Sir James Milford Sutherland Brunker

James Milford Sutherland Brunker was the second son of Major-General J R Brunker. He was commissioned in the Royal Artillery on 11 September 1873. Brunker saw active service in the Afghan War (1880) and spent much of his pre-war career in India. He was AAG Headquarters of the Army (April 1905-June 1907), Inspector of Artillery, Southern Army, India (July 1907-September 1910) and Commander Sirhind Brigade (December 1911-January 1915). The appointment of a gunner to command an infantry brigade was relatively unusual. After the outbreak of the European War Brunker’s brigade was earmarked for service in France, but it was diverted to Suez and did not join the Indian Corps on the Western Front until 7 December. He commanded it at Givenchy on 21-22 December, the brigade’s very first action, but was replaced two weeks later. He was 60, very old for a brigade commander even at that early part of the war. Brunker spent the rest of the war at home as Inspector of RH&RF Artillery. He was knighted in 1917.