Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Biography written by Ella Verrilli the Great Niece of Kenneth Brown

Son of Isaac Walter, a man who was totally and permanently incapacitated (TPI) with the loss of his leg during World War I, meant that Kenneth naturally had quite large shoes to fill. Growing up on a farm on the Mornington Peninsula, Kenneth was always a hard-working young boy. After attending Flinders Primary School until year 8, he worked full time on the farm, spending any of his free time playing football and cricket with his brothers Milton (Ivan Milton) and Athol (George Atholwood). The people closest to him spoke of how he intensely valued his family, and spending quality time with children. To this day, what remains is his beaming smile that can never be forgotten, and the distinct brown hair and green eyes that he left as.

The year was 1940, Brown was just 19 and the youngest age for enlistment was lowered to 20 one year prior[1]. It can be assumed that Brown believed that desperate times called for desperate measures when he subtracted one from his birth year in order to be accepted. He enlisted at Caulfield, Victoria, on the 16th of July 1940 and was immediately placed in the 2nd/22nd Infantry Battalion, which was raised in Victoria as a part of the 23rd Brigade of the 8th Division. This Battalion was traditionally based at Trawool in Central Victoria before moving temporarily to Seymour sometime later that year, during which Brown exceeded all expectations and was promoted from his rank as Private to Corporal, on the 29th of August. In September of that year the battalion was relocated to Bonegilla and recommenced their training. It was on the 3rd of January, 1941, when once again Brown was promoted, this time from Corporal to Sergeant, despite the fact that at this time he was still younger than the permitted age to fight, once again serving as a reminder of his commitment, and his portrayal of the key components of Anzac Spirit[2] throughout his journey, primarily courage and ingenuity at this time.

Brown and his battalion remained in Bonegilla until they embarked for New Britain on the 10th of April 1941, arriving in Rabaul (East New Britain, Papua New Guinea) on the 26th of April. On the 7th of November, 1941, it is stated on Brown’s casualty form “Promoted to Sergeant”, despite that he was already promoted from Colonel to Sergeant in January of that year. This can be due to either a mistake or a change in type of Sergeant, such as, from Sergeant to Staff Sergeant, like that of the ranks of the RAAF.

One month later, on the 12th of December of 1941, Brown was evacuated from training in Rabaul to the Rabaul Military Hospital, with the cause of this being stated as Enteritis. However, merely 7 days later, on the 19th of December, Brown was released from the military hospital and sent to return to the 2nd/22nd infantry battalion. It was during this time that Brown’s values were clear, while despite his significant hardship he ensured to connect with his family, with many documented letters of him checking in with “Athol, [his] boy scout”, and “Miss Clare” (his two younger siblings).

Not much later, the battalion was amalgamated with other units already in the area, and were to be supported by No. 24 Squadron, RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force), with the given role of protecting the airfields at Lakunai and Vunakanau[3], as well as the seaplane base at Rabaul. This was one of the least elaborately planned and ill-equipped decisions made, as they were extremely likely to be overwhelmed by enemy attackers, and unfortunately this was identified by Japanese, prompting their pursuit of “Operation R”[4], and hence prompting the Battle of Rabaul.

On the 20th of January, 1942, New Britain were attacked by more than one hundred Japanese aircraft. The efforts of No. 24 Squadron were futile and their eight Wirraways[5] attempted attack but were defeated by a large number of Mitsubishi Zeros, and within the span of seven minutes all Wirraways were either shot down, crash-landed or severely damaged. The following day, the remaining aircraft were used to evacuate the sick and wounded, while the rest, including Brown, were left to trek on foot through the jungle to escape. The ground forces were similarly attacked, with the invasion of Japanese troops onshore outnumbering the Australian garrison almost 5 to 1[6], when Colonel Scanlan, their commander, ordered “every man for himself”. This, as expected, horrifically ended with over 160 Anzacs murdered forthwith, 400 who managed to escape and return back to Australia, and the rest, including Brown, who went into captivity. It was at this point that the 2nd/22nd Infantry Battalion came to an end.

Brown was reported on his casualty form as missing on the 25th of January, 1942. At this point in time, it had been a while since the Brown Family had heard from Kenneth, so naturally they would have been expecting the worst, when, they received a letter that was sent on the 11th of February, 1942, from “Sergeant Kenneth Walter Brown, Prisoner of War, Rabaul”. The contents of the letter were rather vague, assuring his family that he was in good condition and sending his regards to more family members, signed, “[their] loving son always, Kenneth”. This was his last letter.

