charger Posted 2 December , 2003 Share Posted 2 December , 2003 I am trying to find any information regarding CSM A E Brown 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment (no 10118) KIA 25/08/1917 and buried in Happy Valley Cemetery, Fampoux. The small amount of information I have is as follows, born South Shields 1895 and also enlisted in South Shields. His parents were John & Margaret (from CWGC site). Hope you can help or send me in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 2 December , 2003 Share Posted 2 December , 2003 Nothing as such in the Regimental history for this date. They were holding the line between Monchy-le-Preux and a point half way between this village and the River Scarpe and were simply "holding the line" here for 2 months(ish) from mid-June, spending 4 days in the front line, 4 days in Brigade Reserve and finally 8 days in Divisional Reserve in rotation. When they went back to the front, they went to the same place and so on for the whole 2 months. Hope this is of some help, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charger Posted 6 December , 2003 Author Share Posted 6 December , 2003 Many thanks for the info regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 7 December , 2003 Share Posted 7 December , 2003 Steve. The southernmost trenches on this trench map clip are those that were being held by the 1/East Lancs at the time of CSM Brown's death. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charger Posted 8 December , 2003 Author Share Posted 8 December , 2003 Dave Many thanks for the map will try and marry it up to a modern day one. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charger Posted 10 December , 2003 Author Share Posted 10 December , 2003 modern map with the trenches on as best as I can work out. Steve Hope map is clear first time with an attachment on the forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charger Posted 10 December , 2003 Author Share Posted 10 December , 2003 sorry everbody got that wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 sorry everbody got that wrong Not to worry, Steve. I've just tried to work it out off the map that you illustrated and failed miserably. You were on a hiding to nothing using this one anyway. The map has the locations of Pelves and Roeux wrong for a start! (Roeux is actually North of the River Scarpe and Pelves is on the D33e, not quarter of a mile to the east!). Monchy is off the map to the South. Bear with me for a while (give me a reminder if you hear nothing in a week or so) and I'll work out the exact locations off a modern IGN map (I've got the advantage of having the "wider view" from the trench map). Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charger Posted 11 December , 2003 Author Share Posted 11 December , 2003 Hello Dave When I had the 2 maps the same scale the roads overlaid about 98% I think my map has the names in the wrong place because of the scale. I remember going to Monchy after Orange Trench but will have another look kind regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 Steve. This is part of a 1:100,000 scale IGN map. The blue line that I've added is the approxomate British front line around the date you require. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charger Posted 12 December , 2003 Author Share Posted 12 December , 2003 Dave Many thanks I was a bit out. you have a more detailed map, I was using an autoroute map which does seem to put villages in the middle of fields. Hope to be back in this area in april for a few days. Would I get more information about CSM Brown from Fulwood or the PRO. In your honest opion. kind regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 13 December , 2003 Share Posted 13 December , 2003 Would I get more information about CSM Brown from Fulwood or the PRO. In your honest opion. In my honest opinion, it could be a little hit and miss at both. At the PRO (or NA), you'll almost definately get his MIC and other medal records.This may tell you when he arrived overseas. If you're lucky (very lucky!), you might get his attestation papers. The Batallion War Diaries, telling you what happened and when are also held at the PRO. However, the Regimental history, which I practically quoted from, is heavily based on these diaries, so I don't think much extra info could be gleaned from them. Fulwood also has a copy of the diary and might have a copy of the attestation papers even if the PRO doesn't. There is quite a bit of research going into the members of the East Lancs at Fulwood at the moment, so you may strike lucky there and get quite a bit of extra info (possibly including photographs). The fact that your man was a WO could be to your advantage here. Personally, I'd put my money on Fulwood coming up with the goods rather than the PRO. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charger Posted 13 December , 2003 Author Share Posted 13 December , 2003 Many thanks for your help on this Dave it is appreciated Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyne Posted 7 July , 2020 Share Posted 7 July , 2020 (edited) Resurrecting this thread because it tells the story I was looking for. I stumbled upon the grave of CSM Brown at Happy Valley on my little day in Arras last week. What I found quite interesting is that his gravestone is a special remembrance stone: he is "believed to be buried" in the cemetery. So on of the unknowns. BUT... it's actually only one of two possible graves... as there are only 5 "A soldier of the Great War" stone, of which three bear a date of death: 23 june 1917. So CSM Browns is buried under of the two other stones... funny, how life can play out ... Do we know where and when and for what he got his MM and bar?? M. Edited 7 July , 2020 by Marilyne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now