BROWN, George
| Service Number: | 1725 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 January 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 49th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Dalby, Queensland, Australia, 25 April 1896 |
| Home Town: | Roma, Maranoa, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Engine Driver |
| Died: | Killed in action, Belgium, 7 June 1917, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Tree Plaque: |
Roma Heroes Avenue
|
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Roma Cenotaph, Toowoomba Queensland Railways Toowoomba Employees Roll of Honour, Town of Roma and Shire of Bungil WW1 Honour Board, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Jan 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1725, 9th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Apr 1915: | Involvement Private, 1725, 9th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 8 Apr 1915: | Embarked Private, 1725, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Brisbane | |
| 7 Jun 1917: | Involvement Private, 1725, 49th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1725 awm_unit: 49th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-06-07 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
George Brown was the one of three brothers from Queensland who were all killed during 1917.
His youngest brother, 6364 Pte. William Henry Brown 9th Battalion AIF, was killed in action in France on 5 January 1917, at only 18 years of age.
An older brother, 394 Pte. John Brown 7th Machine Gun Company AIF was killed by a enemy aircraft on 28 December 1917, aged 27.
George left Australia during April 1915 and was admitted to a hospital at Lemnos on arrival. He joined the 9th Battalion on Gallipoli on 23 June 1915. He was evacuated sick with the usual Gallipoli tummy problems during August 1915 and taken back to Lemnos.
He was then taken to England and put in the County of London War Hospital in September 1915.
He was returned to Egypt in early 1916 and was soon after transferred to the 49th Battalion during the reorganization of the AIF. He went through 1916 unscathed and was made a Lance Corporal in early 1917. He was killed in action during the Battle of Messines in Belgium on 7 June 1917 and has no known grave.
George was the son of Mary Elizabeth Brown (nee Rawlings) who had passed away during 1907. His father had been deceased for many years. George gave his next of kin as his brother W.H. Brown of Roma, when he enlisted. As his brother William Henry Brown was killed in action earlier in 1917, his medals were eventually awarded to George’s aunt, Mrs. Sarah Ann Hunter of Roma. Mrs. S.A. Hunter (nee Rawlings) appeared to be a foster mother to the two brothers. She was a sister of their mother.
On George’s Roll of Honour form appears the name of his sister, Lucy Laycock, of Petrie Terrace, Queensland.
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