Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Plymouth Naval Memorial, Devon | 32 | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.117 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 22A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | Distinguished Service Cross | ||
Early Life :
The majority of this legend is courtesy of Geoff Cuthill of the Province of West Lancashire, to whom the project is grateful.He was born 25 September 1886 in Manchester, to John Baddeley Brade, a political agent, and Sarah Rowbotham Brade (nee Tomkinson), John, having been born in 1860 at Newcastle under Lyne, Staffordshire, while Sarah, had been born at Stockport in 1860, and they had married at Prestwich, Manchester in 1885. Frank is found in 1891 at the Great Hanwood National and Church of England School, Shropshire leaving on 18 December. John had been a teacher at the prestigious musical school of Cheethams, Manchester, but by 1901, he had become a Political Registration Agent. The census of 1901 shows the family at 13 The Park, Eccles, his father age 40, as is his mother, Frank 14 and sister Hilda Kathleen 10.
On 26 January 1905 Frank is listed as an 18 year old Manchester born apprentice aboard the Liverpool registered SS Matterhorn arriving at Sydney, New South Wales from San Francisco, USA. He obtains his certificate of competency as a Second Mate having passed his examination at Liverpool on 2 October 1905 with his certificate (numbered 039270) issued on 5 October. His address is recorded as 43 Victoria Crescent, Eccles. A fairly basic description is given of him as 5 foot 3 inch in height with a light complexion, dark hair and blue eyes. It further states that his apprentice indentures had been signed on1 July 1901 and completed 30 June 1905 and endorsed on 5 July.
On 24 July 1905 Frank, with the service number 1529, becomes a “Midshipman”, (probationary) with the Royal Naval Reserve, and on 23 February 1909 he is given the rank of Acting Sub-Lieutenant.
On 8 February 1909 he passes his examination at Liverpool to First Mate, and on 11 September 1911passes as a Master for foreign going vessels, and this also notes he has passed a test with regard to having ‘higher vision’.
The census of 1911 has Frank serving as Acting Sub–Lieutenant, Royal Naval Reserve 414 on H.M.S. Aboukir at Tamar in Devonshire. His family home at this time is at 43 Victoria Crescent, Eccles, Manchester, with his younger sister Hilda studying at University. Just after the census was taken Frank is promoted from Acting Sub–Lieutenant to Sub-Lieutenant on 28 April 1911. His seamanship was obviously to a good standard as he is recorded for 1911 in the Index to Captains Registers of Lloyd’s of London held at the Guildhall Library. The London Gazette of 27th April 1913 shows Royal Navy Sub-Lieutenants to be made Lieutenants, which includes Frank, to become effective the following day.
On 23 December 1913 Frank married Maud Ethel Thorpe of Eccles at Manchester Cathedral. He is described as a 27 year old bachelor, a Master Mariner, the son of John Baddeley Brade a Secretary. Maud is also 27, a spinster, the daughter of Alfred John Thorpe, Manager. The couple give their residence at time of marriage as the Mitre Hotel. They had two children Joan Maud born at Eccles on 7 May 1916 and Frank Victor born at Birkenhead on 16 April 1918. The family then who at the end of the war, would be living at 5 St. Nicholas Road, Wallasey.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: HMCMB No 67A |
| Action : Russia |
The Allied intervention was a multi-national military expedition launched in 1918 during the Russian Civil War and World War I. With the end of the Great War, the Allies, fearful of Bolshevism, openly intervened in the Russian Civil War, giving support to the pro-Tsarist, anti-Bolshevik White forces. However, opposition for the ongoing campaign became widespread, due to a combination of a lack of public support and war weariness; divided objectives and a lack of an overarching strategy also hampered the effort. These factors, together with the evacuation of the Czechoslovak legion and the deteriorating situation compelled the Allies to withdraw from North Russia and Siberia in 1920.
Detail :
Frank’s naval training during the war commenced on the Aquitania on 31 August 1914, moving to the Calgarian shortly after on 17 September. In 1916 Frank is listed as a passenger disembarking on 5th June, at Liverpool, aged 29, c/o The Admiralty London from the S.S. Metagama of the Canadian Pacific Line just arrived from Montreal, and Quebec, and prior to this he was aboard the Excellent. From 1917 he is given command of a number of ‘coastal motor boats’
The London Gazette of 12 May 1917 announced that the King had been graciously pleased to approve the award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Frank Tomkinson Brade, Royal Naval Reserve. Frank’s official number being N/E Lt. RNR 79D018, it was while aboard H.M. Coastal Motor Boat No.5 that while operating with the Dover Patrol attacking German destroyers his vessel broke down, but he the mechanic Logan managed to repair and restart the engines under heavy fire. Frank would later be promoted on 30 June 1918 from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander; this also was announced in the London Gazette.
He died on 18 August 1919, aged 32, as a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve, serving on H.M.C.M.B. No.67A, a 55ft Coastal Motor Boat which could reach a speed of over 35 42 knots. Built in 1918 by Salter brothers of Oxford, it could be armed with up to four Lewis guns, depth charges and 18’’ torpedoes, and carried a crew of between three to five men.
The official Royal Navy report has; 17th/18th - Attack on Kronstadt Naval Base - Late on the 17th, eight British 55ft type Coastal Motor Boats led by Cdr Claude Dobson in 'CMB-31' headed out of the Finnish base of Bjorko Sound only 30 miles from Russia's main naval port. Supported by RAF bombing raids, they broke into the inner harbour in the early morning. Cdr Dobson directed the boats headed by CMB's '31', '79' and '88'. Lt Agar VC in 'CMB-4' remained outside on guard.
