Kingsley Brown

Rank:PrivateNumber:4408
Ship/Rgn/Sqn No:20th Bn
Name of Rgt or Ship:Royal Fusiliers (City of London Rgt)*
Died:20/07/1916Age:21
How Died:Killed in Action
Country of burial:France
Cemetery or Memorial:Thiepval Memorial
Town Memorial:Altrincham
Extra Information:
Born during the March quarter 1895 in the Bolton R.D. - ref: 8c/484, the
youngest son of James & Elizabeth Brown (nee Isherwood).

1901 Census - 791 Chorley Old Road, Bolton.    Son - aged: 6 - born:
Bolton, Lancashire.   Head of household - James Brown - Married - aged: 40
- occ: Drapers Manager - born: Oldham, Lancashire.    Also - Elizabeth
Brown - Wife - aged: 40 - born: Bolton.     Plus 2 elder siblings,
including his eldest brother - William Isherwood Brown who was also killed
during WW1.

1911 Census - 45 George Street, Altrincham.    Son - aged: 16 - occ:
Shippers Apprentice - born: Turton, Lancashire.    Head of household -
James Brown - Married - aged: 51 - occ: Drapers Shopkeeper - born:
Liverpool. Lancashire.     Also - Elizabeth Brown - Wife - aged: 50 - born:
Turton, Lancashire.   Plus his eldest brother - William Isherwood Brown who
was also killed during WW1.

His father became a Local Councillor.

Educated at the Bolton Church Institute and the Bradbury High School,
Altrincham.     Employed by the firm of John Walkden & Co. Shippers of
Lagos, West Africa and Manchester.     Attended St. George's Church.

Enlisted in August 1914, trained at Epsom, Mansfield & Salisbury Plain.   
Drafted to the front in Novemebr 1915 in the Manchester Section of the
Public Schools & Universities Battalion.

MIC - Drafted to France on the 14th November 1915.   Awarded the BWM - 15
Star - Victory.

The 06/10/1914 edition of the local newspaper carried an article on him
with the heading "WITH KITCHENER'S ARMY - HAPPY & CONTENTED SOLDIERS".

The letter from him to his father Cllr. James Brown, stated that he was at
Epsom and that there were 240 men plus officers based there.   Their day
started out with Reveille at 05.45 hrs so that the men can meet up on the
village green at 06.30 hrs.   After an hour of Swedish Drill in either the
fields or on the roads, they return to their billets for breakfast and
parade at 10.00 hrs.   The mornings were spent marching through lovely
scenery to Woodcote Park about 2 miles away.    After an hours platoon
drill, they marched in 4s back to Epsom.    In the afternoon they stayed in
the parade ground for company drill and finally assemble at between 16.00
hrs to 17.00 hrs and dismissed for the day.   Lights out was 20.00 hrs and
they were not permitted to travel beyond five miles from the Camp, with
certain building, etc being out of bounds.

He wrote home about his chum Private Andrew Dunlop Hughes who was killed on
the 22/06/1916 at Givenchy.

He was killed a short distance from where his brother, William Isherwood
Brown had been killed a few months earlier.

I am grateful to Gary Fisher for the following batallion circumstances at
the time of Kingsley Brown's death:-  In July 1916, the 20th Battalion,
Royal Fusiliers were on the Somme, serving in the 33rd Division, 19th
Brigade.  The War Diary says that they were in High Wood with the 19th July
Brigade making an attack on the 20th at 3.25 am in support of the 1st
Cameronians and 5th Scottish Rifles with the 2nd Royal Welsh Fusiliers in
Reserve.

His death was reported in the 01/08/1916 edition of the Altrincham
Guardian.   Listed in the Guardian Year Book - Roll of Honour for 1917 and
commemorated in the Altrincham & District Roll of Honour and the Timperley
Sports Club Memorial.

Memorials found on:
St. George's (Altrincham)
St. Margaret's (Dunham Massey)
Altrincham & District Roll of Honour
Timperley Sports Club
Bradbury Central School
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