More about Cecil Forbes Brush

Cecil is believed to be the brother of Air Mechanic Samuel Brush, 76557, 83rd Squadron Royal Air Force.

Cecil Brush was born in Dundee and gave his occupation, on joining the Royal Navy in October 1917, as a Farmer. He was the son of Mr S C and Mrs Elizabeth Brush of 292 Strathmartine Road, Dundee. After basic training at HMS Vivid in Devonport, Plymouth he was drafted to HMS Attentive II, the administrative base for the Dover Patrol at Dover. He was serving onboard HM Drifter Calceolaria, Admiralty Number 562, which requisitioned for the Navy in 1915 and was operating as a Net Vessel. in this role she controlled huge nets strung across the routes that U Boats took submerged through the narrow parts of the English Channel. She was built in 1908 as the Kirkcaldy Registered Fishing Boat KY.267. On 27 October 1918 the Calceolaria was mined near the Elbow Light Buoy located off shore from Sandwich, Kent. Cecil Brush is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial on Plymouth Hoe in Devon. Four other crew men died in the sinking. The mine had been laid by the German submarine UB-12. Through an irony of war the UB-12 had already been sunk with all hands on 19 August 1918 after striking a mine whilst leaving its Flanders base on yet another minelaying mission.