Frederick Roy Durnford (1898-1917)

Another relative that lost his life in WWI was Frederick Roy Durnford. Our branch didn’t have a lot of boys and my nephew is the last of the male line. So, Fred’s death caused a great ripple that reverberated through the family to this day. 

Fred was born in Rencontre West, Newfoundland. A tiny little outport village on the south coast of Newfoundland. The Durnfords had lived the area since the early 1800s.1 

He was the youngest of John Richard Skinner Durnford and Mary Spencer's four children and the second son. His siblings were Phyllis, Amelia, and John Matt. Fred was the baby of the family having been born four years after his brother and nine years after his eldest sister Phyllis. He was only 10 years old when Phyllis married Chesley Goodridge and moved out. Amelia married Edward Matthews in 1914 and later moved to Rhode Island with her family but she visited periodically with her son. 

I don't know much about his childhood. But from what I've heard of others that grew up in Rencontre West, it was a great childhood in a small village2 where everyone knew everyone and practically everyone was related if you go back far enough. From photos in my collection, they had picnic and dances in the hall. The children had little parades on holidays and the adults liked to get together at kitchen parties. Unlike the other residents who were mainly fishermen, Fred’s immediate family were merchants. They owned the store Durnford and Sons, and the boat Ralph & Blanche. They didn’t suffer the hardships from fishing but living in a small village with extended family, when there was a fishing tragedy, I’m sure they all felt it. 

At the time Newfoundland was Great Britain’s oldest colony and they were fiercely British. So, when WWI broke out, they heeded the call for troops. From a population of about a quarter of a million, 5,482 men went overseas. Nearly 1,500 were killed and 2,300 wounded.3 

On April 27, 1916 Fred enlisted. He lied about his age, adding a year. He was 18 years and 5 months old. 

They trained for awhile in Newfoundland and in October he arrived in Southampton, joining his unit in October 22. This is a timeline of his movements that I gleamed from his service record. There is also a book called To Hell on Earth and Back by Dwight Anderson where Fred is mentioned often. 

"To Hell on Earth and Back started out as a one page write-up about a Newfoundland WW1 soldier for a genealogy project. After reviewing his service file, I was amazed at the suffering and punishment he went through. I started looking at other soldier’s files in alphabetical order. The tenth file I viewed was that of Herbert Otto Adams. It floored me. Herbert enlisted at the age of sixteen years six months. He was shell shocked and found wandering away from a battle and subsequently charged with desertion and sentenced to death. Herbert’s story compelled me to review over 2200 available service files of the 4900 volunteers who served overseas with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment during World War One. I was amazed to discover that the Newfoundland Regiment enlisted approximately 1000 under aged boys. I was then further amazed with the military discipline handed out to Newfoundlanders by British Officers. To Hell on Earth and Back is a factual chronology of the trials, tribulations and bravery of approximately 200 soldiers; many of them hard cases, underage or with compelling issues."

The diary entries show that Fred was a bit of a scrapper. 

Nov 1916: he was in trouble for being deficient in something, I couldn’t read the writing. I do know while the unit was in Scotland training he got himself a sweetheart so he may have been AWOL visiting her. 

Fred with his Scottish sweetheart 

March 9, 1917: He was diagnosed with Influenza March 12, 1917: Admitted to hospital in Rowen with trench fever (RNR was in the firing line at Saily-Saillisel. They were bombarded heavily. The next day the bombing intensified. They were relieved for rest and boarded a train to Meaulte for training.) 

"Fred was sent to the casualty clearing station with influenza. He's been miserable for days but could take it no longer. The boys are saying that it's not the flu, that he was gassed in the trenches. He's a trooper. He's supposed to be twenty years old, He's only 5'5" and 130 pounds at best. Likely he just turned seventeen. He can do more than most at age twenty-five." 

March 21, 1917: Invalided to England. His parents receive a telegram that Fred has been admitted to Wandsworth Hospital, London suffering from pyrexia of unknown origin. Hospital records state bronchitis and laryngitis. He also did something very heroic during this time. What is amazing about this feat is his size, he was only 5 foot 5 inches tall and weighed only 132 pounds. It probably wasn't easy for him to drag Lt. Outerbridge back even with help. 

