Name
Solomon Brown
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/09/1914
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
8616
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CEMENT HOUSE CEMETERY
Plot XVII, Row B, Grave 24.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
The end was peace
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour,
Redbourn Town Memorial,
St Mary's Church Memorial, Redbourn
Pre War
Born in 1887 in Redbourn, Herts. son of George and Elizabeth (nee Collins) Brown, 68 Church End, Redbourn, Herts.
His parents married 12 September 1874 at St Mary’s, Redbourn, Herts. George died 1890 in Redbourn aged 40, and was buried 25 September at St Mary’s, Redbourn. Elizabeth remarried 25 January 1902 at St Mary’s, Redbourn, to Walter SINFIELD. Walter died 5 January 1940 in Redbourn aged 68, and was buried 10 January at St Mary’s, Redbourn; Elizabeth died 24 December 1943 [sic] in Redbourn aged 88, and was buried 23 December [sic], also at St Mary’s
Solomon was born 1887 in Redbourn, and baptised 5 October 1890 at St Mary’s, Redbourn. He resided in Redbourn.
On the 1891 Census, aged 4 he lived in Redbourn, with his widowed mother and seven siblings. On the 1901 Census, he was an errand boy aged 14 living as was a boarder in Luton, Beds.
On the 1911 Census, a Lance-Corporal in the 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment aged 23, he was stationed in St George, Bermuda.
Wartime Service
As a professional soldier at the outbreak of war the 1st Battalion was stationed at Mullingar, Ireland but mobilized quickly and by 16 August had landed in France.
Their first action was at Wasmes on 23 August, the first day of the Battle of Mons, and it seems likely that Solomon was wounded in action in the front line at Missy-sur-Arisne by shellfire. He was taken to Quaregnon nearby but died of his wounds on 13 September, 1914.
He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals.
Additional Information
Brother of Private Horace Brown who died on 22 Mar 1916 after serving in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and who is also commemorated on the Watford and Redbourn memorials.
Unfortunately, Solomon’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
Has a entry in the National Roll of the Great War.
Acknowledgments
Gareth Hughes
Gareth Hughes, Malcolm Lennox, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
