Name
Ambrose Brown
1897
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
02/04/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
13274
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CROISILLES BRITISH CEMETERY
I. A. 27.
France
Headstone Inscription
THAT WHETHER WE WAKE OR SLEEP WE SHOULD LIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM
UK & Other Memorials
Northchurch War Memorial, Not on the Berkhamsted memorials
Pre War
Ambrose Alfred Fletcher Brown (known as Ambrose) was born in 1897 in St Kilda, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, the son of Ambrose and Susan Elizabeth Brown (known as Susie). (N.B. his mother was also born in Australia). He was one of three children, with younger brothers William and Sydney both born in Northchurch, Herts.
Ambrose left Australia with his parents in August 1899 on the Darmstadt and on the 1901 Census the family were living at Bell Lane, Northchurch, Herts where his father was working as a general labourer. By the 1911 Census they had moved to Alma Row, Northchurch, Berkhamsted, Herts where his father was working as an engineer's labourer.
Wartime Service
Ambrose enlisted in Berkhamsted and served with the 2nd Battalion, The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment.
He was killed in action on 2 April 1917, aged 19 during an attack at Croisilles which was taken by the 7th Division on 2 April. The 2nd Battalion suffered heavy casualties and Ambrose is one of 29 soldiers who died on the same day and are buried with him in Croisilles British Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £4 9s 2d. Pension records exist for dependant father Ambrose Brown of 44 Northfield Road, Coventry, but give no indication of any pension paid. His mother's address is later given on pension records as 16 Church Houses, Northchurch, Berkhamsted. His father ordered his headstone inscription: "THAT WHETHER WE WAKE OR SLEEP WE SHOULD LIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM".
N.B. Ambrose Brown appears on CWGC records as J A Brown or J Ambrose Brown. The reason for this is not known as his birth name was registered as Ambrose Alfred Fletcher Brown.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