As the attacks developed, old armoured cruiser 'PAMIAT AZOVA' (1890, 6,000t) serving as submarine depot ship 'Dvina' was hit by 'CMB-79' and sunk. In the rapidly moving action, 'CMB-79' (1917, 11t, 1 or 2-18in torpedoes) was then lost. The commanding officer of 'CMB-88' was killed and Lt Steele, second-in-command took over and pressed on. Accounts vary, but both Dobson's 'CMB-31' and Steele's 'CMB-88' appear to have made one hit each on the two biggest ships. Dreadnought 'PETROPAVLOSK' (1914, 24,000t, 12-12in) sank in shallow water and was salvaged later, and pre-dreadnought 'Andrei Pervozvanny' (1908, 17,400t, 4-12in) seriously damaged. The British boats failed to hit the Russian guardship, destroyer 'Gavriil' which sank two more of the attackers ('CMB-24' and 'CMB-62' or 'CMB-67' - accounts vary. The surviving five boats escaped. Cdr Claude Dobson DSO, RN and Lt Gordon Steele RN were awarded the Victoria Cross. It was further reported that ""Lieutenant-Commander Brade must have entered the middle harbour and fired his two torpedoes at some unknown target; when it is presumed that his boat was set on fire and sank."" . Frank’s boat was similar to the other vessels involved in the attack, being made of double or triple skin mahogany, which made them light, and also useful for mine clearance work.
Frank's death was reported in the Buxton Advertiser newspaper on 13th September, 1919 describing the attack on Kronstadt as an “encounter that will rank with the many heroic deeds of the Great War". It went on to say: ".. they succeeded in sinking a battlecruiser, battle ship and submarine depot ship. These gallant sailors went to almost certain death on these coastal motor boats (42 knot torpedo carriers) for they must have been the targets of heavy concentrated fire and knew they had little chance of returning."
The Index to wills shows; Brade, Frank Tomkinson of 5 St. Nicholas Road, Wallasey, Cheshire, Lieutenant Commander Royal Naval Reserve died 18th August 1919 at sea. Probate London 6th March 1920 to Maud Ethel Brade widow. Effects £338. Frank was posthumously awarded the Order of Liberty (Republic of Estonia) 26 March 1920 to add to the Distinguished Service Cross previously awarded on 11 May 1917.
Frank has no known grave and is commemorated on a number of memorials throughout the country as well as on Panel 32, of the Royal Naval Memorial at Plymouth, and on a special memorial to those killed in Baltic waters 1918 – 19 on the east wall of the Navy Aisle in Portsmouth Cathedral, which commemorates the 15 Royal Navy Officer, 92 ratings, 4 Royal Air Force officers and the one airman killed at this period.
Frank also appears on St. Hilary’s Church Memorial, Wallasey, the Memorial, Ward 7, Mill Lane Hospital, Wallasey, St Mary Eccles Parish Church, Buxton War Memorial, and in the Roll of Honour Book, published by United Grand Lodge in 1921.
A sad postscript is that his son Frank Victor Brade, husband of Peggy, lost his life aged 25 in World War 2, serving as Sergeant (Pilot) 947541 in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 2nd February 1944. He was laid to rest at Wallasey (Rake Lane) Cemetery in section 20 C. Grave 295. His wife moved to Swiss Cottage, London.
BRADE, Frank Tomlinson, Lieut-Commander, HMCMB No 67A In the raid on Kronstadt harbour on August 18, 1919, he [Dobson] led the C.M.B. flottilla which sank three large ships (two battleships and a submarine depot ship) and damaged other units. The flotilla consisted of eight 55-ft. boats, and was attached to the First Cruiser Squadron under Rear-Admiral W. H. Cowan and the Second Destroyer Flotilla under Captain Colin Maclean, which had for some time been operating in the Baltic. Having lost the cruiser Oleg in June, 1919, by torpedo attack from a coastal motor-boat commanded by Lieutenant A. W. S. Agar, V.C., the Bolshevists did not risk a ship outside harbour. A bold operation therefore seemed called for if the C.M.B.s were to justify their presence. Of the eight craft which entered the harbour of Kronstadt three were sunk and their commanding officers taken prisoner; while in another the captain was killed and his second in-command, Lieutenant Gordon Steele (afterwards Captain-Superintendent of the Worcester), carried on, torpedoed two ships, and gained the V.C. Commander Dobson was in C.M.B. No. 31 BD, to which had been allotted the torpedoing of the battleship Andrei Pervozvanni; this was duly done. The operation was admirably conceived and as admirably executed, and probably was unique in regard to the amount of damage inflicted in relation to the small cost of the units actually engaged. Lieutenant-Commander Brade must have entered the middle harbour and fired his two torpedoes at some unknown target; when it is presumed that his boat was set on fire and sank. BRADE had been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross Se also the entry for Archibald DAYRELL-READ who was killed in the same action. Source; http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=127817
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Victoria No. 1345 E.C. | West Lancashire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
16th January 1919 | 20th March 1919 | 15th April 1919 |
Frank was initiated a member of Victoria Lodge No 1345 on 16th January 1919, a 33 year old Master Mariner while residing at 58 Nicholas Road, Wallasey. He was passed as a fellow-craft on 20 March, and raised as a master mason on 15 April, with his Grand Lodge certificate issued on 28 May 1919.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley