b. 03/07/1885 New Norfolk, Australia. d. 28/02/1942 Singapore.
Walter Ernest Brown (1885-1942) was born on 3rd July 1885 at New Norfolk, Tasmania. He was known as Wally. His father, Sidney Francis Brown, was a miller. He married Agnes Mary Kearney on 6th July 1876 in Hobart. Walter was one of eight children. Walter was a grain merchant in Hobart until 1911 and then moved to Petersham, New South Wales.
Walter E Brown VC
On 11th July 1915 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Sydney. Although he was keen to serve in the infantry, his desire to get to the front led to his transfer to the Light Horse. He embarked from Sydney on 4th October as part of the 11th Reinforcement Group for 1st Light Horse Regiment. He disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt and proceeded to training camp at Heliopolis. He did not make it quickly to the front as a middle ear infection saw him have a spell in hospital until 30th December 1915. On 14th January 1916, he was transferred to the Western Frontier Force. Another bout of ear infection again put him out of action until the summer of 1916. He was transferred again, to the 20th Battalion, AIF on 5th July and headed to England for infantry training. He eventually arrived in France on 29th September.
On 5th-10th October 1917 at Passchendaele, Belgium, Wally displayed gallantry in attending to the wounded under very heavy shellfire. Later he took charge of his section, after its sergeant was killed, and showed leadership to his men. For this he was awarded the DCM. He was then promoted to lance corporal on 19th October, and was wounded by a slight gunshot to the head on 3rd November.
Early in 1918 the 20th Battalion fought at Morlancourt and then moved into the Villers-Bretonneux sector; Brown was promoted corporal on 7th April. On 6th July he was with an advance party which took over some newly captured trenches near Accroche Wood and, on being told that a sniper’s post was causing trouble, he located the spot, picked up two Mills bombs and ran towards it under fire. His first bomb fell short, but on reaching the post he knocked one German down with his fist and threatened the others with his remaining grenade; when they surrendered, Brown ordered them back to the Australian lines. He had captured thirteen men, including one officer. He was awarded the Victoria Cross. He remained on the Somme until the Armistice and was wounded in action in August and promoted sergeant on 13th September.
The VC was presented to Wally by King George V at York Cottage, Sandringham, Norfolk on 7th October 1918. He then transferred to the No 2 Command Depot at Weymouth, and returned to France to rejoin his unit. On 8th January 1919, at his request, his VC and DCM were sent to Mr G Jolly, of Stanmore, New South Wales for safe keeping. Walter was assigned to non-military duties as a trainee cinema manager and bioscope operator at the Victoria Cinema, Oxford Street, London and the Imperial Film Co Ltd from 24th April to 24th June 1919.
Brown was discharged from the A.I.F. in February 1920. In 1920-30 he worked in Sydney as a brass-finisher and in 1931-40 at Leeton as a water-bailiff with the New South Wales Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission. He married Maude “Meg” Dillon, an Irishwoman, in Christ Church, Bexley, on 4th June 1932. A surprise guard of honour of eight VCs was in attendance. They had two children – Walter (who sadly died of meningitis in 1943 aged 7) and Pamela.
In June 1940, by giving his age as 40 instead of 54, Brown enlisted in the 2nd A.I.F. His real age and record were soon discovered, and he was promoted lance sergeant and posted to the 2/15th Field Regiment, but he reverted to gunner at his own request. The regiment, part of the ill-fated 8th Division, reached Malaya in August 1941. Brown was last seen on 14th February 1942, the night before the Allied surrender at Singapore. Picking up some grenades he said to his comrades, ‘No surrender for me’, and walked towards the enemy lines. He was presumed to have died while trying to escape on 28th February and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has recorded this as his date of death. He was survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
His body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the Kranji War Cemetery Memorial, Singapore. He is also named on a family grave in Woronara Cemetery, New South Wales. His medals including the VC, DCM, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19, 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939-45, Australia Service Medal 1939-45, and King George VI Coronation Medal 1937 are held by the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL, CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA.
BURIAL PLACE: KRANJI WAR CEMETERY, SINGAPORE. COLUMN 115
Acknowledgement:
Steve Lee www.memorialstovalour.co.uk – Brown’s VC medal group at Australian War Memorial, Canberra.