Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Jacob Brotherhood a hosiery factory manager, born 1855 in Markfield, Leicestershire and his wife Hannah Brotherhood (nee Jordan, married in the 1st quarter of 1876 in the Market Bosworth, Leicestershire district), born 1855 in Ratby, Leicestershire. Ernest was born in the 4th quarter of 1881 in Groby, Leicestershire, his siblings were Francis William, born 1877, Beatrice, born 1879, Oliver, born 10th June 1883, the latter three siblings were all born in Groby and Lilian Mary Ann, born 11th May 1885 in Quorn, Leicestershire, in April 1891 the family home was at 30, Stanley Street, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. In March 1901 Ernest was absent from the family home at 51, King Street, Melton Mowbray, residing there was his father, a hosiery and drapery shop keeper, his mother, a dressmaker and siblings, Beatrice, a hosiery and drapery shop assistant, Gertrude Eliza, born 1880 in Groby, a hosiery and drapery shop assistant, Oliver, a hosiery and drapery shop assistant, Lilian, a hosiery and drapery shop assistant, Arthur Amos, born 4th May 1891 and William Henry, born 1895, the latter two siblings were both born in Melton Mowbray, Ernest was serving as a crew member, signalman aboard the HMS Bat and was based in Birkenhead, Cheshire. In April 1911 Ernest was a Royal Navy Yeoman of Signals and was serving aboard HMS Queen, part of the Atlantic Fleet and was based in Gibraltar his wife Louisa Augusta Brotherhood, (nee Davis, married in the 3rd quarter of 1903 in the Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire district), born 1881 in Chester, was residing in the family home at 31, Clifton Place, Plymouth, Devon together with their children, Lilian, born 1905 in Liverpool, Lancashire and Ernest, born 1911 in Plymouth, Devon.
The background relating to the circumstances in which Ernest lost his life are as follows;
Nottingham, the third ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy, was named after the eponymous city. She was laid down on the 13th June 1912, launched on the 18th April 1913 and completed in April 1914. Upon commissioning that same month, the ship was assigned to the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron, together with both of her sisters. On the 24th June, HMS Nottingham was one of seven warships from the Royal Navy present in Kiel, Germany, to celebrate the re-opening of the Kiel Canal. A few weeks after the start of World War I on the 4th August, the Admiralty decided to attack German patrols in the Heligoland Bight on the 28th August with the destroyers and cruisers of the Harwich Force and a flotilla of submarines. Despite some confusion at the highest levels of the Admiralty, Admiral John Jellicoe, commander of the Grand Fleet, dispatched the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron and five of his battle cruisers to reinforce the Harwich Force. During the battle, HMS Nottingham helped to sink the light cruiser SMS Mainz and was not damaged herself. Several months later, the Germans bombarded Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby on the 16th December and the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron was escorting Vice Admiral David Beatty’s battle cruisers in response when it encountered a German light cruiser and a half-flotilla of torpedo boats. HMS Nottingham was not in range to engage before the squadron turned away to follow the battle cruisers. During the Battle of Dogger Bank, the ship helped to sink the armoured cruiser SMS Blucher on the 23rd January 1915. After the battle, the squadron helped to escort the crippled battle cruiser HMS Lion home. Shortly after the battle, HMS Nottingham and her sisters were transferred to the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron by the 18th March, although the squadron was also assigned to Beatty’s battle cruisers. On the 18th June 1915, the ship was detached to reinforce the 3rd Cruiser Squadron during a patrol across the North Sea. HMS Nottingham and the other ships were attacked several times by German submarines, and the armoured cruiser HMS Roxburgh was hit in the bow by a single torpedo from Submarine U-39 on the 20th June, but managed to return to Rosyth under her own power. Almost a year later, the ship participated in the Battle of Jutland on the 31st May – 1st June 1916. The 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron screened the battle cruisers during the battle. HMS Nottingham helped to repel an attack by German torpedo boats around 16:26 during the first phase of the battle, the “Run to the South”. After spotting the main German battle fleet at 16:30, the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron followed the Beatty’s ships in a turn to the north fifteen minutes later. During the turn and afterwards, they were fired upon by eleven German battleships at very long range without significant effect. Their late turn meant that they now trailed Beatty’s battle cruisers and were now even with the battleships of the attached 5th Battle Squadron by about 18:50. About 10 minutes later, the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron engaged the crippled light cruiser SMS Wiesbaden, but were forced to disengage by the German battleships and took up station at the rear of the Grand Fleet. About a half-hour later, they fired at the disabled torpedo boat SMS V 48. Around nightfall, the squadron attacked a group of three German torpedo boats without apparent effect at 20:52, although one ship had a boiler knocked out. Less than two hours later, the squadron encountered the seven light cruisers of German 4th Scouting Group at very close range in the darkness. HMS Nottingham was not hit during the engagement, but the squadron flagship, her half-sister HMS Southampton, was extensively damaged and sank one of the opposing cruisers. The squadron returned home the next day without further excitement. HMS Nottingham was not hit during the battle and expended 136 six-inch shells and one torpedo. On the evening of the 18th August, the Grand Fleet put to sea in response to a message deciphered by Room 40 that indicated that the High Seas Fleet, minus II Squadron, would be leaving harbour that night. The German objective was to bombard Sunderland the following day, based on extensive reconnaissance conducted by Zeppelins and submarines. Part of the German plan was to draw the British ships through a series of submarine ambushes and HMS Nottingham fell victim to one of the awaiting U-boats, U-52, about 06:00 the following morning. The submarine was spotted about a half-hour prior despite the morning haze, but she was believed to be a small fishing boat and disregarded. U-52 initially hit the cruiser with two torpedoes that knocked out all power, but HMS Nottingham was not in danger of sinking until she was hit with another torpedo 25 minutes later. Her half-sister HMS Dublin had reported the first attack; in response, Beatty dispatched two destroyers to render assistance and they arrived about 10 minutes before HMS Nottingham sank at 07:10. The ship lost 38 crewmen in the attack. The Union Jack flown by the ship at Jutland hangs in St. Mary’s Church, Nottingham. It was presented by Admiral Sir William George Tennant. In December 1993, during a ceremony at Emden, Germany, Flotillenadmiral Otto H. Ciliax of the Federal German Navy presented the commanding officer of the latest HMS Nottingham with a boat’s badge and ensign from the cruiser sunk in 1916, as a gesture of goodwill and reconciliation. Admiral Ciliax's grandfather, Otto Ciliax, was the executive officer of U-52; he recovered these items off a lifeboat from the ship while picking up survivors.
