon, enlisted Rugby, residence Brandon. Charles War joined the Army in September 1914, when the 10th Battalion was formed at Winchester as part of 59th Brigade, 20th (Light) Division. The Battalion landed at Boulogne on the 21st/22nd July 1915, Rifleman War landing with his Battalion. The Division moved from the Ypres Salient to the Somme sector in late July 1916, the 10th Battalion going into trenches near Hebuterne on the 27th July. Towards the end of August 1916, the Battalion was in trenches near Guillemont described "as a horror that can hardly be imagined." The Battalion was to participate in the Battle of Guillemont, the British front line running in a semi-circle around the west of Guillemont village. The 59th Brigade was to attack south of Mount Street, the name given to the road that ran through the village east-west to Combles. The Battalion was in the centre of the advance and following closely behind the barrage entered a sunken road leaving behind the bodies of over 150 of the enemy. Further successrful advances resulted in the clearing of a number of German dug-outs but the 5th Division had failed to capture Falfemont Farm resulting in any further advance being cancelled, the line of the Ginchy-Wedge road was consolidated. 59th Brigade had 4 officers and 68 other ranks killed, one of whom was Rifleman Ward. Rifleman War was awarded the 1914/15 Star and the British War and Victory Medals.
Those who laid down their lives in the Second World War 1939 - 1945 and recorded on the War Memorial in Brandon
Dick Mitchell Fear No 1578542 Sergeant Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve died 9th June 1943 aged 20 years. Son of Reginald Albert and Daisy Fear of Brandon. Buried Coventry (Canley) Crematorium.
John William Oldfield No P/JX 405756 Telegraphist Royal Navy. Croix de Guerre. Died 15th March 1945 aged 20 years. Buried in Hyeres New Communal Cemetery. Son of William and Fanny Oldfield of Wolston. Served on H.M.S. Emile Bertin, immobilised by French Vichy authorities in May 1942 but under French colours in June 1943 joined the Allied invasion of Southern France which began in August 1944. By October 1945 the ship was back in Toulon for re-fitting. The Cemetery is near Hyeres, in the Var Department in SE France, with only one other casualty died 4th May 1917 which suggests John Oldfield was linked in some way to Operation Dragoon, invasion of Southern France. | 
