The Post War Years

After the war my Grandfather invested in 2 Latil Trucks to help with efficiency. It was around this time that the company changed its name from Brookes Brothers to S.T.H. Brookes and Sons Timber and Haulage Company. Latil was a French automaker specializing in extremely heavy duty vehicles, such as trucks, tractors and buses, from 1898 to 1955. My grandfather saw the potential in these vehicles and purchased 2 to add workhorses that would add power into the Haulage of the scale of trees now being fell.

Each of my uncles were given trades to focus on depending upon their natural aptitude to the tasks they were given. My father worked out in the forests falling trees and hauling them back to the yard, my uncle Bert worked at the mill planking and working as the carpenter, my uncle David the repair man and Welder. They were by no means restricted to just one trade and everyone played a part in ensuring things ran smoothly.

Using motor vehicles to pull artillery pieces was one of the novelties introduced during WW1. Only heavier guns were moved in this way and the Latils were agreed to be the finest of the haulage vehicles available during WW2.

The business was now fully established and my Grandfather was purchasing small forests to log. Huge Oaks, Elms, and the finest UK Timber was being hauled and planked at the Brookes Timber Yard.

It wasnt all work and no play and as you can imagine, working with your brothers created plenty of opportunity to get up to mischief. My uncles were also widely reknown in the area for more than just the quality of wood that they produced on the family timber mill !