Pte Evelyn James William Browne - New Zealand Cyclist Battalion

[Will O'Brien]

As per CWGC

Name: BROWNE, EVELYN JAMES WILLIAM

Initials: E J W

Nationality: New Zealand

Rank: Private

Regiment: New Zealand Cyclist Battalion

Date of Death: 17/04/1918

Service No: 24485

Additional information: Son of Mrs. J. D. Browne, of 42, Knolly's St., Suva, Fiji.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Memorial: MESSINES RIDGE (N.Z.) MEMORIAL

[Will O'Brien]

& the memorial info

Cemetery: MESSINES RIDGE (N.Z.) MEMORIAL

Country: Belgium

Locality: Mesen, West-Vlaanderen

Visiting Information: Wheelchair access to the cemetery is possible, but may be by an alternative entrance. For further information regarding wheelchair access, please contact our Enquiries Section on telephone number 01628 507200.

Location Information: The Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial to the Missing is situated within Messines Ridge British Cemetery, which is located 9.5 kilometres south of Ieper town centre on the Nieuwkerkestraat, a road leading from the Rijselseweg, N365, which connects Ieper to Wijtschate, Mesen and on to Armentieres. From Ieper town centre the Rijselsestraat runs from the market square, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort) and directly over the crossroads with the Ieper ring road. The road name then changes to the Rijselseweg. Nieuwkerkestraat is a right hand turning from the N365 in the town of Mesen. The memorial lies 250 metres after this right hand turning, on the left hand side of the road.

Historical Information: Messines (now Mesen) was considered a strong strategic position, not only from its height above the plain below, but from the extensive system of cellars under the convent known as the Institution Royale. The village was taken from the 1st Cavalry Division by the German 26th Division on 31 October-1 November 1914. An attack by French troops on 6 -7 November was unsuccessful and it was not until the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917 that it was retaken by the New Zealand Division. On 10-11 April 1918, the village fell into German hands once more after a stubborn defence by the South African Brigade, but was retaken for the last time on 28-29 September 1918. The MESSINES RIDGE (NEW ZEALAND) MEMORIAL stands within Messines Ridge British Cemetery and commemorates over 800 soldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who died in or near Messines in 1917 and 1918 and who have no known grave. This is one of seven memorials in France and Belgium to those New Zealand soldiers who died on the Western Front and whose graves are not known. The memorials are all in cemeteries chosen as appropriate to the fighting in which the men died. MESSINES RIDGE BRITISH CEMETERY, in which this memorial stands, occupies ground that belonged to the Institution Royale. It was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefield around Messines and from a number of small burial grounds in the area. The dates of death of those buried here range from October 1914 to October 1918, but the majority died in the fighting of 1917. There are now 1,531 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 954 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate a number of casualties known or believed to be buried among them, or who were buried in other cemeteries where their graves were destroyed by shell fire. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Charles Holden.

No. of Identified Casualties: 828

[christine liava'a]

I have only just picked up on this one

Evelyn James William Browne was born in Suva in 1895, son of James Dunnett and Mary Cutbush Browne

His brother Cyril Francis Browne enlisted in the 2nd reinforcements of the Fiji Contingent to Britain in August 1917, and ended up as Rifleman 40202 in the KRRC. He survived and returned to Fiji

Evelyn came to NZ and enlisted in the Cyclists Battalion

Surname BROWNE

Given Name Evelyn James William

Category Nominal Roll Vol. 2

Regimental Number 24485

Rank Private

Next of Kin Title Mrs James D

Next of Kin Surname BROWNE

Next of Kin Relationship Mother

Next of Kin Address 42 Knolleys Street Suva Fiji

Roll 38

Page 7

Occupation Mechanic

and was killed at the Battle of Mt Kemmel