Pte 31091 John Brown

• Age: 20
• From: Millom,Cumberland
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

John Brown was born in 1896 in Millom, Cumberland and was the son of Matthew and Mary Fanny Brown (nee Roberts), of 43 Fernhill St, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. They had married in Anglesey in September 1894. John was educated from 1903 at Lapstone Road Board School (Boys), Millom and they have his date of birth as 21^st August 1896. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 23 Newton Street, Millom.  His father, Matthew, is aged 40, born in Ravenglass, Cumberland and is a wood shipwright, whilst his mother, Mary, is aged 31, born in Amlwch, Anglesea. They have two children born in Millom, John aged 4 and Robert aged 1. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 43 Fernhill Street, Toxteth, Liverpool.  His father, Matthew, is aged 48, born 1863 in Ravenglass, Cumberland and is a shipwright- carpenter, whilst his mother, Mary, is aged 40, born 1871 in Anglesey. They have three children all born in Millom, Cumberland. John who is aged 14, born 1897 is a student, Robert aged 11 born 1900 and Martha aged 9, born 1902 both at school.

John enlisted in Liverpool was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 31091 when he was killed in action on the 12th October 1916 aged 20 during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

17^th Bn War Diary:  Battle of Transloy Ridge –                                               

11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday.  Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.

12-10-16  - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak.  2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced.  Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful.  Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.

Casualties: 5 officers killed,  5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.

Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds: 

"As the whistle blew, the 17^th Battalion left its trenches to move forward.  […]  As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire.  […]  Although their numbers had been depleted by the British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire.  As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.   The 17^th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets.  Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will.  It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners.  There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.”

John has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01^st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

Reported wounded and missing in the Liverpool Daily Post 16h Nov 1916. 

King’s (Liverpool Regiment) - Brown, 31091, J.; 

Soldiers Effects to father Matthew, Pension to mother Mary. 

Parents appears on the 1939 register still living at 43 Fernhill Street. Father Matthew, dob 4^th Oct 1860, mother Mary F., dob 6th Aug 1869. Family Trees have their deaths in 1945 and 1943 respectively. 

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

Education records show John’s birth year as 1896 and Census records have 1897.