"Fred Durnford (18) of Rencontre should have been recognized back in March but watsn’t. Lt. Herb Outerbridge left his trench to get a better look at enemy positions. After waiting a considerable time, the platoon concluded he was wounded or killed as the enemy’s fire was very hot. Durnford went over the top alone to search for Outerbridge. After some time, he found Outerbridge with a severe head wound. Because the fire was so hot, his platoon members back in the trench are beginning to think Durnford has also been wounded or killed, but he soon appears calling for stretcher bearers. Durnford went back over the top again under heavy fire to assist the stretcher bearers in finding Outerbridge. Durnford was hospitalized after that battle with advanced influenza. Since then, he’s been out of the hospital and promoted to Lance Corporal. Everyone thinks he was gassed. He’s kicking up a stink to get back with the Newfoundlanders, but they won’t let him come."

June 1917: Apparently he was a lovable scrapper!

"Word from Rouen is that Fred Durnford is still kicking up a stink to return to the unit. He was absent from a parade in early June and got severely reprimanded ... The remainder of July is spent training for the Newfoundlanders. Darcey Janes of Ramea got three days confined to camp for being absent from guard duty. Fred Durnford of Recontre has been getting into trouble while assigned at the base depot in Rouen. He was demoted from corporal down to private for being AWOL in town. A week later he is absent from parade and gets three days confined to base. As soon as his three days are up, he goes AWOL again for two days. They locked him up for nine hours. Durnford must have been liked by the Commander because he could have gotten much stiffer punishment."

August 8, 1917: Admitted 11 Sty. Hospital, Rouen for mild scabies. 

Oct 28, 1917: He joined the battalion again. 

"Fred Durnford of Rencontre has joined the Battalion. He shouldn’t be here. He’s out of shape but insists he’s fine." 

Nov 20, 1917 Fred is killed. 

"The village was still not captured. The Newfoundlanders had to dig in for the night. Tommy looked around, looking for his buddies. He couldn’t see Fred Durnford anywhere. Someone said he saw Fred (19) and Soloman Keeping (20) go down and they were dead. Tommy didn’t know Soloman Keeping well but Durnford and he spent time together in Rouen. Durnford should have been on the boat home but the crazy bastard had to come back. He didn’t have the strength to fight."

I also found some letters in his service record. One from a James Macrae of New Brunswick asking about the whereabouts of Fred. I'm not sure who he is. 

The Honorable Justice George Johnson wrote a letter to the Newfoundland Governor asking why the actions of Fred Durnford on the day he saved Lt. Outerbridge under extreme fire weren’t recognized. (Johnson had met Durnford in the summer of 1916 while making a trip on the coastal boat “Porta”. Fred was on leave to say hello to his family before he went to France.) Johnson noted in his letter that in appearance and size "Durnford looked a boy of sixteen, but his brightness and wit caught his attention."  He stated that Durnford had suffered from scabies, pyrexia, bronchitis, laryngitis, advanced trench fever and influenza. The letter then became stern stating that Durnford was gassed in the trenches yet he insisted on returning to the firing line despite medical advice to the contrary. He was back with his Battalion less than a month before he was killed. 

The reply from government house was short: 

"His Excellency does not see how anything can be done in the matter now as Durnford was killed some 18 months ago and it would seem somewhat late in the day for any special recommendation to be made."

May 6, 1919: His parents are paid $16.14, the balance of Fred's estate. 

Aug 26, 1921: The Victory Medal and/or British War Medal was sent to his parents. It doesn't say which one he got. 

Lastly, I managed to contact a relative of Lt. Outerbridge:

"Thanks so much for this information. Uncle Herbert was my Grandfather’s oldest brother. They lost a brother Norman in WWI. Fascinating to hear and thanks to your uncle I got to meet my great Uncle. Uncle Herbert had no children. He and his wife Alice enjoyed nieces and nephews."

So nice to know that his life was not lost in vain. 

Fred is buried in the Marcoing British Cemetery in France. My cousin John Bagnell took these photos when he visited Fred's grave a number of years ago. 

This still hangs on my family's wall.

