WW1 Brett Brothers

Leslie Henry Brett (4/230) was born on 26 February 1893, to Arthur Roland Brett and Eva Laura  Brett (nee Barker) of Shortland Street, Auckland, and Calliope Road Devonport. He was one of four sons; Frederick Arthur Brett, Norman Kahioa (Kaharoa) Brett (44926), Trevor Roland Brett (31588), and two daughters- Mary Alleyne Brett and Nance Douglas Brett. The two other brothers who served in World War I, are mentioned below.

Leslie’s grandfather, Sir Henry Brett was the Auckland Star newspaper proprietor. He was also a local benefactor and donated the organ to the Auckland Town Hall in 1911.

Leslie attended King’s College and is commemorated on the Kings College Roll of Honour. On leaving school, he became a printer in his father’s company, the Brett Printing and Publishing Company in the Star Offices, Auckland.  He was a member of the College Rifles Rugby Football Club in Remuera.

Leslie enlisted and sailed on 14 August 1914 on the vessel ‘Moeraki’ as a Sapper with the Field Engineers, Signalling Division to Apia, Western Samoa, and was part of the of the Samoan Occupation Force Advance Party 1914-1915.  He was discharged from the New Zealand Army on 22 March 1915.[1]

On 29 January 1916, Leslie sailed to England to take up a commission as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant with the British Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS).  The Air Arm of the Royal Navy existed formally between 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918 when it was merged with the British Army’s Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force. [2]

Leslie was trained to fly at Eastchurch in Kent, England.  He joined RNAS No 2 Wing and was transferred to F Squadron based at Mudros on the Greek Island of Lemnos.  The island airbase was strategically close to the Dardanelles and Gallipoli. He flew a single seater fighter biplane, the Sopwith Camel.  On the day of his death, 22 July 1917, his aircraft had spun out of control killing him. He was aged 24.

He is buried at East Mudros Military Cemetery, Lemnos, Greece, III. G. 210.

He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal (1914-1920) and the Victory Medal.

There are memorial plaques to him:

• Roll of Honour, College Rifles, Rugby Union Football and Sports Club, 33 Haast Street, Remuera, Auckland
• Takapuna War Memorial, (ex RSA Roll, on a boulder), The Strand, Takapuna, Auckland,
• Roll of Honour, St Augustine’s (Anglican) Church, Calliope Street, Devonport, Auckland,
• Roll of Honour, Holy Trinity (Anglican) Church, 20 Church Street, Devonport, Auckland,

In 1916, Brett Avenue in Takapuna was named to commemorate the Brett family.