Week 6 - Favourite Photo

The Photo I Forgot and the Face I Finally Recognised

I am currently preparing to sell my house, which involves ruthlessly decluttering my house, clearing out my deceased mother's belongings, and preparing my house for sale. In the past two weeks I have set myself a daily goal to fill a bag of rubbish, find items to donate or recycle, and put an item online to sell. On Sunday 1 February, I decided to tackle the "inbox" in my study that had been growing for quite some time and was starting to resemble the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I discovered two things doing this: firstly, that if you leave things long enough in your inbox, then eventually it does not require any action other than shredding. Secondly, you can find some absolute gold items that you totally forgot you had! Today's photo falls into the second category.

The Photo

In January 2020 I travelled to Perth with my mum and son. We were catching up with our family over there: aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. One day we headed down to Mandurah to see a first cousin of Mum's on her mother's side who she hadn't seen for several years. While there, her daughter handed me a pile of newspaper clippings and photographs relating to my grandfather's side. In the pile was a photo of my maternal grandparents, Albert James "Byro" Newman and Marjorey June Brand, on their wedding day. I had found a few small wedding photos in my grandma's collection when she died; however, the one that had the bridesmaid and best man in it was quite overexposed, and it was difficult to make out who was in the photo. This one is so clear compared to the previous ones I had seen. In the photograph, from left to right, are my grandfather, Byro, my grandmother, Marj, her bridesmaid, who I still haven't identified, and a handsome young man in a suit. At the time, I asked my mum and her cousin if they knew who the others were, but alas, they did not know, as none of them had been born, and they did not recall seeing any other photos of the bridesmaid or the best man.

The Wedding Day

Albert James Newman and Marjorey June Brand were married on 5 June 1943 in Mount Helena, Western Australia, on her parents' dairy farm. Albert James Newman, or Byro, as he was to be known later in life, was 23 years old and born in Boulder near Kalgoorlie. Marjorey June Brand, known as Marj, was born in Pinjarra, Western Australia, and married on her 18th birthday. They looked so young and hopeful despite World War II ravaging the world with Marj's older brother, Al, away fighting. However, this time when I looked at the photograph I knew instantly who the handsome young man was! It was my grandmother's brother, Hilton Dudley Brand.

The Archives

In 2023 I went on a holiday to Canberra and decided to explore the National Archives of Australia. I decided to have a look at the original Military Service Records of a few of my relatives. I had seen them online; however, I wanted to touch the paper that they had touched when they signed for enlistment to serve in World War II. Hilton Dudley Brand's was one of the records I ordered. At the back of his folder was a photograph of him in his army uniform. I took a photo of it, and thought nothing of it.

The Discovery

As soon as I saw the wedding photo this time, I instantly knew who he was! The handsome face with the cheeky grin was Hilton Dudley Brand! I had not made the connection with the other photo I had of the wedding, as it was so dark. I just love how his formal military photo shows his character so beautifully. I would have loved to have met him! Hilton Dudley Brand, known as Dudley by his siblings, was born on 7 August 1923 in Wagerup, Western Australia. His parents, Fletcher Alderwin Brand and Gladys Gwendoline Matheson, had five children: Alywin, Hilton, Marjorey, Donald, and Gweneth. He enlisted on 19 December 1941, never saw active service, and was discharged medically unfit (he had asthma) on 28 April 1943 a few weeks before the wedding.

Why Didn't Anyone Recognise Him?

Mum and her cousins didn't know who he was because he tragically died a year after the wedding on 19 June 1944. He was standing on the back of a work truck travelling along the Great Eastern Highway in Chidlow, Western Australia, when it hit a bump and he fell off. He died instantly. He was 20 years old. Marj lost her older brother a year after she married; she was just 19 years old and was pregnant with my mum, so hence the reason Mum had no idea who he was either.

Why This Photo Matters

As I mentioned earlier, this is not my favourite photo; however, today it has become a firm runner up. This photograph shows my grandparents and great-uncle on a day when they were all still young and hopeful for the future. As soon as I saw this photo I knew it had to be the one I wrote about for this weeks challenge. What were the chances that I would pick that day to clear my inbox, or was it Hilton Dudley Brand subtly nudging me to identify him? One thing is for sure: finding it felt like discovering a forgotten treasure. I still do not know who the bridesmaid is; however, maybe serendipity will find me a second time. The main reason I am loving this photo is because of him. I have four photographs of him: the two wedding photos and the two on his service record. It proves he existed. That he was loved. My son is 21, an age that Hilton Dudley Brand never made. But at this moment, frozen in time, he was happy and carefree. One thing is certain: I will treasure this photo for the rest of my life. I will not relegate it to a forgotten pile. Because he deserves to be remembered for the happy young man he was.

Are you related to the Brand or Newman families of Western Australia? Or can you identify the bridesmaid?

Leave me a comment below.