On 12/10/1917 it was reported in the Leicester Daily Post that Oliver aged 19, had been reported missing since August 22nd. Before enlisting he was employed by Mr R C Allen in Oxford Street, his older brother was killed I France on Aug 16th, while another brother is at present with the colours in France. The parents naturally would be glad of any information concerning Pte. Oliver Bree.
Sadly Oliver had been Killed in Action on 22/8/1917, just a few days before his older brother. He is buried in Potijze Chateau Grounds Cemetery, West Vlaanderen in Belgium. His inscription reads ‘In The Midst Of Life We Are In Death’.
The Bree family were originally from Northampton, the three names on the war memorial were the sons of Harry Bree from Daventry and Eliza Sabin from Long Buckby. The couple had married in 1878 in Market Harborough, later moving to Lutterworth and finally settling in Avenue Road Extension, in Knighton.
In 1901 they were living at 266 Avenue Road Extension, Harry was working as a Railway Cattle Porter and had five children. Their oldest daughter, Emma born in 1878 was working as a Laundress and their oldest son, Ernest was working as a Railway Dray Boy. Also living with them were three younger boys, Harold, born 1893, Arthur, born 1896 and Oliver born 1899. By 1911 the family had moved to 252 Avenue Road Extension, Harold aged 18 was working as a Butchers Assistant and Arthur aged 15 was a Railway Porter, also two more daughters had been born, Doris in 1905 and Ivy in 1907.
