BROWN, Douglas Graham
| Service Number: | 5122 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 2 August 1915, Brisbane QLD |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 13th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | East London, South Africa, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Atherton, Tablelands, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Mechanical Engineer |
| Died: | 7 January 1959, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Driver, 5122, 3rd Field Company Engineers, Brisbane QLD | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Dec 1915: | Involvement 5122, 3rd Field Company Engineers, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
| 17 Dec 1915: | Embarked 5122, 3rd Field Company Engineers, HMAT Berrima, Sydney | |
| 6 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Driver, 13th Field Company Engineers | |
| 1 Aug 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 13th Field Company Engineers | |
| 1 Aug 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 13th Field Company Engineers | |
| 5 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 5122, 13th Field Company Engineers, Battle for Pozières , Gunshot wound to right leg that required amputation above the knee | |
| 1 Aug 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sergeant, 5122, 13th Field Company Engineers |
Help us honour Douglas Graham Brown's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Sue Smith
Douglas Graham Brown was born at East London, South Africa in 1884, the eldest son of Matthew and Jessie Brown. He had a younger brother Vibert born in 1885. Prior to WW1 Douglas was living in Birkenhead, Telford, England where he did 2 years as an apprentice mechanical engineer then moved to Australia and did 5 years at Sydney University. He moved to Atherton QLD and worked as a mechanical engineer. His brother also lived in Atherton and worked as a contractor.
When WW1 broke out Douglas enlisted on 2nd August at Brisbane aged 31. He’s described as being 5ft 9ins tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. His service number was 5122, his rank Driver and he was initially assigned to the Australian Army Service Corps (AASC). He proceeded to Enoggera Army Camp in Brisbane where on 7th September 1915 he transferred to the 3rd Field Company Engineers, 13th Reinforcements and was classified as a Sapper. He embarked from Sydney on HMAT Berrima on 17th December 1915 and disembarked at Suez, Egypt, on 23rd January 1916 then proceeded to Tel-el-Kebir Camp. He was only there for 2 days when the company moved to Serapeum Camp on the Suez Canal.
On 6th March 1916 Douglas transferred to the newly formed 13th Field Engineers Company (13th FCE) at Tel-el-Kebir Camp. On 31st March 1916 the company moved to Serapeum Camp, sailing rafts which they’d built as part of their training, down the canal to the camp. Their responsibilities included constructing the lines of defence, temporary bridges, tunnels and trenches, observation posts, roads, railways, communication lines, buildings of all kinds, showers and bathing facilities, and other material and mechanical solutions to the problems associated with fighting in all theatres.
On 6th June 1916 Douglas, with the 13th FCE, embarked from Alexandria on HMT Oriana and disembarked at Marseilles, France, on 13th June 1916. They proceeded north by train and by the beginning of August they were at Pozieres. Douglas was promoted to Corporal and then Sergeant on the same day…1st August 1916. Just 4 days later he was seriously wounded in the right knee after the company had sustained heavy shelling during the Battle of Pozieres. He was admitted to the 36th Field Ambulance then transferred to the 44th Casualty Clearing Station before being placed on No. 23 hospital train which took him to Le Havre where he was evacuated to England on the hospital ship HMHS Asturias. The following day, 16th August 1916, he was admitted to the Lord Derby War Hospital at Waddington where his wound was so severe he had his right leg amputated above the knee. During his convalescence he was fitted with an artificial limb and transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford (3AAH) and then to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital (2AAH) at Southall. He was discharged from there for return to Australia on 5th April 1917 and embarked from Devonport on HMAT Themistocles on 4th May 1917. He disembarked at Syndey on 4th July 1917 then proceeded by train to Queensland. He was discharged from the service on 1st August 1917.
Douglas passed away on 7th January 1959 aged 75. He was cremated and his Memorial Plaque can be found at the NSW Garden of Remembrance at Rookwood NSW.
Douglas Graham Brown was awarded for service in WW1 the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 5th September 2023.
Sources
https://birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/13th_Field_Company_-_Engineers
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