Pte 235283 Albert Brown

• Age: 38
• From: Middlesbrough
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Albert Brown was born in the September quarter of 1882 in Middlesborough, the son of Cornelius Brown and his wife Ann (nee Long) who were both from Norfolk and married in Stockton in 1874. 

The 1881 census shows the couple living at 25 Wardlow Street, Beswick, Lancashire where Cornelius is a carter for the Health Dept, they have an 18 month old son called Edward who was baptised on the 23rd November 1879 at Bradford and Beswick Parish Church.

His father died between 1881 and 1901 but no suitable death record can be found.

The family cannot be found in the 1891 census, and by the time of the 1901 census, Ann is a widow and according to a few snippets of information, she is a well known midwife in the district of Foulsham, Norfolk where she lives with her son Albert. The 1901 census records her as a monthly nurse in the household of a Margaret Earl of Pockthorpe, Foulsham, who has a one year old child as well as an infant. A monthly nurse stayed for about a month in the family of a woman who had given birth during her ‘lying in’ period, tending to the mother and the baby. Albert is at home in Wright’s Yard, Foulsham, he’s a cattle stockman on a farm.

Albert married Ethel Broom on 22nd December 1908 at Aylsham Register Ofiice. Albert's occupation is recorded as a farm labourer. The couple had three children: Lucy (or Louisa) May in July 1909, Helen in October 1913 and Edward in July 1916. At the time of the 1911 census the couple were living in the village of Beetly near Dereham, Norfolk where Albert is working as a farm labourer. His mother Ann has moved to live with her 86 year old widowed father and is recorded as a housekeeper.

Albert enlisted in Norwich and was formerly 1983, Yorkshire Regiment and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 235283 when he was killed in action on 31st July 1917 on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18th Battalion was part of 21st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2nd Lieut. Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken. Not far away from this action, an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men were wounded.

They were relieved on the 2nd August.

Albert's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

He was reported in the Weekly Casualty List on 09th October 1917: 

Previously reported wounded, now reported

WOUNDED AND MISSING.

King's (Liverpool Regiment) - Brown, 235283, A.(South Acre);

Also in the Lynn News on 13th October 1917:

Southacre: Pte A. Brown, 235283, King's Liverpool R., previously reported wounded, now reported wounded a missing.

Albert is also remembered on the war memorial in Foulsham.

Ethel (Broom) remarried a Joseph Butcher in 1918 in Thetford, her address on the records is Milven Lane, Bromyard, Hereford. According to records young Lucy, Helen and Edward appear to have been fostered by a Mrs Lucy Wicks and a Mrs Mary Chapman. Sadly Helen died in 1920.

The CWGC has Albert's father recorded as: Wright Yard Brown but Wright Yard is an address where the family were living. This is obviously a transcription error as his father was Cornelius Brown. 

His mother died, aged 84, in the June quarter of 1939 in Norwich

We currently have no further information on Albert Brown, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.