Fred's page in the Books of Remembrance

Florence Harriet Brooker (1899-1967)

 

My grandmother Florence Harriett Brooker was born on 12 Apr 1899 in Brighton, Sussex, England. She had one sibling; James Henry who was 12 years older than her (see blog on James Henry Brooker). He died in WWI. Her father was a carpenter’s labourer at the time of her birth. I couldn’t find a baptism certificate for either her or her brother.

The family bounced between Brighton and London. In the 1891 census they were living in Camberwell, London area. It looks like her father came to London to work at the gas company as a gas stoker (a person who feeds the coal into the furnaces to produce coal gas).

On a side note, there was a gas stoker strike in London in 1872 and gas worker strike in 1889. The strike forced many union organizers to think more widely and they set up a Federated body to represent workers across London. But it would not be until the Gas workers strike of 1889 that they would earn the 8-hour day. The Gas stokers had a particularly harsh existence. The work was dirty and dangerous. The casualty rate was high amongst workers with many fatal accidents leading to children without fathers. Perhaps the 8-hour day was the reason that Harry's family moved to London 2 years after he was born. Because of the union, work in London was safer than in Brighton. 

The family did return to Brighton for a short time. They were living at 25 Islingword Street when Florence was born. Currently it’s listed as a 5-bedroom, 2-bath town house.

 
In 1901 the family was again in London, living at 208 East Street in the parish of St. Peter, Parliamentary division of Walworth, which is also the Municipal Borough of Southwark. East Street still exists but 208 has been replaced by a newer building. There were four families at that address. Her grandmother Mary Ann Rowland was living with them and her father's occupation was still gas stoker. The apartment would have been like these apartments on East Street that survived the war.

On Sept 1, 1902 Florence was 3 years old and enrolled at the Mima Road School.

It was a primary school for infants, boys, and girls (with a wall to separate them in the playground). A new building was added in 1905. This is what it looked like when Florence attended. The address on her registration was 1 Coles Bldg., Waprey (?) Street. I can’t read the writing and couldn’t find a Waprey Street.



On the 1911 census she was age 11 and a student. They lived at 110 Ormside Street (Old Kent Road district). She would bounce around Ormside Street until she and Robert bought the house on Blackheath Rd. in the 1930s.

Ormside Street was across the street from the gasworks where her father, brother, and husband worked. None of the original building on the street exist anymore as the gasworks made it was a frequent target during the Blitz.

In 1919 she was living at 95 Ormside St. and so was her future husband. So, I am guessing that the housing on Ormside Street were apartments rather than houses. The census records corroborate this as there are multiple people living at the same address.

Robert "Bob" Walter Bulbrook and Florence Harriet Brooker were married on Christmas Day in 1919 at Christ Church in Camberwell. She was 20 years old and four months pregnant. Her best friend Rosina Maud Lowell (? Can’t read last name) was a witness along with her father. She named her daughter Nicki after Rosina. (Nicki was a nickname because she used to nick the sugar cubes)



In the 1921 census they were still living at 95 Ormside Street in one room, not sure if that means the who apartment was one room, or one bedroom. Her parents were also living at that address with three rooms, so they may have been boarders with her parents. The building doesn't exist anymore so it's hard to tell. There was also a Matthews living at 95 who was away in the Navy, so he may also have been a boarder. 

I found voter records that between 1929–1932 they lived at 85 Ormside Street and her parents were still at 95 Ormside Street. She probably lived there longer as some of the voter records are missing. What is also interesting is the 1921 Electoral Rolls lists her parents and her husband but not Florence.

The voter records for 1935 show her at 39 Blackheath Rd. She probably lived there until 1942 when she separated from Bob. I believe they were separated in 1942 because she and Harry were living at 118 Holden House when their son was born. 

On December 14, 1943, at the age of 44, Florence had a baby with Henry J. “Harry” Harvey, his name was James Henry Harvey and he later died on February 10, 1945 of pneumonia due to measles. What is interesting is there are two entries in the freebmd index for him. One with the last name Bulbrook and one with Harvey. (I have ordered his birth certificate.) This tells me that Florence and Robert were still married at the end of 1943 and his birth certificate was changed to Harvey. 

