BRAMPTON REMEMBERS

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row”
— John McCrae, 1915

Today, Brampton joins communities across the country in remembering those who gave their lives in the service of others. We honour the men and women who served during two World Wars and in conflicts since, and reflect on the sacrifices made by generations of families.

For Brampton, remembrance is deeply personal. The names of those who served and those who never returned are woven into our town's history. Behind each was a family, a home and a life that mattered, while their loss was felt throughout the community.

We invite you to join us in Brampton this Remembrance Sunday, to stand together in quiet reflection and pay tribute to all those who served and sacrificed.

The afternoon's commemorations begin with a wreath-laying ceremony at Brampton War Memorial Hospital. The Remembrance Parade then assembles in the Market Place before marching along Front Street to St Martin's Church for the Remembrance Service. Following the service, the parade returns to the Market Place, where it halts by the Moot Hall and is formally dismissed by the Parade Commander.

We will remember them.

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FALLEN MEN OF BRAMPTON – REMEMBRANCE 2026

Sergeant Thomas Ruddick and Surgeon Major Dr William Symington

Two men from Brampton’s First World War history followed very different paths: one worked for the railways before joining the artillery, while the other was a qualified doctor with many years of military service.

Sergeant Thomas Ruddick – 279th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
Born into a Brampton family, Thomas was the son of Joseph and Margaret Ruddick and worked for the North Eastern Railway before the war. He served as a Sergeant with the 279th Siege Battery, whose heavy guns supported troops on the Western Front. He died on 17 November 1917, aged 30, leaving behind his wife and family.

Thomas is buried at Wimereux Communal Cemetery near Boulogne, France. During the war, Wimereux was an important centre for military hospitals, receiving wounded and sick servicemen from the fighting. Also buried there is Major John McCrae, the Canadian military doctor who wrote In Flanders Fields in 1915, inspired by the death of a fellow soldier. His poem became one of the most recognised works of the First World War and helped establish the poppy's association with remembrance.

Surgeon Major Dr William Symington – Royal Army Medical Corps
William was born in Penicuik, Scotland, the son of Mr and Mrs Henry Symington. He studied medicine at Edinburgh Institution, qualifying M.B., C.M. in 1886, and became Surgeon-Major with the 4th Border Regiment in July 1891.

In 1892, he married Emily Ethel Lee in Brampton, and the couple had two daughters. Census records place William at Leafield, Brampton, from 1901 onwards. He was mobilised in August 1914 following the outbreak of war and died on 3 September 1916, aged 51. William is buried in Brampton's Old Churchyard, and his name is commemorated on plaques at St Martin's Church and Brampton War Memorial Hospital.

We will remember them.

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Fallen Men of Brampton – Remembrance 2026

Private Fred Brown and Private Peter Burn – Royal Welsh Fusiliers

The photograph of Private Fred Brown and Private Peter Burn, taken during military training in North Wales, offers a glimpse of two more of our Brampton men who served during the First World War. Peter stands at the far left of the front row, while Fred is second from the right in the back row.

The second photograph is a portrait of Private Fred Brown in his military uniform. Together, these images provide a poignant historical record of two young men from our town, photographed during a period that would change so many lives.

Private Peter Burn served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and died on 22 April 1918, aged just 19. Private Fred Brown also served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and his name appears on Brampton's Roll of Honour. Their photographs are a reminder of the individuals behind the names recorded in our town's wartime history.

During the First World War, 387 men from Brampton were recorded as having served in almost 50 different regiments. Of those, 66 were killed or died from wounds, while many others returned home carrying the physical and emotional consequences of war.

Photographs such as these are an important part of Brampton's history. They preserve the faces of men whose lives were shaped by the conflict and help future generations understand the sacrifices made by their community.

As we share these photographs, we remember Private Peter Burn, Private Fred Brown and all those from Brampton who served during the First World War. Their names and stories remain part of our town's history, and their service deserves to be remembered.

We will remember them.

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Fallen Men of Brampton – Remembrance 2026

Lieutenant Lawrence Stanley Carrick

From Brampton to the battlefields of France, Lieutenant Carrick's military career took him across continents before his death during WWI.

Lieutenant Lawrence Stanley Carrick was the son of John and Catherine Elizabeth Carrick, of The Grange, Brampton. Before serving in WWI, he had taken part in the South African War and served with the Royal North-West Mounted Police in Canada. He later joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force, serving as a Lieutenant with the 49th Battalion, Canadian Infantry.

On 15 September 1916, Lieutenant Lawrence Stanley Carrick was killed in action in France, aged 34. His death was described in a letter written by Captain B. H. Taylor of the 49th Battalion to Lawrence's family. Captain Taylor explained that Lawrence had been leading his platoon during an attack on German positions. Having taken an enemy trench, the men were digging in beyond it when Lawrence was shot by a sniper.

Captain Taylor also recorded that Lawrence's body had been recovered by two of his men and buried alongside the Company Sergeant-Major, who had been killed during the same action.

