Martin BRENNAN c1878-1915 died at Gallipoli

[fullscott]

This man served as JOHN CLARKE and so is "mis-filed" in the WW1 Service Records (WO 363). The papers are badly damaged.

As Clarke, Martin BRENNAN joined the Border Regiment at Salford, Manchester on 7 January 1915, declaring age 36y 9m, born Salford, previous service in the Lancaster Regt. Home address - Salford.

Died of wounds 28 June 1915, he was buried at Cape Helles, Gallipoli.

There is no explanation of how the Army found that he was BRENNAN, and the next-of-kin form is poorly written. He was a bachelor, both parents deceased, and appears to have had 3 sisters, all married. They are possibly: Mary Ann WALSH (Liverpool), Ellen PAGNALL(?) or MALLORY(?) (Bolton) & Elizabeth DONNELLY(?).

Hopefully one of these names will ring a bell with a descendant!

Anc****y, CLA, pages 150813 to 150833

[Lesley Robertson]

CWGC has him as 16159 LCpl J Clarke of 1 Btn Border Regt, d. 28 Jun 1915, buried Pink Farm Cemetery, Helles. The Grave Registration Docs do not mention family at all.... Neither does "Soldiers Who Died".
I see what you mean about the records being badly written (I'm looking at Anc's version)! There's a note on one of the forms (the one that says that he's died and where they buried him) says "Unable to {contact?} next of kin, post from {?} forward to Post Office.

There;'s the faint mention of service in Kings Liv Reg? It might say "volunteered"..
There's the usual "regret to inform you"letter and burial notice, and a confirmation of receipt for the 14/15 star from Mary A Walsh, specifying the Clarke name, number, etc. There's also a letter from the War Office requiring that medals "of the late No 16159. Lance Corporal J. Clarke (otherwise Martin Brennan) to the deceased NCO's sister, Mrs MA Walsh, 33 Addison St, Liverpool.
Oddly, there's a second form saying that property belonging to him "alias Martin Brennan" should be sent to Mrs Bagnall, address in Bolton, "who should be informed any effects received also the equal property of herself and her sisters" {not my punctuation}
There's a form signed by Mary Ann giving details of the sisters stamped Jan 1921.

That's all in Anc's pack. It almost looks as though the army could have found out from the sisters. Mind you, considering how many of these men you're finding, it must have been pretty routine!