BROWNE, Charles Crosby
| Service Number: | J2104 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 September 1910 |
| Last Rank: | Chief Petty Officer |
| Last Unit: | HMAS Pembroke |
| Born: | London, England, 10 September 1892 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Radio Specialist |
| Died: | Died of Illness (war service related), Sutton Coldfield, England, 9 January 1946, aged 53 years |
| Cemetery: |
St Michael's Church Cemetery, Boldmere, England He was provided with a headstone by the English Services |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 1 Sep 1910: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Chief Petty Officer, J2104 |
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Non Warlike Service
| 10 Sep 1910: | Enlisted Unspecified British Units, Chatham, England |
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World War 1 Service
| 24 Dec 1913: | Involvement J2104, Unspecified British Units, various ships including Pembroke and I. Woolwich, Falmouth, Hibernia |
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World War 2 Service
| 7 Sep 1939: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Chief Petty Officer, J2104, HMAS Penguin (IV) 1939-1940/HMAS Brisbane 1940-1942/HMAS Moreton (I) 1942-1994 (Depot) | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Sep 1939: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Chief Petty Officer, J2104, HMAS Moreton Bay | |
| 22 Oct 1941: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Chief Petty Officer, J2104, HMAS Pembroke | |
| 9 Jan 1946: | Discharged Royal Australian Navy, Chief Petty Officer, J2104, HMAS Pembroke | |
| 9 Jan 1946: | Discharged Royal Australian Navy, Chief Petty Officer, J2104 |
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WW2 Service Medals: 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star, Defence Medal, War Medal, Australia Service Medal
Charles served in the Royal Navy from 10-9-1910 to 9-9-1932. He served on many ships during that time as a radio officer. During WW1 he was on a few ships that were sunk and being the radio officer was always one of the last to leave the ship. During the 1920's he remained with the Navy and married. He took his wife and son to Malta where he served for the Royal Navy for several years.
We believe at this time he was part of the team to transmit a message the furthest distance ever at that time, from London to the Falkland Islands. ( A radio transmitter was installed in South Georgia April 1 1925, so this could be around the time the first transmission was made, possibly via Malta/Italy ) If anyone else knows more about this please update. I need to do more research to confirm the history of this, it is verbal.
Record is held on the UK, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1853-1928.
He emigrated with his wife and son to Australia in 1932.
His radio skills took him to Canberra where he was instrumental with the first radio station to broadcast.
In 1939 he was recalled to serve for the Australian Navy as a radio officer and departed on the Penguin to Moreton Bay 7-9-1939, then on the Pembroke 1941-1942
On the day his ship departed out of Sydney Harbour, his young son, paddled out in a canoe to the ship, the men threw a rope over and he climbed on board where they showed him around the ship. That was the last memory, his son Anthony, ever had of his father.
Charles records state that he was to be returned to Australia at first convenient opportunity. However, he was transferred to London in 1942 to work in the radio bunkers and became ill and died in 1946, shortly after the war ended, and thus never seeing his wife or son again.
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