fivedock

From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website: Name:SEABROOK, THEO LESLIE Initials:T L Nationality:Australian Rank:Private Regiment/Service:Australian Infantry, A.I.F. Unit Text:17th Bn. Age:24 Date of Death:20/09/1917 Service No:6147 Additional information:Son of William George and Fanny Isabel Seabrook, of Great North Rd., Fivedock, New South Wales. His brothers William Keith Seabrook and George Ross Seabrook also fell. Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference:Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31. Memorial:YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Name:SEABROOK, WILLIAM KEITH Initials:W K Nationality:Australian Rank:Second Lieutenant Regiment/Service:Australian Infantry, A.I.F. Unit Text:17th Bn. Age:21 Date of Death:21/09/1917 Additional information:Son of William George and Fanny Isabel Seabrook, of Great North Rd., Five Dock, Sydney, New South Wales. His brothers George Ross Seabrook and Theo Leslie Seabrook also fell. Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference:XXIII. B. 5. Cemetery:LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY Name:SEABROOK, GEORGE ROSS Initials:G R Nationality:Australian Rank:Private Regiment/Service:Australian Infantry, A.I.F. Unit Text:17th Bn. Age:25 Date of Death:20/09/1917 Service No:6174 Additional information:Son of William George and Fanny Isabel Seabrook, of Great North Rd., Fivedock, New South Wales. His brothers Theo Leslie Seabrook and William Keith Seabrook also fell. Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference:Panel 7 - 17 - 23 - 25 - 27 - 29 - 31. Memorial:YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL

My friend's Great-Grandfather & his four brothers all fell in WW1-the Munn brothers of Dalmuir Clydebank.

Thank you for your comments. If you have a spare minute, please light a light to help us remember those who died in the First World War, at www.1914.org/wall/

www.awm.gov.au/blog/2007/11/13/the-seabrook-brothers-all-... As haunting as any image of the ghosts of Passchendaele is this studio portrait photo of the Seabrook brothers, the sons of William and Fanny Seabrook of Five Dock in Sydney NSW. Theo (age 25) and George (age 24) were both privates, while their younger brother William (age 20), with his previous military experience, soon made it to Second Lieutenant. William had in fact joined the AIF back in August 1915, but this had somehow fallen through as he was discharged two months later. At any rate, he joined up again with his two elder brothers in August 1916 and they left Sydney together as part of the 17th Reinforcements for the 17th Infantry Battalion. By the time they got over to Belgium to actually join their unit it was already June 1917 and preparations were well underway for the great offensive at Ypres. The Battle of Menin Road that began on 20 September 1917 was the first engagement of Australian infantry in this offensive and proved a stunning success. But despite this success, for the Seabrook boys it was their first, last and only battle. All three were mortally wounded in action, and died in the days immediately afterwards. For some the war was very short, but the sacrifice was nevertheless the full measure. One can scarcely begin to imagine what went through the minds of William and Fanny Seabrook, and how they might come to terms with this perhaps baffling and seemingly pointless loss of their three cherished sons. William is buried at the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, just west of Ypres. George and Theo’s remains were either never identified or never found, so they are commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.

From the Obituary to George Ross Seabrook, published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 19 December 1917: "An unusually sad war tragedy has overtaken the family of Mr. and Mrs. Seabrook, of Petersham, three sons having perished on the Western front in the course of two days. The three boys—the oldest was only 25½ years of age—were in the same battalion of infantry, and they left Sydney on the same day. The elder two of the brothers, Private George Ross Seabrook and Private Theo Leslie Seabrook, were killed in action, on September 20. The former was a master painter, well known in Petersham and Bankstown, and the latter was a fireman at the loco works at Eveleigh, and was well known in Armidale. The youngest of the three, Lieutenant W. (Keith) Seabrook, was 21 years of age, and was engaged as a telephonist at Ashfield. He died of wounds on September 21. For 12 months prior to leaving for the front he was a Lieutenant at Casula, Liverpool, and Cootamundra, and being too young to hold a commission, he went away as a sergeant, receiving his commission as Second-Lieutenant in France."// *** Lieutenant Keith Seabrook died of his wounds at Lijssenthoek Casualty Clearing Station. The bodies of his brothers were probably too destroyed or too inaccessible to recover for burial.

C. Sugden, Tobacconist and Hairdresser. See signage on wall of building visible in this photo of the wider streetscape: Location is Parramatta Rd, Five Dock (between Ashfield and Drummoyne), near Croydon Rd. - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/16324247 [see "Businesses for sale", 1st column]. Sugden was still there in May 1932 - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/46653218

That would be Drummoyne municipality but the suburb there is Five Dock.

Google Street View: www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.872964,151.126018,3a,75y,109....

It appears over on the far right of this photo, at the entry to Henley Marine Drive was another full service station. I think that building exists, only in a modified form as the Amber tiles.