| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
John was born in Beverley the 8 Aug 1885 and baptised at St Mary's Church the 30 Apr 1890, the son of George Brown, farm labourer originally from Norfolk, and Helen. The family lived on Grayburn Lane and John became a tanner's labourer. On 11 Jun 1910 he married Edith Florence O'Connell, at Beverley Minster. They lived at 26 Holme Church Lane. John was employed at the Beverley shipyard as a plater's labourer/helper.
John enlisted for as a private on 5 Sep 1914 at Scarborough, joining the 5th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment (TA). He arrived in France on 18 Apr 1915 and went straight into battle at St Julien, near Ypres, in Belgium. On 26 Apr 1915 John received gunshot wounds to his wrist and buttock at Wimerieux, sufficiently serious for him to be returned to the UK on the Hospital Ship St Patrick. He recovered from the wounds and went to France for a second time with the 5th on 21 May 1916. However in early Aug 1916 he contracted trench fever and was returned to the UK. In Aug 1917 he was transferred to the Labour Corps, joining the 510th Home Service Employment Company. He was judged as unfit for further service at the end of the year and on 25 Jan 1918 he was discharged from the Army and allowed to return to work at the shipyard. He was awarded a pension and received the 1914-15 Star and the War and Victory Medals. John's brother in law, Percy O'Connell, a riveter at the shipyard, also served with the 5th.
In 1939 John and his family were living at 15 Grayburn Lane, Beverley. His wife Edith and his daughter, Gwendoline, did land work in WW2. John was employed as a labourer at the Beverley Gas Works, Beckside. He died in Hull in 1942 and was buried in Queensgate Cemetery, Beverley, the 9 Sep 1942. Edith died in 1965.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |