Name
Arthur Brown
27 Mar 1881
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/01/1919
38
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
630448
Labour Corps
433rd Agricultural Company
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ABBOTS LANGLEY (ST. LAWRENCE) CHURCHYARD
430. (N.W. Plot).
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
ALSO IN MEMORY OF 103493 L/CPL. D. BROWN SHERWOOD FORESTERS KILLED IN FRANCE 20 OCT. 1918 AND 17102 PRIVATE G. BROWN THE QUEEN'S KILLED IN FRANCE 19 FEB. 1918 GREATER LOVE
UK & Other Memorials
Abbots Langley Village Memorial, Church of Ascension Memorial, Bedmond, Family Grave, St Lawrence Church, Abbots Langley
Pre War
Wartime Service
Biography
Arthur Brown
was the first Abbots Langley man to die after the November 1918 Armistice from
the effects of the War. He died at Jenkins Runds Cottages, Holliwell, Hitchin
on 28th January 1919 whilst he was serving with the 433rd Agricultural Company.
The Abbots
Langley Parish Magazine Roll of Honour first recorded Arthur serving with the
3/4th Northamptonshire’s in December 1916 and showed that he had transferred to
the 1st Northampton’s by January 1918. Arthur was gassed when in France with
the Northampton’s and was sent home and presumably subsequently discharged as
being unable to serve, but it is not known when this occurred. By the end of
the War there were 390,000 men serving in the Labour Corps, performing all
sorts of manual tasks behind the lines, and 175,000 of this total served in the
UK. This group included many wounded men, returning to service after treatment,
or men who were considered medically sub-standard for front line service.
Arthur was born
at at Wood End, Redbourn, Herts. on 27 Mar 1881and the family were living at
Wood End, Redbourn. In 1891 the family lived at Westfield Row, Leverstock
Green, and by 1901 had moved to Bedmond. The family comprised eleven children
in all, six sons and five daughters born to James Brown, a labourer, and Mary
Ann (nee Moody). In 1901 both James and Arthur worked as “Horsemen on Farm”. By
1911 his father James had died, the family lived at Bell Field, Bedmond and
Arthur’s occupation was Carman (gravel).
Arthur was one of four Bedmond brothers who served in the Great War.
Three died and one survived.
It is not known
when Arthur enlisted, but it was probably in 1916, or when and where he was
gassed. However he is recorded as Private 28305 3/4th Northamptonshire Regiment
and that he had transferred to the 1st Battalion by January 1918. By the time
the Government collected details for the Absent Voters’ Lists, in Autumn 1918,
Arthur gave his residence as Bellfield Cottage, Bedmond.
His death was
recorded in the Abbots Langley Parish Magazine in February 1919: “We have,
alas, to add another name to the list of Bedmond men who have fallen victims of
the War. Arthur Brown, who had been attached to the Agricultural Company
(630448), died at Hitchin on January 28th, after a few hours illness, which,
after his death, was caused by having been "gassed". He was out in
France for some time in the Northampton Regiment, and was sent home
"wounded", and was afterwards classed as too low a category to allow
of his return to the front. He died as a soldier for his country equally with
those who actually fell in war. We have to express our deepest sympathy with
Mrs Brown, who has lost no fewer than three of her sons.” Although ‘recovered’
from the gas it is probable the effects resulted in his being transferred to
the Labour Corps as he was unfit for front line duties.
During the
research for Arthur Brown it was identified that although the War had ended two
and a half months earlier, 128 men died on 28th January 1919 - the same day
that Arthur died. So despite the War being over, hundreds of men each day were dying
from wounds and/or illness related to the War or from the Spanish Flu Pandemic
that was raging at the time.
Arthur Brown was buried in the Churchyard of St Lawrence
Church, Abbots Langley, and was commemorated on the Abbots Langley War
Memorial.
Additional Information
Arthur who is buried in Harpenden has a CWGC headstone that bears the inscription requested by his mother to his brothers, George and David who also died, it reads:
“ALSO IN MEMORY OF 103493 L. CPL D. BROWN SHERWOOD FORESTERS KILLED IN FRANCE 20 OCT. 1918 AND 17102 PRIVATE G. BROWN THE QUEEN’S KILLED IN FRANCE 19 FEB. 1918 GREATER LOVE”
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
