WW2 trunk found

Old lady who lived next door to me she was 87 she gave me a trunk before she died. Not thinking owt of it I had it 10 years . I was sat in the shed and the light shone sideways in revieling some writing which said on 1 side sgt frank brake RAPC and other side cpl frank brake free pow.
She told me story's of her husband who was taken pow for 2 years the army told her he was dead and 2 years later he walked in then she collapsed in shock. I have no idea what to do with the box or is it worth anything. It has a lid aswell

 

Was the box his or just something that ended up his shed ? Whether it's worth anything probably depends on whether it is a military box or one that he acquired along the way. What does it look like inside ? Does it have any other markings or handles on the end or inside the lid ?

 

Yeah it was his it has his name on it. Il check later today and get back with more pictures thanks for the reply rich

 

...so he was Pay Corps and at one point in Freetown which was used as a naval base....I wonder where and when he was captured ?

 

I couldn't ask as she died 10 year ago the box probs is wortless but a good story attached to it.

 

Rest of the pictures

 

What else do you know about him, when did he die, where did he die? the same town/area as his wife

I can only find a H E Brake as a POW in Germany

TD

 

Lived in Leeds 19 easdale mount Seacroft. And other parts of leeds

 

Possible

England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Frank Henry E Brake
Death Age: 81
Birth Date: 12 Dec 1919
Registration Date: Sep 2001
Registration District: Leeds
Inferred County: West Yorkshire
Register Number: A28C
District and Subdistrict: 0921A
Entry Number: 229

England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
Name: Frank H E Brake
Registration Date: Apr 1941
[May 1941]
[Jun 1941]
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration District: Leeds
Inferred County: Yorkshire West Riding
Spouse: Iris H Gill
Volume Number: 9b
Page Number: 976

UK, Electoral Registers, 2003-2010
Name: Mrs Iris H Brake
Residence Date: 2003-2010
Address: 19, Easdale Mount, LS14 6QQ
Residence Place: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England


England and Wales, Death Index, 1989-2019
Name: Mrs Iris Helene Brake
Gender: Female
Age: 89
Birth Date: 1922
Last Residence: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Postal Code District: LS15
Death Date: 25 Sep 2011

TD

 

Yes that's the one his wife was iris. Bloody hell your good hahah

 

Can you find any pow stuff I wouldn't mind finding out

 

TD

 

Theres a PoW Card for H E Brake and strangely enough he has the same date of birth as F H E Brake ? Not RAPC though?

WO 416/39/394
Description: PoW Card
Name: Henry Ernest Brake.
Date of Birth: 12/12/1919.
Place of Birth: Newport.
Service: British Army.
Rank: Private.
Regiment/Unit/Squadron: [The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment)].
Service Number: 5569096
Date of Capture: [unspecified].
Theatre of Capture: [unspecified].
Camp Name/Number: Stalag XIA Altengrabow.
PoW number: 142770.
Date of Death: [unspecified].
Number of Photographs: 0.
Number of Fingerprints: 0.
Number of X-rays: 0.
Number of Cards: 3.

Name: Henry Ernest Brake . Date of Birth: 12/12/1919 . Place of Birth: Newport . ... | The National Archives

Kyle

 

I can see another bit of writing " uk and looks to be Yorkshire or york.

Wait the final clue has revieled it self hahaha

Lightly scraped away the paint

You found him 5569096 well done hahaha

 

I wonder if he was a Norwegian Campaign prisoner who served post-war in the Pay Corps ?

 

Well seems someone needs to send off for his service records - Request records of deceased service personnel death certificate details for ordering a copy of that are in post no 9

TD


Family Tree
Frank Henry E Brake
1919–2001
BIRTH 12 DEC 1919 • NEWPORT, ISLE OF WHITE
DEATH SEP 2001 • Yorkshire


Father:
ERNEST BRAKE
1881–1931
BIRTH 1881 • WHIPPINGHAM, ISLE OF WHITE
DEATH 1931 • NEWPORT, ISLE OF WHITE

Mother:
ETHEL MARY BUTT
1880–
BIRTH 1880 • ISLE OF WHITE
DEATH Unknown

Had 6 children

 

Thanks for the help with the info guys. Any idea what to do with it is the question really.

 

Keep it
Store nuts and bolts in it

 

Man cave it ww2 beer storage unit haha