Alastair Bruce Bremner

Key Information

Name:  Alastair Bruce Bremner

DoB: May 27  1884

Regt: N. Rhodesian Police, Captain.

DoD: Died at Livingstone, N. Rhodesia, the result of an accident, Jan. 1, 1918.

Academic Career: Left, July, 1896. Boarder. Went to Bradfield Coll., 1896-1901.

Biographical Information

Alastair Bruce Bremner

  • Family Background

    Family Background: Alastair was the younger son of William Bremner and Diana Harriet Bruce. His maternal grandfather was Major General Alexander James Bruce of the Madras Staff Corps. His parents were both born in the East Indies. This was clearly a background of Colonial Service and Empire. Alastair was born in Scotland, but in the 1891 Census the family was living at Portland Square, Carlisle. He had an older sister, Helen Marianne and a brother, Huntley William Bruce, who was a private in the Great War and was killed on July 1 1916. He features on the CGS War Memorial also.

  • Academic Record

    Academic Record: CGS 1893-6. The Old Carliol records Alastair winning the 100yards race in 1895 and being 2nd in the 220 yards. In 1896 he was 2nd again in the 220 yards.

  • War Service

    War Service:

    Alastair had been seconded to the Northern Rhodesia Police from the British South African Police in 1911. He was aged 33 when he died, the result of an accident. The Bulawayo Chronicle of 11 January 1918 reported that Captain Bruce had been seeing off some native askari troops at the station and his horse had been troublesome, then as he: “remounted to return home, the horse bolted before he was fairly in the saddle and he was not able to get his off foot in the stirrup at all. When just beyond the Headquarters Stores, the horse suddenly swerved, throwing the Captain into a tree. He was at once…taken in a sidecar to the hospital, but he never regained consciousness…Death was due to internal haemorrhage caused by five fractured ribs and a broken sternum…There was also a deep gash under the jaw, apparently caused by a broken branch. He was accorded a funeral with full military honours, in the afternoon. Captain Bremner was a young and popular officer of the Police…and had only just returned from home leave after doing good service on the border and in German East Africa”. At the time his family is listed at living at Torquay, Devon.

  • Sources

    Sources:

    1. a)            Carlisle School Memorial Register 1264-1924
    2. b)            Census:1891 RG12/4289
    3. c)           The Old Carliol 1895 and 1896
    4. d)           The Bulawayo Chronicle 11/01/1918