Name
John Dunn Brayley
1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
24/03/1918
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Driver
176918
Royal Horse Artillery
A Bty. 16th Bde.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HEATH CEMETERY, HARBONNIERES
V. C. 5.
France
Headstone Inscription
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
UK & Other Memorials
Berkhamsted Town Memorial, Barnstaple War Memorial, Devon
Pre War
John Dunn Brayley was born in 1891 in Barnstaple, Devon, the son of James and Selina Brayley.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at 9 Maudlin Street, Barnstaple where his father was working as a carpenter, however John was listed living next door at No. 8 with Edwin Amier. By 1911 he was listed as a servant for Benjamin and Elizabeth Isaac at 49 Vicarage Street, Barnstaple, although his occupation was given as butcher's assistant, as Benjamin Isaac was a butcher (master).
As John enlisted in Berkhamsted, Herts, he had presumably moved to work there.
He married Martha Lilian Huckle in late 1915 in the Royston registration district.
His parents later lived at 6 Taw View, Bishops Tawton, Barnstaple, Devon.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Berkhamsted and joined the Royal Field Artillery (Royal Horse Artillery) as a Driver with A Battery, 16th Brigade.
John died on 24 March 1918 and is buried at Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres, France.
(Records differ as to circumstances of death. Pension records/ SDIGW list 'died of wounds' whereas CWGC and Soldiers' Effects list 'killed in action'.)
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £6 and pay owing of £9 14s 10d. She was living at 41 High Field Road, Berkhamsted, (later at Brighton Cottage, Parsonage Road, Rickmansworth), on pension records. She initially received a pension of 13s 9d a week but a note on the record card suggests that a later application for an APW (alternative widow's pension i.e. increase) was refused. She remarried in 1923 to Frank Bartlett and lived at 13 Hitherfield Road, Streatham, SW16 (address given on medal index card).
His mother requested the personal inscription on CWGC headstone: "UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN."
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
www.devonheritage.org
