Name
Ernest Arthur Brown
1/05/1873
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/03/1915
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Royal Naval Reserve
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
9.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He was lost at sea.
UK & Other Memorials
Cheshunt Town Memorial, Church of St Mary the Virgin Memorial Cheshunt
Pre War
Ernest Arthur Brown was born in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, on 1st May 1873, son of Alfred Harrison Brown a, Secretary to a Public Company and Jane Louisa Brown (nee Johnston). One of three sons Alfred Johnston Brown (B 1872) and Hector Pasley Thorpe Brown (B 1874).
He was Baptised on 24th May 1973, in the Parish of Waltham Cross, Herts.
1881 Census records Ernest aged 7, at school, living with his parents, brothers Alfred (8) and Hector (6) in, Hatton Road, Cheshunt, Herts. The family had a live-in Domestic Servant.
His mother Jane Louise Brown died on 18th April 1885 aged 44.
1891 Census, Ernest (17), is employed as a Clerk to a Public Company, living with his widowed father, brothers Alfred (18) and Hector (16) in, Church Field, Cheshunt, Herts.
Ernest enlisted in the Merchant Marine Service. In November 1898, he obtained his Board of Trade First Mates Certificate for a Foreign going Steam Ship, and in February 1909 he obtained his master’s Certificate.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of War Ernest joined the Roya Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) on 10th December 1914, for the duration of the war, with the Rank of Sub Lieutenant. Joining HMS “Bayano” on the 22nd December 1914, a recently requestioned Banana Boat from the Elders & Fyffes Line and converted to an Armed Merchant Auxiliary Cruiser.
On the 11th March 1915, HMS “Bayano” was 3 miles off Corsewall Point, Galloway, Scotland, when she was torpedoed by the German U-Boat U-27, under the command of Kapitanleutnant Bernard Wegener. HMS “Bayano” sank with loss of 195 crew, Ernest being one of them, only 26 crew survived.
U-27 was sunk by Gun Fire from the British “Q” Ship, HMS “Baralong” on 19th August 1915, all the U-Boat crew were lost.
Additional Information
His effects of £154-2s-6d, went to his younger brother Hector Pasley Thorpe Brown.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
