Frank and Bruce Oliver, casualties of war
Frank and Bruce Oliver were brothers who attended Shoreham Grammar School in the early 1900’s. Unfortunately, both were casualties of World War One, Frank directly and Bruce, some years later. Thanks to Kerry Hoadley, an ancestor of the brothers, now living in Australia, for his article and pictures.
Frank Oliver was born on 13 April 1893 and was killed at Locre, Belgium on 3rd July 1917, aged 24. He was a private in the Army Service Corp. There were six NCOs and men killed by a bomb dropping from enemy aircraft. They were buried at DRANOUTRE Military Cemetery with full Military Honours; Frank was the son of Joseph and Ellen (nee Hoadley) Oliver, of Turners House, Punnetts Town, Heathfield, Sussex.
Bruce Oliver was born in 1897. He was a Lieutenant in the Artillery and won the Military Cross in France, later presented to him at Buckingham Palace by King George 5th. Bruce died in 1921 as a result of a gas attack sustained in WW1 in France.
The photos below show Frank and Bruce in their uniforms (Frank is on the left) plus an extract from a newspaper of Bruce’s award of the Military Cross.
