Born in 1899 at Woodford, son of Joseph (Insurance Agent for the Life and Fire Co.) and Theresa Brown. 1901: With his family at 1 Rose Villas, Stanley Road. 1911: A Junior Clerk to a firm of exporters, living with his family at 2 Rose Villas, Stanley Road (later 84). He attended Churchfields and Coopers Co. Schools, before being employed as a Junior Clerk with G.H. Penney Co. Ltd, General Merchants & Exporters, of Lime Street London.
Deployed in France on 17th November 1915. He was killed during first day of The Battle of the Ancre (part of the Somme, 13/16th November 1916). On advancing, the Battalion was met with heavy enfilade fire. His officer wrote that Brown had advanced to the most forward position with his Captain, when “with only a handful of men we attacked a strong German position but were driven back. He was lost in the retreat”.
His medal card shows two requests by the Officer I/C Records, 3rd November 1920 and 27th April 1922, to dispose of the medals to which Brown was entitled. This usually indicated that the family had not claimed them. It may be that, having read the above account from the Officer, Mr & Mrs Brown considered the life of their son had been recklessly squandered.
Research by Adrian Lee, local Historian
Sources:
Ancestry.com
Woodford Times