In the photograph Auxiliary Fireman John William Frederick May Brazier is in the middle row, 2nd from the left.
John William Frederick May Brazier was born on 2 February 1912 in Peckham, London, the youngest of the 10 children of Alfred Henry Brazier (1867-1949) and Ada Brazier née Batty (1869-1966). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1912 in the Camberwell Registration District, London. On 10 March 1912 he was baptised in Christ Church, Camberwell, where in the baptismal register his date of birth is confirmed, that his family lived at 55 Peckham Park Road, Peckham and that his father was a chef.
In the 1922 census he is shown as aged 9 years and 4 months and in whole time education, still living at 55 Peckham Park Road, London, SE15, with his parents and four of his siblings: Clara Adelina May Brazier (1891-1966) who was shown as on home duties and an invalid; Arthur Horace May Brazier (1896-1975) who was described as a man-cook, currently out of work having previously been employed by the Union Castle Steamship Company; Grace Eleanor May Brazier (1905-1990) - an assistant waitress employed by the Catering Department of the London, Chatham and South-Eastern Railway and Reuben Alfred May Brazier (1907-1978) who was in whole time education. His father described himself as a man-cook at the House of Commons, Parliament.
He married Mary Adelaide Wallis (1912-1991) in the 4th quarter of 1933 in the Camberwell Registration District and they had one child: Patricia Adelaide Brazier (1934-2015) who was born on 16 August 1934.
In the 1939 England and Wales Register he was shown as a servant in the employment of the London County Council, London Fire Brigade at Reigate Road, Bromley, Kent (now Greater London).
As an Auxiliary Fireman, service number B27300, in the Auxiliary Fire Service and attached to Station 52 - Lee Green, he was killed, aged 29 years, on 10 May 1941 when a German parachuted landmine exploded near the Emergency Water Service tank that held 5,000 gallons of water that had been placed in the basement of the demolished Surrey Theatre, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, at which he was located. His body was buried in Section GG, Grave 324, in the Hither Green Cemetery and Crematorium, Verdant Lane, London, SE6 1TP.
He is shown as 'Fm John William Brazier' on the plaque now attached to McLaren House, 1 St George's Circus, London, SE1 0AP. He is also commemorated in the Civilian Roll of Honour that is housed in Westminster Abbey and in which his address is showed at 62 Ballamore Road, Bromley, Kent, on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Lewisham War Memorials website and on the Firefighters Remembered website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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