2nd Lt
Ernest James Brown
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 19/10/1883 |
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Place of birth: Chelsea, Surrey, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Clerk |
Army information
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Country: Wales, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Second Lieutenant |
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Service number: / |
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Enlistment place: Watford, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 15th Bn. (1st London Welsh) (Attached) — Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 1/4th Bn. (Denbighshire) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 31/07/1917 |
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Place of death: Iron Cross, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 33 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 22 |
Distinctions and medals 4
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1914-15 Star Medal — 01/03/1920 |
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British War Medal Medal — 18/10/1920 |
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Mentioned in Despatches Honourable mentioning |
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Victory Medal Medal — 18/10/1920 |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Ernest was born late 1883 in Chelsea, Middlesex. He was the son of Ernest John and Ellen Brown. Early 1914 he married Lillian Maud Turner from Watford, Hertfordshire. They started a family in Watford and had one son together. His son Spencer George was born in December 1914. But Ernest wasn’t present for the birth, as he had been deployed with the Hertfordshire Yeomanry in the Middle East one month prior.
Ernest rose in the ranks and obtained a commission as second lieutenant with the 4th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers. But was later attached to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 15th Battalion (1st London Welsh) for the opening day of the Passchendaele offensive on 31 July 1917. The Battalion was part of the 113th Brigade of the 38th (Welsh) Division.
The 38th Division advanced at zero hour 3.50 a.m. with two Brigades plus one in support. The 113th Brigade was on the left of the Divisional front, the 114th on the right and the 115th Brigade was in support. The 38th (Welsh) Division was to capture the ruined hamlet of Pilkem and a position on the ridge midway between the stream of the Steenbeek and the hamlet. The latter being the Division’s final objective, and was called the Green Line. Their first objective, the Blue Line, ran halfway between the Ypres-Yser Canal and Pilkem. The second objective, the Black Line, ran just behind the hamlet of Pilkem. Once they reached the Green Line, two Battalions of the 115th Brigade would advance through the 113th and 114th Brigade and capture the Steenbeek crossings.
The Battalion crossed the Canal by 2.30 a.m. and awaited the signal to attack. The British artillery put down a barrage at 3.50 a.m. behind which the troops had to advance. The men had the greatest difficulties in keeping direction, as it was still too dark. When the men got clear of the Canal bank the going became easier. The Blue Line was reached with relative ease. The 10th and 13th Welsh Battalions of the 114th Brigade captured the Blue Line at 5.20 a.m. The attack was then continued by the 15th Welsh Regiment on the right and the 14th Welsh on the left, of the 114th Brigade.
The 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers also pushed forward. Though the hamlet of Pilkem was reduced to rubble, it was heavily fortified by the Germans. Amid the ruins of Pilkem the Germans had constructed a series of concrete shelters and pill-boxes, resistant to heavy shells. A German barrage caught the Battalion in front of Pilkem and the men faced machine gun- and sniper fire. Notwithstanding the staunch resistance and suffering grave casualties, the Battalion passed Pilkem and reached the Black Line.
Supported by six Lewis Guns of the 14th Royal Welsh Fusiliers and two companies of the 16th Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers set off for the Green Line. They met considerable opposition at Battery Copse and from houses at Brierley Road. The situation became dire. The 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers had lost most of their officers and lost the pace of the barrage. On top of that the British barrage came down on the leading lines of the Battalion, which added confusion to the already chaotic situation.
Battalion commander Lieutenant-Colonel Norman then ordered the Battalion to consolidate positions at the German strongpoint on Iron Cross Ridge, 150 yards short of the Green Line. The 115th Brigade thereupon passed through the Battalion and went on to the Steenbeek. This concluded the fighting of the 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers on the 31st of July 1917.
According to a letter written by a fellow officer of the 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers to Ernest’s widow Lillian; Ernest was killed by a German sniper within sight of the Battalion’s objective. Owing to subsequent shelling and the persistent bad weather it was impossible to recover his body and Ernest was buried in the field. Ernest, now has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Ernest rose in the ranks and obtained a commission as second lieutenant with the 4th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers. But was later attached to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 15th Battalion (1st London Welsh) for the opening day of the Passchendaele offensive on 31 July 1917. The Battalion was part of the 113th Brigade of the 38th (Welsh) Division.
The 38th Division advanced at zero hour 3.50 a.m. with two Brigades plus one in support. The 113th Brigade was on the left of the Divisional front, the 114th on the right and the 115th Brigade was in support. The 38th (Welsh) Division was to capture the ruined hamlet of Pilkem and a position on the ridge midway between the stream of the Steenbeek and the hamlet. The latter being the Division’s final objective, and was called the Green Line. Their first objective, the Blue Line, ran halfway between the Ypres-Yser Canal and Pilkem. The second objective, the Black Line, ran just behind the hamlet of Pilkem. Once they reached the Green Line, two Battalions of the 115th Brigade would advance through the 113th and 114th Brigade and capture the Steenbeek crossings.
The Battalion crossed the Canal by 2.30 a.m. and awaited the signal to attack. The British artillery put down a barrage at 3.50 a.m. behind which the troops had to advance. The men had the greatest difficulties in keeping direction, as it was still too dark. When the men got clear of the Canal bank the going became easier. The Blue Line was reached with relative ease. The 10th and 13th Welsh Battalions of the 114th Brigade captured the Blue Line at 5.20 a.m. The attack was then continued by the 15th Welsh Regiment on the right and the 14th Welsh on the left, of the 114th Brigade.
The 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers also pushed forward. Though the hamlet of Pilkem was reduced to rubble, it was heavily fortified by the Germans. Amid the ruins of Pilkem the Germans had constructed a series of concrete shelters and pill-boxes, resistant to heavy shells. A German barrage caught the Battalion in front of Pilkem and the men faced machine gun- and sniper fire. Notwithstanding the staunch resistance and suffering grave casualties, the Battalion passed Pilkem and reached the Black Line.
Supported by six Lewis Guns of the 14th Royal Welsh Fusiliers and two companies of the 16th Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers set off for the Green Line. They met considerable opposition at Battery Copse and from houses at Brierley Road. The situation became dire. The 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers had lost most of their officers and lost the pace of the barrage. On top of that the British barrage came down on the leading lines of the Battalion, which added confusion to the already chaotic situation.
Battalion commander Lieutenant-Colonel Norman then ordered the Battalion to consolidate positions at the German strongpoint on Iron Cross Ridge, 150 yards short of the Green Line. The 115th Brigade thereupon passed through the Battalion and went on to the Steenbeek. This concluded the fighting of the 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers on the 31st of July 1917.
According to a letter written by a fellow officer of the 15th Royal Welsh Fusiliers to Ernest’s widow Lillian; Ernest was killed by a German sniper within sight of the Battalion’s objective. Owing to subsequent shelling and the persistent bad weather it was impossible to recover his body and Ernest was buried in the field. Ernest, now has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Sources 6
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"Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Uniform, 2018, pg. 30-33. Sources used |
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"Welsh at War. Through Mud to Victory: Third Ypres and the 1918 Offensives. John S. Barnsley, Pen & Sword Military, 2018, dl 3, pg. 11-15. Sources used |
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Ancestry https://search.ancestry.com Further reference |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/929414/brown,-ernest-james/ Sources used |
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The Long, Long Trail https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Sources used |
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War Diary Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 15th Bn. https://www.nmarchive.com/ Further reference |