Howard Washbrook was born in 1895 in Wednesfield, Staffordshire (now West Midlands), one of the ten children of Isaac Washbrook (1860-1945) and Eliza Washbrook née Brindley (1860-1920). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1895 in the Wolverhampton Registration District, Staffordshire (now West Midlands). On 14 November 1895 he was baptised in St Thomas' Church, Wednesfield.
In the 1901 census he is shown as aged 5 years and living in Hickman Street, Wednesfield, with his parents and six siblings: Thomas Washbrook (1884-1966), a vermin trap-maker; Alfred William Washbrook, a shoemaker (1886-1949); Herbert Washbrook (1888-1942); Fred Washbrook (1890-1944); John Washbrook (1893-1936) and Percival Washbrook (1898-1969). His father was described as a lockmaker.
When his father completed his 1911 census return form, he was shown as aged 15 years and a brass caster residing in a 6 roomed property at 69 North Street, Wednesfield, with his parents and four siblings: Herbert Washbrook, a rabbit trap maker; Fred Westbrook, an iron merchant's warehouseman; John Washbrook, a rabbit trap maker and Percival Washbrook (now calling himself Percy Washbrook), a schoolboy. His father described himself as a rabbit trap maker. The census form also shows that his mother had given birth to ten children but that only eight were still alive.
He enlisted as a Private in the Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) in late 1914, service number 3168, later transferring to the Corps of Hussars, service number 300463 and entering Egypt on 22 November 1915. He was serving in the 2nd Battalion of the British Contingent in the Imperial Camel Corps, service number 50690, when he died of wounds, aged 22 years, on 9 April 1918 in the 15th General Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt. His body was buried in Plot F, Grave 119, in the Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.
On 19 October 1918 his mother was sent his army effects totalling £15-18s-4d and she was sent his £15-10s-0d war gratuity on 6 December 1919. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'PTE. WASHBROOK H.' on the Imperial Camel Corps war memorial in Victoria Embankment Gardens, London, WC2 and as 'H. WASHBROOK' on the war memorial in the Garden of Remembrance, opposite St Thomas' Church, Church Street, Wednesfield, WV11 1SR.
He is also commemorated on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, as Trooper H. Washbrook on both the A Street Near You website and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
