Brocklehurst, Wilfrid Stanley

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Wilfrid Stanley Brocklehurst

Captain (Acting Major), Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Died of illness after discharge, 15 March 1920, aged 30
Buried at Llanrhos (Ss. Eleri and Mary) Churchyard

CWGC registered (Son of William Tyrer Brocklehurst and Mary Brocklehurst, of “Perthi,” 15, St. Mary’s Rd, Llandudno. Wounded in France)

(Cap badge of the Derbyshire Yeomanry)

Wilfrid Stanley Brocklehurst, known as Stanley or WS Brocklehurst was born in Manchester circa 1889. He was the son of a journalist, William Tyrer Brocklehurst and his wife Mary Jane Brocklehurst (née Gibson). The Census of 1891 records the family living at “Melrose Villa”, Cambridge Road, Stockport, Lancashire; Wilfrid had a sister Dorothy H. William Tyrer Brocklehurst was a reporter for the Southport Visitor though he joined the North Wales Guardian in 1893, the family moving to 68 Borthyn, Ruthin. In 1901, the family lived at 1 Avallon Avenue, Llandudno Junction and Wilfrid now had a younger brother Joseph William. In 1906, William Brocklehurst became the North Wales representative of the Manchester Guardian and the family moved to “Bryn View”, Llandudno. Wilfrid Stanley Brocklehurst attended John Bright County School and later worked as a reporter for the Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald and for a newspaper in Oldham, eventually being appointed chief reporter of the Derby Express in 1910. The Census of Wales for 1911 records that Stanley’s family was living at “Perthi”, St. Mary’s Road, Llandudno though Stanley himself was boarding at 52 Gerrard Street, Derby.

At the outbreak of the Great War, Stanley volunteered to join the Derbyshire Yeomanry, a mounted regiment of the Territorial Force. Stanley also applied for a commission in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and he was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant on 18 March 1915. A local newspaper reporting the announcement in The London Gazette stated that Stanley was to join the 19th (Service) Battalion RWF at Deganwy though there is evidence that he had been initially slated to join the 17th RWF. The 19th RWF was a Bantam Battalion, formed in March 1915 at Deganwy as part of the 38th (Welsh) Division. However, there is evidence that Stanley served for a short period in Turkey which implies that he may have been attached to the 8th RWF. He was promoted to temporary lieutenant on 1 September 1915 and to temporary captain on 1 April 1916. An army order in 1916 commanded Stanley’s attendance on a musketry course at Altcar in June 1916 – he was then on the strength of the 21st (Reserve) Battalion RWF at Kinmel Park. On 1 September 1916, he was attached to the 10th (Service) Battalion RWF which had been in France since September 1915.

Stanley Brocklehurst was severely wounded in the leg during the Battle of Arras on 9 April 1917. He was treated at No 1 British Red Cross Hospital at Le Touquet before being evacuated to England and a hospital in Manchester. An interesting postscript to Stanley’s military career occurred in June 1919 when he was the officer in charge of the laying-up of the Colours of the 16th Battalion RWF at St. Asaph Cathedral. Local newspaper reports relate that the Colours had been brought up from Newmarket by Major WS Brocklehurst. No indication of Stanley’s promotion can be found in The London Gazette so he had been appointed acting major at some time. In November 1919, Stanley resumed his career in journalism, joining the editorial staff of the Sheffield Independent.

Wilfrid Stanley Brocklehurst died on 15 May 1920 aged 30 at 219 Chesterfield Road, Sheffield. The cause of his death was influenza and pneumonia. His body was returned to Llandudno and he was buried at Llanrhos Churchyard.

Known memorials:

• Llandudno Roll of Honour
• Llandudno War Memorial
• Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
• Ysgol John Bright Roll of Honour