John's Story.
Birkenhead News 28 March 1918TRAMDRIVER’S SON KILLED
On May 13th, 1917, Private John Brett, whose home is at 9, Carrington Street, Birkenhead, and who had been serving in the 22nd Batt. Manchester Regt., was posted as missing, after the fighting at Bullecourt. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Brett, have, after ten months’ anxiety, now received from the war office the sad intimation that he is now reported as killed on or about the date stated, no information being obtainable about him. He was 22 years of age, and on the outbreak of the war joined the 4th Battalion Cheshire Regt., going out to France in August 1916, when he was transferred to the Manchester Regt. Before joining the Army he was employed in the Corporation tramways department.
Sympathy with Mr. and Mrs. Brett in the loss of their son will be all the greater because the family have shown a very patriotic spirit. Mr. Brett himself, who was a well-known tram-driver on the Borough Road route, joined the 14th Cheshires, afterwards becoming attached to 10th Battalion of the same regiment, and serving in France. After considerable service he was released from the Army, and returned to his tramway duties, which he is still following out. A second son, Pte. J.R. Brett, originally joined the 3rd Batt. K.L.R., and is still at the front; and a younger son, Pte. Robert Brett, joined later, has served in France with the K.L.R., and is now invalided home with “trench feet.”