Kent House, 2 Columbia Road, Oxton
22nd December 1916
Dear Sir
I received the enclosed last night which confirms the fate of Lieut J C Brown Constable, reported wounded and missing on 1st July. The person signing the certificate is now a patient in the Queen Alexandra Military Hospital, London, and Mr Constable’s relatives would be obliged if you would issue instructions for Pte Robertson to be officially interviewed and a notification of Lieut Brown Constable’s death published in the Gazette as “Killed in action”. This would enable me (his uncle) to take necessary measures for settling up Mr Constable’s estate.
I do not know the regulations but as Mrs Brown Constable was partly dependent on her lost son, I wish to enquire if she is entitled to any allowance in consequence of her son’s death in action.
Would you please send Mrs Brown Constable, 67 Rue Grande Boulgone sur Mer, France, an official notification of her son’s having been killed in action. As she resides in France, I am acting in her interest in this country.
Yours faithfully
Benson P Wall
ENCLOSED NOTE
Queen Alexandra Military Hospital, London
Dec 21st 1916
This is to certify that on July 1st 1916, I saw Lt J C Brown Constable hit by a piece of shell and instantaneously killed. His body was placed in a shell hole by myself, which was probably covered in later by the Germans.
This statement was previously made by me to Captain Wilkie, Minister to the Forces, at Minden, Germany, who was to have forwarded it to the War Office.
Signed G Robertson Pte 6546, 1st London Scottish
