Acting Major Harold Brown was born in Bournemouth on 4^th January 1879 into a fairly wealthy middle class family, but as he grew up decided to head north (via Cambridge University) and eventually ended up with his wife Dorothy in Filey, where they lived at Linkfield, 61 West Ave. Unfortunately, very little of his civilian and social life is known but an excellent record of his life in the military has been recovered by Rodger Dowson, to whom I am very grateful for allowing me to view his research and efforts.

            Brown, in his civilian career was a Schoolmaster, although not at Filey School, so presumably a private one which would probably in keeping with his University career, as he achieved a BA from Jesus College, Cambridge where he studied between 1898 and 1902. It was here that he first received his first taste of military life, when he joined the 4^th Battalion Royal Suffolk Regt., otherwise known as the Cambridge University Rifle Volunteers as a territorial. Below are his service details for this time, including his length of time at each rank:    

                                                 

 

At this point, Harold had finished his degree and therefore left Cambridge, so resigned his commission and unfortunately from this point nothing is known until 1914, when he is living in Filey at Linkfield, 61 West Ave. with his wife and was working as a teacher. However, he re-enlisted on 14^th June 1914 as part of the Territorial Force and was made a Lieutenant on the 18^th in the 5^th Battalion, (Princess of Wales Own) Yorkshire Regt., which was to become his ‘home’ until 1917.

The next known mention of Lt. Brown is in Mark Marsay’s book "Baptism of Fire" which chronicles the history of the 5^th Battalion during the Great War when the Battle of St. Julien (near Ypres) is discussed. On the 25^th April 1915, ‘D’ Company under the command of a Captain Geoffrey Barber, with Lt. Brown as second in command and Lance-Corporal Claude Dell as the NCO, were ordered to take a farmhouse that contained a machine gun nest and hold the position from the enemy, a task which was virtually impossible. The position was never taken and ‘D’ Company suffered nine casualties out of a strength of 25, including Captain Barber and Lance-Corporal Dell and it was up to Lt. Brown to lead the remaining party back to the lines, very demoralised. However, it is recorded that after nightfall Brown went out into no-mans land by himself and recovered the body of L/Cpl. Dell and buried him, an act which apparently earned him a great deal of respect from the soldiers serving under him. After this, nothing is known of his actions until he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order on the 24^th July 1915 for an act that is unfortunately still a mystery but probably earned him the rank of Captain, as he is recorded as this at this point.

This good fortune was not to last though, as on the 6^th August he was taken ill with appendicitis and was forced to leave his unit, now the 1^st/5^th Battalion, and he sailed for Dover from Dieppe on Friday the 13^th August aboard the hospital ship ‘Anglia’. At a medical board review in September the following was recorded:

"On the 6^th August at Armentieres he was suddenly attacked wit the symptoms of appendicitis and was in severe pain…He was sent home and the first operation was performed on 19^th August. He appears to be recovering well."

He was pronounced fit for active service again on 4^th November 1915 and between that point and the 16^th September 1916 remained in France. He led the charge in the Battalion’s celebrated victory of the crater raid at Petit Bois in May 1916 and was awarded the Military Cross on the 25^th August 1916 (although it is unsure whether this is for his action during the raid). However, on the 16^th September he was wounded and ended up in a field hospital until the 25^th, when he sailed again for Dover, this time from Calais aboard the S.S. Brighton . The medical case sheet with him stated:

"The explosion of a shell in his immediate vicinity rendered him unconscious for a short time. When he came to he found he had a gunshot wound to the dorsum(?) of his right foot and also damage to is ear."

It was the 23^rd of November before he was declared fit for service and he returned once again to duty, although at the medical board a note was made that the hearing in his right ear was severely impaired but not permanently damaged and also that the movement in his right foot would be slightly impaired, again though not permanently. After returning he was awarded the Croix de Guerre on the 9^th December and was later mentioned in dispatches on the 29^th of the same month, although again these actions are not known. He was posted to the 4^th (Reserve) Battalion, Yorkshire Regt. after his injury who were training at Scotton Camp, Catterick but was sent home again only a couple of months after the Battalion reached the front with a further gunshot wound and head wound. This time though, the injuries were serious and Brown spent a month in No. 8 Field Hospital (Rouen Base-No.366/17) as he was too sick to be moved. An addition to his case sheet was made that said:

"Patient was admitted on the 28^th April 1917 having acquired his wounds two days previously [presumably, this time was spent either in no-mans land or an advanced dressing station] The wound of the thigh is an open shot wound and is improving favourably but following the blow to the head he has complained of excruciating headaches since his first admission"

 

When the medical board declared him stable enough to return to England (on the 10^th May) they also added this:

 

"Wounded at the place and date by a rifle bullet which penetrated the anterior surface at the thigh, about six inches above the knee causing a flesh wound. Abscesses also now present as wound has not healed…he received a contusion to the left side of the head at the same time as he received the other wound. The only effect he now feels is a slight numbness in the fore and middle finger of the right hand."

He was returned to Southampton on the S.S. Normania from Le Havre and was sent to Furness Auxiliary Hospital, Harrogate where he recovered until he was declared fit for active service on 24^th July and was told to sail from Folkestone on the 15^th August. At this point Brown had received a promotion to the rank of Captain and Brevet Major and when he reported 3^rd Echelon, Boulogne base found he had been posted back to his original battalion, the 5^th. Between this point and the 30^th December 1917 he was with his old battalion but he was gazetted on this date to the rank of Acting Major and placed as second in command of the 4^th Battalion, Yorkshire Regt. where he spent his remaining days.

On the 23^rd March 1918 whilst acting as Commanding Officer for the 4^th Battalion Acting Major Harold Brown was killed in action at the action of Brie on the Somme, on the third day of the 1918 German Spring offensive at the age of 39. He is remembered on the Pozieres memorial, as his body was never found and also on the Green Howards, Sledmere memorial where a bronze statue of him has been placed.