Joe Brownhill was born at *****tone in 1893, the second of six sons of George Brownhill, a labourer in the steelworks, and his wife Sophia (nee Haigh) who lived in Don St, Springvale. Sophia died in 1909, and sometime before 1911 the family moved to 22 Sheffield Rd, Springvale. Joe was employed by Mr. F. Tinker as a painter.   

Joe was killed in action on 6th February 1916, while serving with the 24th Btn. Manchester Regiment, (the Oldham Pals). Joe’s nephew remembered that Joe was killed by a “cylinder” rolling into a new trench he was digging. It killed him outright. We think the “cylinder” would probably have been a trench mortar or a grenade.

Janet Dyson