: Edward was born in Fishponds, Bristol on 27th September 1894, the son of Thirza Brain, a domestic servant. No father is named on his birth certificate. In 1901, age 6, he was living in Harley Wood, Nailsworth with his mother, and his grandmother, Eliza Brain. His mother, Thirza, died later that year at the age of 30. I have not been able to positively identify him in the 1911 census.
His service records have not survived, so we do not know when he enlisted, but the 1st Glosters were mobilised for war and landed in France on 13th August 1914 In 1915 they were involved in the Battle of Loos, the largest British offensive to date and part of another Franco-British attempt to destroy the stalemate of trench warfare and break through the German lines. This battle saw the first British use of poison gas. 75,000 British infantrymen advanced under cover of a smoke screen to capture Loos and Hill 70 before moving up to Lens but their success was short-lived; short of ammunition and fresh troops the advance stalled and Hill 70 was retaken by the Germans.
On 26th September the arrival of German reinforcements coincided with another British assault. Eventually, realising that the assault had failed, on 28th September the British retreated to their starting point of 25th September.
: Edward was killed in action on 26th September 1915 is commemorated on the Loos Memorial.
