William Charles Brown

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Tue, 27/06/2017 - 12:53

First Name:

William

Middle Name:

Charles

Last Name:

Brown

Father's Name:

Allan Brown

Date Enlisted:

Tuesday, August 11, 1914

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Corporal

Unit:

53rd Battalion

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

Military Medal

1914/1915 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Details:

William Brown (Service no 1142) was born in Balsham, Cheshire, England in 1892.

At the time of enlistment, William was single, 22 years of age, employed as a labourer and resided in Corrimal.

William embarked on HMAT A35 - Beerima with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force, E Company for Rabaul, New Guinea on 19 August 1914.

William was medically discharged on 28 January 1915 as a result of contracting Malaria.

William attempted to re-enlist a few days later but was rejected.

William succeed in re-enlisting on 13 March 1915 and embarked on HMAT A40 - Ceramic on 15 June 1915. He arrived in Egypt and was sent to Gallipoli, Turkey where he was wounded in action on 27 August 1915. William was evacuated for treatment and returned to Gallipoli, Turkey on 12 October 1915.

On 20 April 1916, William was posted to the 53rd Battalion and arrived in France on 28 June 1916 with his Unit. William was promoted to Lance Corporal on 27 August 1916 and to Corporal on 2 November 1918. He saw service on the Western Front and was awarded the Military Medal for his actions at Peronne in 1918.

William returned to Australia in March 1919 and was medically discharged on 20 July 1919.

The recommendation for his Military Medal reads:

For conspicuous bravery during the attack on PERONNE on 1st September 1918. This N.C.O. was in charge of the limbers bringing up rations on the night of 1st inst. Owing to very heavy casualties it was impossible to send ration parties any great distance and consequently orders were issued for the limbers to come as forward as possible. Lance-Corporal BROWN on three occasions was caught in an enemy barrage and forced to go back a considerable distance to aviod the destruction of his limbers and animals. In spite of this he returned on each occasion and on the fourth attempt was able to bring the rations within 800 yards of the front line. It was owing to the skill and bravery showed by this N.C.O. that the rations were able to be taken to the front line that night as had they been dumped further back the carrying forward of them would never have been possible. Dated 7th September 1918. Commonwealth Gazette dated 10th October 1919.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, BROWN W C