Florence and Harry Harvey were married on 16 Jan 1945 in Deptford, London. Florence was 45 years old. So, that narrows the divorce down to 1944. Unfortunately, you can’t get copies of divorce records from that period. Of note, on their marriage certificate it states that she is the divorced wife of Robert Walter Bulbrook. 

Florence and Harry seemed to have moved around a lot according to the voter registrations. Probably due to the housing shortage after the war and the government trying to house everyone.

In 1943 she and Harry were living at in the Crossfield Estates in Deptford, in Holden House and Owen House. I believe they lived there until 1948. 

 

Holden House 

These were early postwar council flats called Crossfield Estate. The estate is divided into three by the east-west running North Kent Line, and by the north-south running A2209 Deptford Church Street. It was constructed in the late 1940s and, when completed, consisted of 12 blocks, two of which have since been demolished. Holden House is still there but Owen House has been replaced.

A bit of trivia: by the 1970s, parts of the estate had become hard to let and were rented to local teachers and students. It became the unlikely venue of a flourishing music scene. Members of rock groups Squeeze, and Dire Straits lived on there in the late 1970s, along with Mark Perry, founder of the punk fanzine Sniffin Glue and punk rock band Alternative TV. Sultans of Swing ('down south London town') celebrates this local music culture. 

In 1948 she and Harry were living at 14 Beleriane House, Tanners Hill, Deptford. I couldn’t find this on the map.

I lost track of them until 1957 where they were living at 121 Charlton Rd, Flat #6, Greenwich. They were probably there until she died. A bit of an upgrade from the council flats. I have no idea if the garage was there when they were living there.

Charlton Rd. 

Florence died on December 2, 1967 and was buried on December 8 in Greenwich, London, England. I’m guessing she is buried at Shooter’s Hill, that’s the main cemetery in Greenwich. It’s also where Robert Bulbrook is buried. 

Robert Walter Bulbrook and Florence Harriett Brooker had the following children:

Florence Elizabeth Mary Bulbrook was born on 26 May 1920 in London, England. She died in May 1997 in Crawley, Sussex, England. She married Leonard Daines in Jun 1940 in Greenwich, Kent, England.

Rosina Maude "Nicki" Bulbrook was born on 12 Feb 1922 in London, England. She died on 16 Jul 1998 in Greenwich, Kent, England. She married John Alexander Stone on 31 May 1942 in Greenwich, Kent, England. She married Allan Hills on 12 Jul 1972 in Greenwich, Kent, England. She married Alfred Leonard "Len" Stone on 30 Jun 1984 in Greenwich, Kent, England (brother of 1st husband).

Doris Martha Bulbrook was born on 17 Feb 1924 in Camberwell, London, England. She died on 07 Jun 1985 in Boca Raton, Palm Beach, Florida, USA (Age at Death: 61). She married Fred Durnford on 16 Feb 1946 in Greenwich, Kent, England (St. Paul's Church). She married Rene Remi Goossens in 1969 in Florida, USA (Rene and Doris had been living together since 1963 and passed themselves off as married.).

Robert Henry Alfred Bulbrook was born on 04 Sep 1926 in Camberwell, London, England, UK. He died on 11 Jul 2000 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He married Alma Ruby Stickland on 25 Jun 1955 in Mount Royal, Montréal (Urban Agglomeration), Quebec, Canada.

Maude Bulbrook was born in Nov 1928 in Camberwell, London. She died in Nov 1928 in Camberwell, London, England.

Leslie Bulbrook was born on 08 May 1930 in Camberwell, London, England. He died on 03 Jun 1973 in St Pancras, London, England. He married Marion B. Brown between Oct–Dec 1951 in Greenwich, London, England.

John Vernon Bulbrook was born on 01 Feb 1936 in Greenwich, Kent, England. He died on 03 Mar 2009 in Queen Charlotte, British Columbia, Canada. He married Angela "Nan Bulbrook" Winthrop in 1961 in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada. He married Marybeth Frith on 31 Dec 1969 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He married Barbara "Buffy" Watson on 12 Feb 1980 in Queen Charlotte, British Columbia, Canada.

Henry J "Harry" Harvey and Florence Harriett Brooker had the following children:

James Henry Harvey was born on 14 Dec 1943. He died on 10 Feb 1945 in Deptford, London, England from pneumonia due to measles.