Additional information and photographs
When enrolling in the RNVR in October 1913, Terence Brightwell described himself as Clerk at the Board of Trade, with light
hair, blue eyes, height 5' seven and three-quarter inches, chest 38.5" inflated, 37" deflated. There is no record of his
short pre-war period as a Reservist, but his war service record with the Royal Naval Division shows that he served at Antwerp
4-10 October 1914, was promoted to Leading Seaman on 26 June 1915 and served with Drake Battalion at Gallipoli from 1 August 1915.
He was sick in hospital on 2 October and evacuated to hospital in Alexandria on 17 October, finally joining
Hawke Battalion at Imbros on 7 February 1916. In March he was transferred to England and there follows a gap in his record until
3 January 1917 when he arrived on the Western Front, again with Hawke Battalion, and stayed until December. During this time he
was rated as leading Seaman Higher Grade, awarded a Good Conduct Badge and was 3 times in hospital with minor ailments, finally being invalided to England on 11 December. There is another gap in his record until 23 July 1918, when he was again in France with
Hawke Battalion until killed in action on 29 September 1918.
(Source: service record held at the Fleet Air Arm
Museum)
For background on the Royal Naval Division and the actions in which Brightwell took part, see The Royal Naval Division by Douglas
Jerrold (published 1923, reprinted by Naval & Military Press, 2001). Brightwell is commemorated on the
Memorial to Staff of the
Ministry of Labour, now hanging in Caxton House, Tothill Street, London SW1.
|
