1911 Census (Oakley, ref 64)
Name Spencer Brooks
Address: Worminghall Road, Oakley
Age: 19
Born 1892, Horton, Oxfordshire
Occupation Labourer, Cowman on Farmer
Other people on census
Aunt: Levina Hawes, 52, widow, born Oakley
Brothers Edward Brooks, 22, cowman on farm, born Oakley
Daniel Brooks, 11, scholar, born Oakley
1901 Census (Oakley, ref 64)
Name Spencer Brooks
Address: Bicester Road
Age: 10
Born 1891, Horton, Oxfordshire
Other people on census
Father: Daniel Brooks, 40, widower, cattleman on farm, born Oakley
Brother Edward Brooks, 12, born Oakley
1891 Census (Horton, ref 9)
Name (Father) Daniel Brooks
Address: Warren Farm, Horton
Occupation Agricultural Labourer
Age: 30
Born 1861, Oakley, Buckinghamshire
Other people on census
Mother: Sarah Ann Brooks, 27, born Oakley
Brothers Edward Joseph Brooks, 2, born Oakley
Medals
Victory Roll L/106 B3 Page 548
British Roll L/106 B3 Page 548
Star Roll L/48 Page 451
UK Army Registery of Soldiers’ Effects,
Credit £3 10s 11d Divided on 10/12/15 to Brother Edward 17s 9d
Brother David 17s 9d
Sister Emily 17s 9d
Sister Bessie 17s 8d
War Gratuity £3 0s 0d Allocated on 11/08/19 Brother Edward £3 0s 0d
Memorials/notes etc. Oakley War Memorial.
Estaires Communal Cemetery and Extension
Waddesdon Deanery Magazine. Oct 1915 – C Co 6th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, kia.
Estaires Communal Cemetery and Extension
Estaires was a centre for medical units from early in the war. In April 1918 it fell into German hands and it was recaptured later. The Communal Cemetery was used for burials until June 1917 and the Extension thereafter. Altogether they contain the graves of 661 British, 6 Canadian, 139 Australian, 56 New Zealand, 9 Indian, 2 French and 6 German soldiers.
There are also the graves of 9 British servicemen of the Second World War.
Private Spencer George BROOKS
Known as Spencer Brooks
Born: 23rd August 1891 Horton, Oxon
Baptised: 25th November 1891 Oakley Church
Married Unmarried
Died: 6th September 1915, Givenchy, France
Cause of Death Died of wounds
Age at death 22 years 3 months
Buried Estaires Communal Cemetery and Extension, France
Family
Father: Daniel Brooks (bapt. 5 Aug 1860, Oakley – died Jan-Mar 1904, age 43)
Mother: Sarah Ann Brooks, nee Eborn (registered Jul-Sep 1863, Oakley – died 30 Oct 1899, age 28)
Brothers Edward Joseph Brooks (born 26 Nov 1888, Oakley),
Daniel Brooks (born 26 Oct 1899, Oakley)
Sisters Emily Brooks (born 13 Aug 1894, Oakley),
Elizabeth Jane Brooks (born 28 Feb 1897, Oakley)
Paternal Grandfather: George Brooks (born 11 May 1828, Oakley – bur. 24 Apr 1907, age 80)
Paternal Grandmother: Elizabeth Brooks, nee Griffin (born 30 Jun 1829, Ludgershall – bur. 11 May 1909, age 80)
Maternal Grandfather: Joseph Eborn (born 1833, Oakley – bur 8 Oct 1874, age 39)
Maternal Grandmother: Jane Eborn, nee Brooks (born 13 Oct 1836, Oakley – bur. 10 Feb 1912, age 76)
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
First Name: Spencer George
Surname: Brooks
Birth Town: Oakley, Bucks
Resided Town: Oakley, Bucks
Nationality: British
Date of Death: 06/09/1915
Fate: Died of Wounds
Rank: Private
Service Number: 18343
Duty Location: France And Flanders
Regiment Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
Battalion 6th Battalion
Enlistment Place Oxford
Regimental Number 18343
Military background
6th Battalion Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
The 6th (Service) Battalion (6th OBLI) was formed at Oxford in September 1914. It became part of the Kitchener’s Second New Army (K2) and placed in 60th Brigade, together with 6th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (6th KSLI); 12th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps (12th KRRC) and 12th Battalion, Rifle Brigade (12th RB), in the 20th (Light) Division).
After its formation in September 1914, the 6th Battalion was at Aldershot with the 60th Brigade. It moved to Larkhill Camp, Salisbury Plain in March 1915 to complete it recruitment, fitting-out and training. The Battalion sailed to Boulogne, France on 22 July 1915 and moved by stages up to sur-La-Lys, south-west of Armentieres
The men were sent to the trenches for instruction in trench warfare . The men were paired with soldiers of the 2nd Devonshire’s while they learnt to work as platoons in the trench lines. The 6th Ox & Bucks went into the trenches for the first time on 10 August 1915. For the next twelve months, the Battalion carried out heavy and often dangerous duties in holding various parts of the front line, at Estaires, Fleurbaix and Poperinghe, without the satisfaction of having taken part in any major action.
6th Battalion Oxford and Bucks War Diary 4th – 7th September 1915
4th -5th September 1915 – LE QUESNOY
Parties of men, 3 or 4 platoons at the time employed both by day and night on fatigue work in the trenches or at the Brigade (?) Store.
On 5th 29th Reinforcement of 850R arrived.
6th September 1915 – To trenches at GIVENCHY
In the afternoon relieved the 1/Queens in the same section at GIVENCHY, now re-numbered B3. A little bombing, but on whole quiet night.
7th September 1915 – In trenches at GIVENCHY
Early in the morning the enemy blew up a mine close to one sap in Southern group of craters but very little harm was done. Quiet night but some premature bomb explosions took place in our trenches, injuring 2 officers amongst others
8th September 1915 – To billets at LE QUESNOY
At 5 a.m. our miners blew in a German mine very successfully the craters thus formed (?) improving our positions at the sap-heads. Quiet day
Casualties Killed Capt A.W.N. PONSONBY (shot be sniper in early morning) and 2 men
Wounded Lieut C.A. BARREN, 2nd Lieut A.E.S. RIDDLE and 9 men (1 on 7th)
In afternoon relieved by the 1/Queens and returned to same billets at LE QUESNOY