William Frazer Brown

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Wed, 04/11/2015 - 14:58

First Name:

William

Middle Name:

Frazer/ Fraser

Last Name:

Brown

Mother's Name:

Mary Ellen Brown

Father's Name:

Arthur Brown

Date Enlisted:

Monday, October 9, 1916

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

37th Battalion

Company:

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Friday, June 8, 1917

Place of Death:

Messines, Belgium

Cause of Death:

Killed in action

Details:

William Brown (Service No 2687) was born in September 1897.

William was single, worked as a farmer and lived at Bulli, N.S.W. when he enlisted at Kiama, N.S.W. at the age of 19. He had served in the Militia.

William embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A24 Benalla with 5th Reinforcements on 9th November 1916. The troops arrived in England on 9th January 1917 and William was admitted to hospital with influenza on 3rd February 1917. After recovering he joined C Company, 37th Battalion in France on 8th May 1917.

The Battalion moved to Belgium and took part in the battle of Messines Ridge. It was here, on 8th June 1917, that William was hit by a shell and killed instantly.

There is no known grave for William; he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres, Belgium.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, BROWN W F