Name
Allan Brown
17 January 1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/07/1919
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Captain
121
Australian Infantry A.I.F.
49th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARCHANGEL ALLIED CEMETERY
Russian Federation
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Digswell House Australian Hospital Memorial, St John's Church, Digswell
Pre War
Allan Brown was born in 1891 in Manchester, England, the son of Alfred and Margaret Brown, of 474 Chester Road, Old Trafford, Manchester. He was baptised at St Thomas, Ardwick on 1 March 1891.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at 30 Downing Street, Ardwick, Manchester where his father was a fish, game and poultry dealer. By 1901 they had moved to 23 Manor Street, South Manchester.
He was educated at Manchester Secondary School. and was a Trooper for 3 years in the Duke of Lancaster's yeomanry (volunteers). He went to Australia when 21 years old and became a farmer in Brisbane.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in AIF on 25 August 1914 as a Private, in the 2nd Australian Light Horse Regiment, and and served in Egypt, Gallipoli, France and North Russia. His unit embarked from Brisbane, Queensland, on board Transport A15, Star of England, on 24 September 1914. He was wounded in the foot at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli but returned to the peninsula before the evacuation. He received his commission on 8 February 1917 and was badly wounded on 15 July 1917 in the Messines sector and placed on a permanent supernumary list but volunteered for service in North Russia (despite a stiff arm). He was attached to the North Russian Rifles as part of Elope Force.
He was Mentioned in Despatches twice on 24 March 1919 and 11 November 1919 and was awarded the the Bronze Oak Leaf, the Order of St Anne, with swords, 3rd class, and the Order of St Stanislas, with swords, 3rd class, for conspicuous service rendered to Russia.
He was killed when his soldiers mutinied and went over to the Bolsheviks on 20 July 1919.
Additional Information
Collection relating to the First World War and North Russia Intervention service of 121 Captain Allan Brown, 2 Light Horse Regiment, Egypt and Elope Force, Russia, 1915-1919. The collection includes postcards and letters from Captain Brown to his family, including his father Alfred Brown, his sister Edith Brown, and his mother Margaret Charlotte Brown. The postcards are colour postcards depicting Egyptian harem scenes and black and white postcards depicting a range of Russian scenes.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
aif.adfa.edu.au, Australian War Memorial collection.
