Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Cyril Alfred Brown

Cyril Alfred Brown was born in the year of 1893 in the city of Adelaide in South Australia. For his life before the war, he lived on Rosemont Street, in the suburb of Norwood. He lived with his mother, Mary Ann Brown, and his father, Arthur Walter Brown. Arthur was in the same unit as Cyril during their war service. Cyril was married to Mrs Dahlia Gladys Brown, who lived in Cherry Gardens, South of the Adelaide CBD. Cyril was very small for his age. He was only 50kg and 163cm, and he was 23 years old. He had brown eyes and brown hair.

Cyril’s religion was Wesleyan, which is a Protestant Christian. Before the war, he worked as a hairdresser. [1]

After he had been certified to go to the war, his training started. As his group was called 1st Divisional Signalling Company,[2] his training was about signalling. His training camp was at Mitcham, South of Adelaide. [3]

On the 14-8-16, Cyril embarked for active service upon the HMAT A53 Itria. He embarked from Adelaide to England. This journey took many months as he arrived in England in Plymouth on the 30-10-16. From there he disembarked England to go to the Engineers Training Depot. He trained there for 3 months before he went overseas to France. He travelled on the S.S. Arundel, which took him to Abbeville, towards the north of France. Once he was in Abbeville his training had to continue before he could be Taken On Strength. His new training camp was called the Royal Engineers Depot, and he marched in on the 14-2-17. As he had already had lots of training, he only had to spend one month there. [4]

Now that his training was finished, he could join his unit for active war service. He joined the 1st Divisional Signalling Company on the 16-3-17.[5]  His unit consisted of 8 members, some of these people being Cyril’s father, Arthur, Oscar Reginald Hanson, William James Mawby and John Stanley Mcbain.[6] Being a signaller meant that his unit's work was making sure that all communications were working. If one of the telephone lines was not working between each unit, then it would be the unit’s job to reconnect the line.[7]

Cyril had a wide range of food to eat. 1 day of rations would consist of breakfast, dinner and tea. For breakfast, Cyril could have either ham boiled or bacon, tea and bread. For dinner he would have dry hash, boiled potatoes, turnips, carrots and tea. Lastly for tea, he would have tea, bread, figs, butter and jam. Other options consisted of roast meat, soup and vegetables. The weather varied throughout the time that Cyril was there. Some days it was cold and raining and other days it would be sunny.[8]

Cyril was with his unit for one year working to keep communications maintained, but just after him working for one year, Cyril fell ill and had to go to hospital, which meant that he could not be with his unit until his illness was gone. He spent two months in hospital before he was allowed to join his unit again.[9]

After his two months in hospital he re-joined the 1st Divisional Signalling Company to continue his war service. He continued to work in France with his unit for another 9 months before he was transferred back to England. From England it was time to say goodbye and he had to leave to go back to Adelaide. He left on the ship called, “Nestor.” After a three-month journey, Cyril was now back home in Adelaide and was discharged from the AIF on 14-8-19. His father returned to Australia 20 May 1919. Cyril received two medals, these being the Victory medal and the British War Service medal. Cyril spent exactly three years of his life serving for others.[10]

ANZAC Spirit

Cyril showed the ANZAC spirit in many different ways during his war service. The first act is enlisting. Cyril did not need to enlist but chose to serve his country by going to war and having the risk of getting killed. The second act is that he fell ill and came back once he was better. He could have decided to leave but he came back to continue to serve. The last reason is that he spent exactly three years in the war. That is three years that he would be away from home and from his mother and wife. That is why Cyril showed the ANZAC spirit.

[1] AIF Project
[2] Australian War Memorial
[3] National Archives
[4] National Archives
[5] National Archives
[6] AIF Project
[7] Unit diaries
[8] Unit diaries
[9] National Archives
[10] National Archives

Bibliography

https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/search

https://www.awm.gov.au/search?category=people&q

http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583

 Australian Government 2017, National Archives of Australia, accessed 27 February 2018, <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx>

The AIF project 2016, Cyril Alfred BROWN, UNSW Australia, Canberra, accessed 27 February 2018, <https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=34420>

Australian War Memorial 2016, Sapper Cyril Alfred Brown, accessed 2 March 2018, <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10398023>.