| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Wilkinson Brown was born in Ousby, Cumberland the 12 Dec 1867, one of eight children born to John Brown and his wife Isabella. It is not when Wilkinson joined the regular army, he rose rapidly through the ranks of the 1st Royal Dragoon Guards and by the time they were sent to South Africa in the Second Boer War (1899-1902) he was a senior non-commissioned officer, Squadron Sergeant Major.
The London Gazette of 31 Oct 1902 announced he had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, he also received the King’s South Africa Medal with clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Tugela Heights, the relief of Ladysmith and Laing’s Nek. He was also awarded a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
After the Boer War Wilkinson returned to the UK and by 1903 had transferred to the East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry, created in 1902. He served as Regimental Sergeant Major at the base in Beverley.
Wilkinson married Mary Ann Smith at St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich, on 30 Mar 1899, they moved to Beverley and their first child Winifred Nina was born 11 Apr 1904 followed by Archibald Wilkinson on 2 May 1905.
The Yeomanry were mobilised on 4 Aug 1914 but did not go into action. Wilkinson was laid low by a liver complaint, he was not to recover and died on 24 Aug 1914. He was buried at St Martin’s Cemetery, Queensgate, on 26 Aug 1914 with full military honours. His resting place was designated as a war grave by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
In the Hull Daily Mail of 25 Aug 1914, it was noted by a superior officer that “his conduct has been the example of a type of the highest and best that the British Army can produce”. He also drew attention to “his exemplary character, the unremitting zeal and soldierly bearing always displayed in the performance of his onerous duties”.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |