Cpl. Frank Brown, RFA, MM

[Hugh]

Here's the Military Medal to Cpl. Frank Brown which Leigh and Graham have so graciously been researching in the thread below. I suspect that someone will now move those documents into this thread and make it available for you all to have a whack at it. Many thanks. I'll post the campaign medals tomorrow. They're all mounted behind a glass frame, so the quality won't be much.

Thanks to all,

Hugh

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=29638&st=40&#

[leigh kitchen]

Medal Index Card:

[leigh kitchen]

Service Record (some of the 19 pages are simply duplicates of others)

Name: Frank Brown

Age: 22

Birth Year: abt 1892

Birth Parish: Lewisham

Birth County: Kent

Regiment Name: General Service

Regiment Number: 10439

Document Year: 1914

Number of Images: 19

Frank hasn't divulged his middle name of Oswald, by the look of it.

A market gardener aged 22 years & 116 days, he has attested for service at Gosport, Hampshire, in September 1914 (possibly the 2nd? It's hard to make out).

He's signed on for "General Service" rather than for service in any particular unit.

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Service towrads engagement starts 3rd September 1914, joined at Hilsea, 4th September.

Postings, initially to the Royal Horse Artillery, then on 14th November to 72nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery

Promotion to Bombardier (the Royal Artillery equivalent to Corporal), he's then transferred to a different Battery, I think, & become an Acting Bombardier.

Transfer to the Reserve & discharge.

Hilsea is at Portsmouth, Hampshire, & is now an industrial & residential area, the "Hilsea Lines" were defences built in the 18th & 19th centuries to defend the naval base of Portsmouth.

The Royal Artillery was responsible for manning the Lines ffrom 1860, In 1875 the Lines were equipped with the Moncrief Disappearing Gun, the recoil of the 7 ton weapon forced it down into its gun pit for reloading.

Edited July 29, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Request from the Ministry of Pensions for Brown's Discharge Documents - giving a middle name of Oswald.

"Man in Australia" - so it looks like Frank Brown was in Australia by 1936

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Receipt for the British War Medal, 1920, signed by Frank Brown, who's now living at 71, Warwick Rd, Upper Edmonton.

Edited July 29, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Receipt for the Victory Medal, 1921, interesting that the rank given is Corporal.

Edited July 29, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Just over a month after discharge to the Reserve, he's stating that he's staying temporarily at the Edmonton address - he's there in August 1921, presumably, as that's where his Victory Medal was sent.

He gives his unit as Y/42nd TMB - Trench Mortar Battery.

Edited July 29, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Letter of 14th August 1919, Brown is requesting that his Miltary Medal be sent to the Edmonton address, along with the proceeds from his War Savings Certificate.

Edited July 29, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Protection Certificate - gives his year of birth as 1893.

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Confusion over Browns correct army number - he says that he only ever had one number, which is what his MIC shows.

He mentions his MM being gazetted in October 1916, & that he claimed disabilty through being gassed in September 1917, & draws attention to his correct address - the Upper Edmonton one which has so far appeared on all of his corrspondence.

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

No trace of his records under the number "10439".

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Concerning Browns transfer to the Reserve:

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Entries re having been gassed & admitted to hospitals.

The 3rd entry - the word "Brother" appears. Frank Browns brother is given as his next of kin on his Service Record, so does this signfy that his next of kin has been notified due to the severity of Franks gassing?

Entry re 3rd Echelon (presumably 3rd Echelon HQ) authorising award of MM - 30/8/16?

Entry re address - "Mari"? (Marriage?) - the Upper Edmonton address

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

19/5/19, receipt for the Miltary Medal & for the proceeds of Browns War Savings Certificate. - the Upper Edmonton address.

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Service in France, reference to the Miltary Medal being awarded for "Bravery in the Field", London Gazette 21/10/16.

Next of kin given as brother James, at the Upper Edmonton address, but what's the surname? Does'nt look like "Brown".

