BROOKS, Frederick John
Service Number: | 412 |
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Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
Last Rank: | Private |
Last Unit: | 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen |
Born: | Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia, 1 January 1976 |
Home Town: | Glenferrie, Victoria |
Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
Died: | Geelong, Victoria, Australia, 5 December 1945, cause of death not yet discovered |
Cemetery: |
Geelong Western Cemetery, Victoria Plot: MET-01-1028G |
Memorials: |
Biography contributed by Claude McKelvey
When Frederick John Brooks enlisted in 1901 in the 6th QIB and his details were published with the rank and file in The Queenslander, 13 Apr 1901, he noted his N.O.K. as John Lowe, Glenferry, Victoria. In the original nonmial roll for the 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen Contingent, held by National Archives, records his N.O.K. as being his uncle.
In the Boer War Service Paybooks for the 6th QIB, Bk 2 p. 189, it is noted he directed part of his pay to his father Mr. F. G. Brooks, Nowra, NSW.
Frederick John Brooks was born in 1876 at Wagga Wagga, NSW, a son to Frederick George Brooks and Louisa Stuart Brooks (nee Harris). He married Alice Bridget Murphy in Victoria in 1906 and they had at least 1 child.
A bio blog for his father Frederick George Brooks appears online on Genealogy.com and has been referred to in providing an explaination for the above. His father Frederick Snr. was working as an insurance agent in southern NSW in the late 1800s when Frederick Jnr. was born in 1876. His mother Louisa passed away in Victoria in 1882 with her death being recorded by her brother-in-law.
Whether his fathers need to be constantly travelling for work caused his mother Louisa to take her son to live with relatives in Victoria, or he was sent there after her passing, due to his fathers lack of resources to care for his son is unclear. It though provides an explaination as to why he nominated his uncle, John Lowe, as N.O.K. on the original nominal roll while knowing his father was still alive having directed part of his war service pay to him.
(source- AWM Nminal Roll, Murray p. 517; National Archives Australia- B 5172 Nominal Roll of 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen Contingent Queesland Defence Force for service in South Africa, p. 6; Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks 6th QIB, Bk 2 p. 189; Father's family history bio online at Genealogy.com).