"A Balaclava Bridegroom," Inverness Courier, Jan. 11, 1898, p. 3e. "In the pretty church of St. Paul's, Upper Norwood, [Sgt. John Brooks, formerly of the 13th Light Dragoons] one of Britain's veteran heroes, entered upon his second term of married happiness on Thursday. The gallant groom was [Sgt. Brooks] and the blushing bride was Miss Sahah [probably Sarah] Askettle. Their ages were entered in the register as 74 and 43 respectively. Although the parties are well known and highly respected in the neighbourhood, the wedding was of the quietest description. The 14 years and 137 days which John Brooks devoted to the services of his country were full of excitement and danger. On June 23, 1842, he enlisted in the 3rd Light Dragoons, in which regiment he saw service in India for nine years and four months, being present at the battles of Moodkee, Ferozeshah, Sobraon, Ramnugger, Sodolapore, Chillianwallah, and Goojerat. His Crimean experiences included Alma, and in the famous charge of the Light Brigade he was severely wounded in the head by a bursting shell."   In reply to this post the late Ken Horton wrote, "I find this article in the Inverness Courier very interesting... his real name was JOHN WITHERS and he lived his life under the name of John Brooks. His first wife, Emma, died on the 21st June 1897, aged 59 years, after a very long illness and was buried in the South Metropolitan Cemetery at West Norwood. So he married again in less than six months! John survived and died on 28th February 1911 which was his 88th birthday. He died at an address in Penge. The entry in Lummis & Wynn's "Honour the Light Brigade" is wrong to say he died on the 2nd March 1911 - that was the day of his burial under his real name. David Harvey and I visited his grave 22 years ago and the inscription states that JOHN WITHERS was the John Brooks of the Light Brigade. He was buried with his first wife - there are no other inscriptions. John Withers (aka John Brooks) is shown in a photograph of a group of the survivors of the Balaklava Charge taken in 1890."