Died : 18th April 1918

Alfred was the second of the Brooks brothers to die for his country during the Great War. He was born in Ringmer on 8th February 1893 and baptised there on 23rd April that year. Unlike his older brother all his schooling was in Ringmer and was from 5th April 1897 to 31st March 1906.

It was to Lewes that Alfred travelled to join the Royal Sussex Regiment as Private Brooks number G/1667. He landed in France on 18th May 1915 to serve with the 2nd Battalion. His arrival was in good time to participate in the calamitous Battle of Loos on 25th September that year. He was injured in the action and received treatment at Graylingwell Hospital in Chichester.

When the wounds had healed he was returned to the fray, but this time posted to the 9th Battalion, 73rd Infantry Brigade which was part of the 24th Division. He again saw action with his new battalion and was  once again wounded. Alfred was not repatriated to England this time as he was not seriously injured and he was soon back in action. By now he was with the 13th Sussex, part of the 116th Brigade (39 Division) and was engaged in the same fighting as his brother, Charles. Shortly after Charles’ death on 22nd March, the 39th Division was returned to the Ypres Salient and, stationed in the Wytschaete area, came under the temporary orders of the 62nd Brigade, 21st Division.

The German Offensive in Flanders [Operation Georgette - part of the Kaiserschlacht -  Kaiser's Battle], commenced on 9th April 1918 and on 16th April orders were received by 62nd Infantry Brigade for a counter attack. This was intended to be executed in conjunction with a French Division and the 13th Sussex moved forward to the line from Vandamme Farm to Store Farm. Alfred took part in the planned counter attack that evening to re-occupy Maedelstede Farm and Wytschaete Wood both of which had recently been seized by the Germans. The advance was under heavy machine gun fire, both enfilade and frontal, yet they secured their first objective. No French attack to assist materialised on the right and so it was impossible to proceed with the re-capture. The line so far held was consolidated under very adverse conditions and garrisoned by the 13th Sussex until they were relieved on 20th April. During the operation from 16th to 20th April the Battalion was constantly subjected to heavy shell and machine gun fire. 134 men were lost, killed or injured in the course of those five days. Among those killed was Private Alfred Brooks and the official documents list his death as occurring on 18th April 1918 at age 26.

Alfred has no known grave and is commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing which contains a total of 34,957 names. It is, in effect, a continuation of the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres in that the names at Tyne Cot are for those missing in the Salient from 16th August 1917 until the end of the War. Menin Gate covers the earlier period. Two other sons of Charles Brooks, namely Albert, born 21st July 1888 and Ernest born 24th July 1891 served in the 2nd and 10th Sussex respectively and both survived the War. Alfred earned the 1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medals.

Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium

Updated from Valiant Hearts of Ringmer by Geoff Bridger: Ammonite Press, 1993