Private Charles Brash MM

London Gazette
Issue No. 31759, supplement of the London Gazette ( the official newspaper of record of Great Britain) on 27 January 1920, carried a list of all former Prisoners of War, during WW1, who had escaped from their captors, thus earning that man a Military Medal. Amongst those named was Charles Brash.
WW1 Medal Auction
In 2007 when the story of Charles Brash’s Military Medal being put up for sale by auction house Dix Noonan Webb appeared in a local newspaper, it was to be the first time that his family had heard of his award. The fact that he died whilst his children were quite young may have had a part to play in this, but, the fact that even his own wife knew nothing of his award speaks volumes for the man and his typically British “just doing my job” attitude.
The Early Years
Charles Brash was born on 15th September 1885 at the family home of 18 Potters Row, St Giles Edinburgh. He was the second youngest of 7 children (3 boys, 4 girls) born to David and Mary (nee Stewart) Brash.
At 18, and already a qualified shoeing smith (farrier), Charles became 8297 Private Charles Brash of the Argyll and Sutherland Regiment. During his three years serving with “the colours”, he served time in Africa. In 1905 he left the army but transferred to the reserve list, whereby he could be recalled to his regiment in the case of a national emergency.
Before the War
Charles appears to have abandoned his trade and was following in his father’s footsteps, working as a mason’s labourer.
During this time Charles was tried and convicted, twice, of misdemeanour offences and received a sentence of 7 days in prison (1906) for the first of these offences and a choice of a 5/ (shillings) fine or 3 days imprisonment for the second offence in 1911.
Charles married Margaret (Maggie) Cochrane (the daughter of James and Margaret (nee Crosbie) Cochrane), by declaration on George IV Bridge, Edinburgh on 2nd January 1907. Marriage by declaration was known as an irregular marriage, whereby the couple exchanged promises before witnesses (Edward and Elizabeth Duffy) but not before an established clergyman. Although this type of marriage was heavily frowned upon, it was, in fact, a perfectly legal marriage under Scottish law until 1940.
Before the outbreak of war, Charles and Maggie had the first 4 of what was to be, ultimately, 6 children.
Re-engagement
His, nine years of service on the reserve list came to an end in 1913. So, Charles applied to re-engage in the army reserve for a further 4 years. However, world events were to determine that this engagement was to be much shorter, and Charles rejoined the 2nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regular army in 1914.
The Great War
On 4th August 1914, Britain declared war on Germany, after Germany had invaded neutral Belgium.
The 2nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were one of the first battalions to arrive in France. Charles entered the theatre of war on the 10th August, less than one week after war was declared.
On the 26th August 1914, the 2nd battalion were involved in a rearguard action during the battle of Le Cateau following the retreat of the British, Belgian and French forces from the battle of La Mons. Charles and 72 of his regiment were captured.
Prisoner of War August 1914- August 1916
For the next 717 days, Charles was held in various unregistered Prisoner of War camps, in contravention of the 1907 Hague Conventions rules of fair treatment of POW’s. The National Archive series WO161/98/668 on the treatment of Charles Brash, gives his own account of his forced labour, brutal treatment and the punishments he received whilst in these camps. Charles refused, at one point, to conduct work that he considered to be of help to the German war effort, stating that he would rather be shot.
During this time Charles had two failed escape attempts. Following the second attempt in April 1916, he was brought before the Commandant and told that if any further attempts were made, he would be shot without trial.
The Escape
On the 13th August 1916 from Bechsten-Listrup Prisoner of War camp, near Hanover in Germany, Charles made his third  escape bid. He had feigned illness to be allowed to occupy a bed in the hospital hut and, with Pte Thomas MacDonald of 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders, crept out of the window and over the barbed wire fence. Brash and MacDonald marched all night and spent the next day hiding, narrowly evading capture on, at least, two occasions.  That night following a westerly course they swam two rivers and reached the border of neutral Holland in the early hours of Tuesday 15th August 1916.
1916-1918
Charles had two months home leave to recover from the injuries he sustained whilst making his escape.
On the 26th October 1916, Charles departed for Macedonia and later moved onto Salonika. In January 1918 he was transferred as a Sapper into the Royal Engineers. On 21st March 1918 he was, once more, being shipped home, having now contracted malaria.
After serving 16 years and 217 days in both the regular army and the army reserve on the 19th October 1918, Charles was discharged from the army because he was considered no longer physically fit for active duty.
After the War
Charles Brash is believed to have suffered from a drink problem after the war ended. Whether this was caused by his treatment during the almost two years that he was held as a prisoner of war is not known. However it is known that in 1922, Charles applied to join the “D” list army reserve.
In 1925, aged only 38 years, Charles Brash died of pneumonia in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Commendation
“ in recognition of gallant conduct and determination in escaping or attempting to escape from captivity”