Royal Vivian (Roy) BROWN

BROWN, Royal Vivian

Service Number: 6097
Enlisted: 12 August 1915, West Maitland, New South Wales
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 9th Depot Battalion
Born: Clarence Town, New South Wales, Australia, 29 June 1892
Home Town: Clarence Town, Dungog, New South Wales
Schooling: Clarence Town Public School, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation: Farmer
Died: Measles and pneumonia, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia, 22 October 1915, aged 23 years
Cemetery: Liverpool Old Cemetery
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

12 Aug 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6097, 9th Depot Battalion, West Maitland, New South Wales
15 Oct 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 6097, 9th Depot Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1

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Biography contributed by Yvonne Fletcher

Private Royal (Roy) Vivian Brown

Born: 1892

Age: 23 years

Occupation: Farmer

Description: 5’ 3” (161cms), 132 lbs (60kgs), Fair Complexion, blue eyes, fair hair

Religion: C of E

Enlisted: 12 Aug 1915

Service No: 139

Unit: 9 Depot Battalion, Warwick Farm

Died of Illness: 22 Oct 1915 

Roy was born in 1892 at Clarence Town, one of John Cecil and Maria Brown (nee Stevens) five children.  Roy and his younger brother Morton (Mort) enlisted in the AIF in August 1915, Morton, on the 3rd, and Roy on the 12th.

After enlisting the brothers were stationed at the Liverpool training camp and like Alban Callaghan they both contracted pneumonia.  Mort survived, but was discharged as medically unfit.  He reenlisted in September 1916.  Unfortunately, Roy was not as lucky, contracting measles as well as pneumonia.  He was hospitalised for 11 days passing away on October 22 1915. 

Like his service comrades who died overseas, Roy’s body was not returned to his family for local burial.  He was buried in the Church of England section of Liverpool’s Old Cemetery in New South Wales. 

Unusually, as he died during a time a war but was not in a war zone, he is remembered on Memorial Panel 185 at the Australian War Memorial and on the Roll of Honour.  This remembrance has only recently been bestowed on service personnel who have died in similar situations (peacekeeping duties etc).  However, as Roy did not leave the country on active service, his parents only received his Memorial Plague and Scroll and no medals.  Locally Roy is remembered on the Clarence Town War Memorial.

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