Bertie Breed was born in 1882, 1 of 8 children born to William & Mary Ann.

In 1891 he is a 10 year old school boy & is living with his family 192 High Town Road. His father William is 41 years old & working at the Gas Stove factory, his 41 year old mother Mary is a straw hat sewer, at home whilst looking after 4 year old Eunice & 2 year old Sidney. His 14 year old brother Ernest is working as a servant boy.

In 1901 Bertie is 19 years old, has left home & is living at 49 Nightingale Road, Hitchin at Alice Deamer's lodging house. He is a police constable & boarding with 2 other police constables, Thomas R Hawes, 21 & 28 year old Edward G Shreeves.

Bertie married Lilian Rose Titmus in 1906.

In 1911 Bertie is now working as a straw plait buncher & living with his 30 year old wife & 2 daughters Elsie 3 & 1 year old Winifred at 27 Ridgeway Road. Bertie's brother Ernest is also living with them, he is 33 years old & working as a general labourer.

At the outbreak of war Bertie joined the 1/5th Bedfordshire Regiment. The regiment landed in Suvla Bay, Gallipoli on 11 August 1915 to fight the Turkish Army when just 4 days later on Sunday 15th Bertie was wounded. He suffered a GSW to his leg, describing in a letter to a friend's mother that the bullet had passed straight through & that he was in a hospital behind the lines recovering well.

The regiment moved to Egypt in December 1915 to defend the Suez Canal. He fought in the First Battle of Gaza & the Second Battle of Gaza but was killed in action on 20th July 1917.

Bertie is buried in the Gaza War Cemetery & is remembered on a family grave in the cemetery on Crawley Green Road.