A MAGNIFICENT "V.C. ACTION" (POELCAPELLE CASUALTY) "POSTUMOUS" MILITARY MEDAL & 1914 STAR & BAR TRIO: To: 8504.Sgt R.E. BROCKBANK.1st ROYAL LANCASTERS .KILLED-IN-ACTION 12.10.1917.

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A MAGNIFICENT "V.C. ACTION" (POELCAPELLE CASUALTY)   "POSTUMOUS" MILITARY MEDAL & 1914 STAR & BAR TRIO: 
To: 8504.Sgt R.E. BROCKBANK.1st ROYAL LANCASTERS .KILLED-IN-ACTION 12.10.1917. A MAGNIFICENT "V.C. ACTION" (POELCAPELLE CASUALTY)   "POSTUMOUS" MILITARY MEDAL & 1914 STAR & BAR TRIO: 
To: 8504.Sgt R.E. BROCKBANK.1st ROYAL LANCASTERS .KILLED-IN-ACTION 12.10.1917. A MAGNIFICENT "V.C. ACTION" (POELCAPELLE CASUALTY)   "POSTUMOUS" MILITARY MEDAL & 1914 STAR & BAR TRIO: 
To: 8504.Sgt R.E. BROCKBANK.1st ROYAL LANCASTERS .KILLED-IN-ACTION 12.10.1917.







A MAGNIFICENT "V.C. ACTION" (POELCAPELLE CASUALTY) "POSTUMOUS" MILITARY MEDAL & 1914 STAR & BAR TRIO:
To:
8504. Sgt R.E. BROCKBANK. 1st Bn ROYAL LANCASTER Rgt.

DECORATED & KILLED-IN-ACTION 12th OCTOBER 1917

A MAGNIFICENT "V.C. ACTION" (POELCAPELLE CASUALTY)   "POSTUMOUS" MILITARY MEDAL & 1914 STAR & BAR TRIO: 
To: 8504.Sgt R.E. BROCKBANK.1st ROYAL LANCASTERS .KILLED-IN-ACTION 12.10.1917. In the early hours of Friday 12th October 1917 the men of 1st Royal Lancaster Regiment were assembled in the British front line positions a few hundred yards from the ruined town of POELCAPELLE. A MAGNIFICENT "V.C. ACTION" (POELCAPELLE CASUALTY)   "POSTUMOUS" MILITARY MEDAL & 1914 STAR & BAR TRIO: 
To: 8504.Sgt R.E. BROCKBANK.1st ROYAL LANCASTERS .KILLED-IN-ACTION 12.10.1917. After several days of defensive shelling the enemy were determined to hold the position at all costs. Zero Hour on 12th was at 5.30 am. The enemy again put down a very heavy barrage on our front line, also great swathes of withering machine gun fire from the direction of POELCAPPELE constantly swept the bleak and shell holed no man's land. One unit of the Kings Own Lancaster's and one from The Rifle Brigade formed a defensive flank. A German counter attack forced our line to retire slightly during the day near REQUETTE FARM. Two battalions of 34th Division were sent as a relief for the front line troops but due to the state of ground and the pitch darkness the relief could not be completed.

A MAGNIFICENT "V.C. ACTION" (POELCAPELLE CASUALTY)   "POSTUMOUS" MILITARY MEDAL & 1914 STAR & BAR TRIO: 
To: 8504.Sgt R.E. BROCKBANK.1st ROYAL LANCASTERS .KILLED-IN-ACTION 12.10.1917.During this attack Sgt Brockbank was in charge of a platoon of men which included 241475 Pte Albert Halton. During the action, Brockbank's men had been pinned down in a shell hole by fire from two German Maxim gun crews who were encamped on the outskirts of the village. These two enemy machine guns had inflicted many casualties on the platoon one of whom was Sgt Brockbank himself (and as later reported by Pte Halton was known to be wounded ) Brockbank and his men had already unsuccessfully attempted to rush the enemy gun position but had been forced back to cover .
On regaining the shelter of their previously occupied shell hole the surviving men clearly took a moment to gather themselves in an attempt to consider "what next?" ...A MAGNIFICENT "V.C. ACTION" (POELCAPELLE CASUALTY)   "POSTUMOUS" MILITARY MEDAL & 1914 STAR & BAR TRIO: 
To: 8504.Sgt R.E. BROCKBANK.1st ROYAL LANCASTERS .KILLED-IN-ACTION 12.10.1917. Although Sgt Brockbank's gallantry citation has not survived, it is abundantly clear that having already attempted at least once to reach & subdue the enemy machine gun position, Brockbank and his men had suffered several casualties.

I think it is thus pretty safe to assume that having been wounded himself in this initial charge and feeling an overwhelming sense of duty to his men, Brockbank almost certainly went out again to recover one of his wounded soldiers and in doing so had sustained his fatal wounds. It was almost certainly for this great bravery that he earned his Military Medal. This is borne out by Halton's assumption that although he had initially been with Sgt Brockbank 'before he was wounded" (in the first charge) and he did not consider him to be so badly hurt as to be fatal. Brockbank's body was clearly recovered and buried in the field, but as with so many casualties his grave had become lost. Indeed, Halton seemed to have experienced some surprise when he later discovered that Brockbank had not made it to a casualty station. Having closely examined the known circumstances and having read Pte Halton's statement of seeing Brockbank Captain Law and his other comrades being wounded it becomes clear that Halton did not himself witness Brockbank's final act of gallantry but that it was witnessed by the wounded officer, Captain Law. Also, having closely studied the original trench map, it becomes clear just how important the removal of this particular German gun position was as it was holding up the entire advance of the Brockbank platoon. Pte Halton said that he 'didn't like' what had happened to his fellows and thus had clearly decided to 'have another go' himself in an attempt to disable the enemy machine gun. RESEARCH CONTINUES .....21/6/16 ( ENQUIRIES WELCOME )

A MAGNIFICENT

A MAGNIFICENT "V.C. ACTION" (POELCAPELLE CASUALTY) "POSTUMOUS" MILITARY MEDAL & 1914 STAR & BAR TRIO: To: 8504.Sgt R.E. BROCKBANK.1st ROYAL LANCASTERS .KILLED-IN-ACTION 12.10.1917.
£1550

A MAGNIFICENT "V.C. ACTION" (POELCAPELLE CASUALTY) "POSTUMOUS" MILITARY MEDAL & 1914 STAR & BAR TRIO: To: 8504. Sgt R.E. BROCKBANK. 1st Bn ROYAL LANCASTER REGIMENT. KILLED-IN-ACTION 12th OCTOBER 1917.