Despite this account of his burial, Lawrence's grave had not been officially identified at the time of the research. His name is commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France, which honours Canadian servicemen who died during WWI and have no known grave.

Research into unidentified Canadian soldiers suggested that a grave at Adanac Military Cemetery in France might contain Lawrence's remains. The grave was identified as Plot 8, Row J, Grave 4, and evidence was submitted to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for consideration.

We will remember them.

Sources: Canadian Virtual War Memorial; Captain B. H. Taylor's letter, published in the Red Deer News, 13 December 1916.

Photo: Canadian Expeditionary Force officer's uniform, 1917, similar to that worn by Lieutenant Carrick. Wikimedia Commons (CC0–Public Domain).

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Fallen Men of Brampton – Remembrance 2026

Lance Corporal John O’Hara MM

Brampton was home to Lance Corporal John O’Hara, who served with the Northumberland Fusiliers during WWI. Born in Ripon, Yorkshire, he was the son of Edward and Anne O’Hara. He was one of four children and lived on Gelt Road in Brampton.

In 1907, John married Margaret Ann Stewart and later enlisted in the Army at Carlisle. He served with the 1st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, under service number 23477.

John was awarded the Military Medal (MM), an award recognising bravery in the field. On 17 May 1918, Lance Corporal John O’Hara died of wounds, aged 39.

He is buried at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery in the Pas-de-Calais region of France, in grave IX. B. 88. His name is also commemorated on the memorial plaques in St Martin's Church and Brampton War Memorial Hospital.

A report in the Cumberland News in 1918 recorded a special service at St Martin's Church, Brampton, held in memory of 28 officers and men from the town who had lost their lives during the war. As we remember Lance Corporal John O’Hara, we remember his service with the Northumberland Fusiliers and the bravery recognised by his Military Medal.

We will remember them.

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FALLEN MEN OF BRAMPTON – REMEMBRANCE 2026

Private Thomas William Potts and Private John William Gulliver

Two young men with different backgrounds, both with homes and families in Brampton, lost their lives in France during the spring and summer of 1916. Thomas William Potts was 25, and John William Gulliver was 26.

Private Thomas William Potts – 11th Battalion, Border Regiment (The Lonsdales)
Thomas was the eldest son of Arthur William and Dorothy Jane Potts of Ridge Vale Gardens, Brampton, and had two brothers and a sister. Before enlisting, he worked as a painter and decorator, later serving with the 11th Battalion, Border Regiment. He was killed in action on 30 May 1916, aged 25, and a tribute published in the Cumberland News described him as “A true and loving son” who had bravely answered duty's call. Thomas is buried at Authuille Military Cemetery, on the Somme in France.

Private John William Gulliver – 7th/8th Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers
John was the son of George and Sarah Gulliver and lived on Gelt Road, Brampton. One of seven children, he worked as a farm worker before enlisting and later served with the King's Own Scottish Borderers. John was killed in action on 9 July 1916, aged 26, but was initially reported missing. On 12 August 1916, the Cumberland News published an appeal from his mother, asking anyone with information about her son to get in touch. John is commemorated on the Loos Memorial in France.

Both men are also commemorated on the memorial plaques at St Martin's Church and Brampton War Memorial Hospital.

We will remember them.

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Fallen Men of Brampton – Remembrance 2026

Private Hardy McDougall and Private George McDougall

As Remembrance Day approaches, Discover Brampton will be remembering some of the men from our town who lost their lives during the First World War and its aftermath. Behind every name on our war memorials was a man with a family, a home and a life before the war.

We begin by remembering brothers Hardy and George McDougall, both born in Brampton, sons of William and Sarah McDougall of Warren Bank Lodge. The family had five sons and one daughter, but would lose two of their sons, one on the battlefields of France and the other through illness in Egypt.

Private Hardy McDougall – 11th Battalion, Border Regiment (The Lonsdales)
The eldest son, Hardy was killed in action on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, aged just 20. Initially reported wounded or missing, his death was not officially confirmed until 1917. In a letter dated 30 January 1917, Army chaplain Rev. A. Crosse told his parents that Hardy's body had been identified and buried with full honours. A wooden cross marked his grave, and cavalrymen attended the funeral. The chaplain wrote: “We cannot do enough for noble fellows like your son who has given his life for his country.” Hardy is buried at Lonsdale Cemetery, Authuille, France, and commemorated at St Martin's Church, Brampton.

Private George McDougall – 54th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps
George served with the Machine Gun Corps and died of pneumonia in hospital in Alexandria, Egypt, in March 1919, aged 21. His death came more than four months after the Armistice, when the fighting had ended but servicemen were still losing their lives. He is buried at Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt, where his gravestone bears the inscription “Gone but not forgotten.” George is commemorated at St Martin's Church and Brampton War Memorial Hospital.

Buried far apart, the brothers are remembered together in Brampton.
We will remember them.

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