Thomas Brannen

Bank: National Provincial Bank

Place of work: North Shields branch

Died: 19 April 1945

Thomas Brannen was born on 25 February 1920, the son of Charles and Alice Brannen. He was educated at Tynemouth Municipal High School and Skerry's College, Newcastle. He joined the staff of National Provincial Bank as a probationer at North Shields branch in July 1937 and was promoted to junior clerk in November 1937.

Brannen joined a territorial battalion of the Royal Artillery in March 1939, and when war broke out in September he was called up for full time military service. He served in North Africa for about a year before being captured at Tobruk in June 1942. He spent time in prisoner of war camps in Italy and Germany, and was said to be in good health until early 1945, when he developed pneumonia. He died while still a prisoner near Leipzig on 19 April 1945, only five days before his camp was liberated. Bombardier Brannen was 25 years old.