The 1891 & 1901 Census give James Brown as a brother to Frank - always assuming I've got the right Frank O Brown in the census records.

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Physical description etc

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

The 1901 Census - could be our man, Frank O Brown, aged 9 years, brother James T Brown, aged 10 years:

Name: Frank O Brown

Age: 9

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1892

Relation: Son

Father's Name: James T

Mother's Name: Eliza

Gender: Male

Where born: Lewisham, Kent, England

Civil Parish: Christchurch

Ecclesiastical parish: Christchurch

County/Island: London

Country: England

Registration district: St Saviour Southwark

Sub registration district: Christchurch, Southwark

ED, institution, or vessel: 2

Household schedule number: 2

Household Members: Name Age

Eliza Brown 35

Frank O Brown 9

James T Brown 40

James W Brown 10

Millicent L Brown 12

Elizabeth Jones 75

The second address refers to the above family:

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

Hmmm not a lot better.

32, Blackfriars Rd, Southwark, Frank O Brown is the 5th name down, a son of the household,aged 9, born Lewisham, Kent

[leigh kitchen]

And a check of the 1891 Census shows the family living in the same area, at 61, Cressingham Rd, Blackheath, but without the unborn Frank & without his maternal grandmother living with the family yet.

Living with them is a Kate Daw, (reads like "Day" rather than "Daw" on the scan of the original document)14 years. Her relationship to the head of household, James T Brown, an iron plate worker, is given as "serv", her occupation as "general domestic servant".

James T Brown

Age: 30

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1861

Relation: Head

Spouse's Name: Eliza

Gender: Male

Where born: Southwark, London, England

Civil Parish: Lewisham

Ecclesiastical parish: St Stephens

Town: Blackheath

County/Island: London

Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Registration district: Lewisham

Sub registration district: Lee

ED, institution, or vessel: 4

Household Members: Name Age

Eliza Brown 25

James T Brown 30

James W Brown 8 months

Millicent L Brown 2

Kate R Daw 14

[Graham Stewart]

Leigh,

The unit he's finally discharged from is actually 'Y'/42 Medium Trench Mortar Battery and not 7/42 T.M.B.. If I remember correctly the M.T.M. Batteries were lettered, not numbered and these medium mortars were manned by men of the Royal Field Artllery . In this case 'Y'/42 M.T.M.B. belong to the 42nd(East Lancashire)Division, which was a first line Territorial Division. The other two batteries were 'X'/42 & 'Z'/42.

The Light Trench Mortar Batteries of a Division were manned entirely by the infantry and numbered after the Brigade that they served.

Edited July 28, 2008 by leigh kitchen
Mistake - meant to quote in reply.

[Hugh]

Wow - you guys have really taken off with this! Scares me a little when I think what might be in my Navy record!

Thanks for a great job. I'll have to digest all of this and get it put together on my hard disk.

Best,

Hugh

[Graham Stewart]

If my Roman numerals are correct then he served with 228 Battery/LXXII Bde, R.F.A., which served with 15th(Scottish)Division, which was a New Army Division. A resume' of it's formation and battles are here;-

http://www.1914-1918.net/15div.htm

[leigh kitchen]

Leigh,

The unit he's finally discharged from is actually 'Y'/42 Medium Trench Mortar Battery and not 7/42 T.M.B.. If I remember correctly the M.T.M. Batteries were lettered, not numbered and these medium mortars were manned by men of the Royal Field Artllery . In this case 'Y'/42 M.T.M.B. belong to the 42nd(East Lancashire)Division, which was a first line Territorial Division. The other two batteries were 'X'/42 & 'Z'/42.

The Light Trench Mortar Batteries of a Division were manned entirely by the infantry and numbered after the Brigade that they served.

Thanks, I read it as "7" but was'nt sure - shows what happens when you're too lazy to pick up a book & find out....

I've corrected the entry I made earlier.

[Hugh]

Here are his '14-15 Star and War Medals