The portion of the battalion that were kept in captivity were loaded on board the Montevideo Maru, a Japanese POW Ship. On the 1st of July, 1942, this very ship was torpedoed 100km West of the Cape Luzon, Philippines[7], by none other than our allies, the US, with their submarine “Sturgeon”. The Montevideo Maru was only discovered in April of 2023, and to this day it stands as the largest Maritime disaster Australia has ever endured with the loss of over one thousand and fifty Australian military and civilian prisoners of war.

It was not until the 2nd of September that Brown’s family received the telegram reporting him as missing and an assumed prisoner for all official purposes. This was the last communication that they received for over 3 years. On the 4th of October, 1945, the Brown family received telegram, reporting Brown as “missing believed deceased while POW”, followed by another on the 16th of October, stating him as “presumed to be dead” for “all official purposes”. Any known details of Brown’s last moments can be found in Carl Johnston’s Little Hell, which is fitting a fitting title as that was the prevalent feeling for the Kenneth’s devastated family, especially considering that they did not receive adequate information until over 3 years postmortem.

Kenneth qualified for awards of the 1939/45 and pacific stars, war and Australia service medals, however, despite Ivy and Walter’s intense efforts to seize them, they were never received. More than 80 years have passed since Kenneth was lost, and he will never be forgotten. The “strong driving force that can only be felt”, known as Anzac Spirit, is evident throughout every step of his journey, and for that, he will be honoured and commemorated for years to come.

Lest We Forget.

Bibliography

•       “Kenneth Walter BROWN.” Vwma.org.au, 2024, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/621370..

•       CWGC. “Sergeant Kenneth Walter Brown | War Casualty Details 2615429 | CWGC.” CWGC, 2021, www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2615429/kenneth-walter-brown/. “Kenneth Walter Brown.” Awm.gov.au, 2024, www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1692144.

•       Brown, Clare Cecilia (Sister) and Greene, Colin Francis Arthur (Nephew). “KW Brown’s Life before War” Received by Ella Verrilli, 30th May 2024.

•       Brown, Philip. “KW Brown’s Personal and Formal Records” Received by Ella Verrilli, 3rd June 2024.

•       O’Connor, Benjamin. “KW Brown’s Family Tree and Timeline Information” Received by Ella Verrilli, 19th June 2024.

•       “Darkest Hour : The True Story of Lark Force at Rabaul : Australia’s Worst Military Disaster of World... - Catalogue | National Library of Australia.” Nla.gov.au, 2024 https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/3999189. ‌

•       “AWM52 8/3/22 - 2/22 Infantry Battalion.” Awm.gov.au, 2024, www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1360745. ‌

•       “2nd/22nd Infantry Battalion.” Vwma.org.au, 2024, https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/542. ‌

•       “Fall of Rabaul | Australian War Memorial.” Awm.gov.au, 18 Jan. 2022, www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/fallofrabaul. 

•       “Montevideo Maru – Sinking of the Montevideo Maru, 1 July 1942 | Australian War Memorial.” Awm.gov.au, 30 Oct. 2023, www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/montevideo_maru#:~:text=Early%20in%20the%20morning%20of,ordered%20to%20board%20the%20vessel.

•       “Montevideo Maru Found.” Defence Ministers, 22 Apr. 2023, www.minister.defence.gov.au/media-releases/2023-04-22/montevideo-maru-found. 

•       “Family Notices - the Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) - 3 Jul 1947.” Trove, Trove, 2014, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22446083?searchTerm=VX46519

•       “Kenneth Brown (1921-1942) - Find a Grave Memorial.” Findagrave.com, 2020, www.findagrave.com/memorial/208465180/kenneth-brown

•       “Enlistment Standards | Australian War Memorial.” Awm.gov.au, 3 Jan. 2020, www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/enlistment#:~:text=The%20age%20limits%20set%20for,under%20the%20age%20of%2021

•       “Anzac Spirit | Australian War Memorial.” Awm.gov.au, 31 Oct. 2023, www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/anzac/spirit#:~:text=Legend%20and%20myth&text=Anzac%20came%20to%20stand%20for,%2C%20good%20humour%2C%20and%20mateship.

[1] “Enlistment Standards | Australian War Memorial”
[2] “Anzac Spirit | Australian War Memorial”
[3] “2nd/22nd Infantry Battalion”
[4] Wikipedia Contributors
[5] “2nd/22nd Infantry Battalion”
[6] “2nd/22nd Infantry Battalion”
[7] “Montevideo Maru – Sinking of the Montevideo Maru, 1 July 1942 | Australian War Memorial”