On Friday June 16th 1916 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “MELTON AND THE WAR.” – THE NAVAL BATTLE. MELTONIAN’S THRILLING EXPERIENCES. Mr. and Mrs. J. Brotherhood, King-st., Melton Mowbray, have received the following letter from their son, Signalman Ernest Brotherhood, of H.M.S. Nottingham:- I suppose you are anxious to hear a few particulars about the fight we put up the other day. I had an idea what a battle would be like between two leading navies of the world, but I am afraid my idea did not come anywhere near the reality. It was terrible yet glorious. The papers tell you that the battle cruiser fleet bore the brunt, and there is not the slightest doubt but what we did. We were the first in action, and under an almost continuous fire until 9 o’clock, and when their battle squadron came up we were between them and our own battle cruisers, so they started dropping 12-inch shells all around us, just to keep us interested, and thing began to look lively for us. However after they had fired enough shell at our little light cruiser squadron, we managed to get clear of their unwelcome attentions, and it does not say much for their gunnery that none of the ships were hit, and no one hurt during the days action. Meanwhile our battle cruisers were getting it hot. I saw the Queen Mary go up, one turret, part of the bridge, and mast went up, and when the smoke cleared away, there was no Queen Mary. I did not see the others go up, but it all happened in our range of operations. It is a marvel how the Warspite stuck it. She got her helm jammed and got between the lines. Splendid opportunity for the Germans. Five ships were firing at her at once, could not see her half the time for the splashes the shells made. It was a grand sight, but rather unhealthy. However she gave them a good reception, and got out of it all right. We got in several tight corners during the day, but always came out of it smiling. The only souvenir the Germans gave us was a piece of 8 or 12-inch shell about 4 inches square, which struck the conning tower, and fell harmlessly at a man’s feet. We had a livelier time during the night. There were night actions going on all round us, but we only got mixed up in one, at point blank range. The two ships ahead of us in this action had numerous casualties, whereas we came out smiling again. Our first shot took a funnel out, the next a searchlight, a third set her on fire, and as it was getting too warm for them they cleared out. We went up and down the battle ground the next day, and there were several ships with just their bows sticking up out of the water, and we passed a piece of mast with a German Ensign on it. We returned to harbour, after being in the thickest of the fighting without a scratch, and no one hurt, thank God.
On Friday August 25th 1916 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “MELTON AND THE WAR.” – MELTON SEAMAN MISSING. (A photograph accompanied the article). Early on Monday morning the Admiralty announced the loss by submarine attack of the light cruisers Nottingham and Falmouth, while searching for the German High Seas Fleet, which was reported out in the North Sea. All the officers of both ships were saved, but three men of the Falmouth were killed and eight others missing and believed lost, whilst 29 men of the Nottingham’s crew were missing. The report adds that one of the enemy’s submarines has been destroyed and another rammed and possibly sunk. A later report issued on Monday afternoon stated that submarine E23 returned that day from the North Sea, and reported that on Saturday morning it made a successful attack upon a German battleship of the Nassau class. While the ship was being escorted back by five destroyers to harbour in a damaged condition he attacked again and struck her with a second torpedo, and believes she was sunk. Among those reported missing from the Nottingham was Seaman Ernest Brotherhood, yeoman of signals, a son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Brotherhood, of King-street, Melton Mowbray. He joined the Navy at the age of 15½, and has served nearly 18 years on the following battleships:- Majestic, Glory, Bulwark, Queen, King Alfred, Sutley, Adventure and Nottingham. Last September he was paid off the Adventure, and spent his leave at Melton with his wife and parents, afterwards resuming his signalling duties on the Nottingham. He took part in the great naval battle off the Jutland Coast, and a thrilling letter subsequently written to his parents gave a fine description of that great struggle in which our navy covered itself with glory. It was published in the “Melton Mowbray Times.” On Monday Mr. and Mrs. Brotherhood received the following telegram from the Admiralty:- Deeply regret H.M.S. Nottingham sunk 19th inst., and that Ernest Brotherhood, Yeoman of Signals, official number 193445, reported to be missing. Letter follows:- Admiralty. Much sympathy will be felt with the relatives in their sad bereavement, and with the wife of the deceased sailor, who though a Liverpool lady, is well known in Melton.

On Friday August 17th 1917 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS” – IN MEMORIAM. BROTHERHOOD.- In ever loving memory of Ernest Brotherhood, yeoman signalman, aged 34 years, beloved son of Mr and Mrs J. Brotherhood, King Street, Melton Mowbray, who was drowned on the torpedoing of H.M.S. “Nottingham,” August 19th 1916. To memory ever dear. From Father, Mother, Wife, Brothers and Sisters.