Captain Arthur Close-Brooks window - All Saints - Great Glemham, Suffolk
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N 52° 12.195 E 001° 25.383
31U E 392236 N 5784816
Dedicated stained glass window and associated brass plaque to Captain Arthur Close-Brooks, 1917, in All Saints' church, Gt Glemham.
Waymark Code: WMR3HG
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 05/08/2016
Views: 1
A two light stained glass window, with associated plaque family & regimental arms on brass. The window contains figures of justice & hope.
Inscription -
TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY HUSBAND/ ARTHUR CLOSE-BROOKS CAPTAIN MC/ MANCHESTER REGIMENT WHO DIED OF WOUNDS/ IN MESOPOTAMIA JANUARY 1917 AGED 32 YEARS
"Although not required to engage in any attacks at the Bluff (Ypres Salient), nevertheless the 2nd Manchesters battalion was taking casualties, by no means light ,almost every day. Patrolling in No Man's Land was one of the tasks undertaken by the battalion, an activity which led to the award of the Military Cross to Lieut. Arthur Close-Brooks.
On 10th June 1915 this officer was detailed to obtain information concerning a new piece of trench work in the enemy's lines. With a sergeant and a private soldier, Close-Brooks crawled towards the enemy's front line. Just before daybreak the party came under heavy fire, the private soldier being wounded. All three separated and made their way to the battalion's front line trenches. However, it was discovered that the sergeant had not returned. Immediately, Close-Brooks returned to No Man's Land and crawling across the ground in broad daylight found that the sergeant had been killed within 35 yards of the German lines. He managed to crawl back to his own trenches and when darkness fell returned to No Man's Land and brought the sergeant's body back to the British lines.
Later, Close-Brooks was on active service in Mesopotamia with the 1st Manchesters where, on the 10th January 1917 he died of wounds. He is buried in Amara War Cemetery. I notice he is recorded as being in the 3rd Manchesters at the time of his death.
The family, which incidentally was connected with stockbroking in Manchester, had suffered another loss in that Lieut. John Charles Close-Brooks (Arthur's brother) had been killed in action on the 30th October 1914 in that furious battle at Zandwoorde whilst serving with the 1st Life Guards. His name is engraved on one of the panels of the Menin Gate Memorial."
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"He was the son of John Brooks Close-Brooks and Emily Close-Brooks of Birtles Hall, Chelford, Cheshire and Emily (the Register says Anne Close-Brooks, daughter of Sam Brooks, also a banker, of Manchester). His father and two uncles were the Close brothers who were famous for their rowing at Cambridge. Before coming to Winchester he was with the Reverend C.L. Cameron at Mortimer. He went up to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1903 and rowed for two years in the University VIII as his father had before him. He took his degree with Honours in Jurisprudence and afterwards went into business in Bolton.
On the outbreak of war he enlisted in the Public Schools Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers, and subsequently obtained a commission in the 2nd Battalion Manchester Regiment. He was awarded the M.C. in June 1915 for attempting to rescue a wounded man, and was also mentioned in Despatches.
He was posted to Mesopotamia and died of wounds sustained in the attack near the Shatt-el-Hai Canal on January 10th 1917; he left a widow, Frances, the daughter of Andrew Brown, and two children. The family lived at Glemham Grove, Saxmundham, Suffolk."
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