Eric Arthur Brakewell

This story and photos are shared by the Trust with kind permission from Martin Danks, nephew of Eric Breakwell

Eric Arthur Breakwell, Service Number 4916695, South Staffordshire Regiment, 1/6 Battalion, C Company.

Eric Breakwell was a resident of Tipton, Staffordshire, West Midlands. Prior to the declaration of war, Eric was a member of the local Territorial Army (TA) unit associated with the South Staffordshire Regiment. He was participating in a military training exercise when war was declared on Sunday 3 September 1939. He did not return home from the exercise as his unit became operational and it was then deployed to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). He remained in France with the BEF until his unit was evacuated to England from Dunkirk

Eric remained in the South Staffordshire Regiment on unspecified military duties and deployments between 1940 and 1944.

Eric, second row, first left, with his platoon

 

Army life was described in letters, Christmas cards and a series of camp photographs.

South Staffs Regiment Christmas card 1940, photo taken in Dunkirk

 

Eric was married prior to the Normandy landings.

Eric was redeployed to France with the South Staffordshire Regiment during the Normandy landings. His letters home described the loss of colleagues (South Staffs et al) during fighting from the beachhead towards Caen. He was shot and killed outside Caen whilst facilitating the safe removal of French schoolchildren from the zone of active operations on 17 August 1944.

In August 1946 Eric's mother received this letter from France.

Eric wasn't the only member of his family serving in Normandy as another uncle was providing minesweeping cover during Normandy landing of US troops. His experience would provide him with another story later on in life as he had been blown overboard when a shell hit the boat. He climbed back onboard and turned home. However, UK police arrested him 2010 after a hospital X-ray revealed a bullet in his arm. My uncle was released without charge!