Pte 59438 Thomas William Brown

• Age: 38
• From: Liverpool
• 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

Thomas William Brown was born in Aigburth in 1879, the son of John Brown and his wife Sarah Elizabeth (nee Platt) who were married on the 04th March 1867 at St Michael's Church, Toxteth. John was 22, father Thomas, whilst Sarah was 21, both of Lark Lane. Thomas was baptised in St John The Baptist Church in Toxteth Park, on the 04th August 1879 where his father’s occupation is recorded as mariner. The family lived at 31 Beloe Street in the Dingle, Liverpool.

The 1881 census shows the family living at 64 Mozart Street. His father, John, is 36 years of age and is a mariner, born in Runcorn, his mother,Sarah is 35 and was born in Aigburth. They have four daughters – Margaret aged 13, Elizabeth 11, Mary 8 and Sarah Ann 4. Thomas is 2 years old. All of the children were born in Aigburth.

His parents died in quick succession, his father died, aged 38, in 1883 and his mother died aged 39 in 1884. 

The family cannot be traced for certain on the 1901 Census, but Thomas married Margaret Ann Owens in 1904. The couple had three children – John Edward in December 1904, Margaret in April 1906 and Olive in November 1908.

Thomas enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 59438 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.

He was posted as Miising in the Liverpool Echo on Saturday 02 March 1918: 

POSTED AS MISSING.  

Private T. W. Brown, K.L.R., joined the colours on February 8 last year, and left for France on May 29, was posted missing on July 31. Any information will thankfully be received by his wife and family at 71, Denman-street, Kensington, Liverpool.  

Thomas' 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.

His widow, Margaret Ann, children John E., Margaret and Olive received his Soldiers Effects and were awarded a pension of £1.10s.1d a week from 19th August 1918, her address at the time was 71 Denman Street. She lives at this address with son John until 1926, her whereabouts after that are unknown. 

Thomas is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 13 Right

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