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Pte. Harry W. Brown VC
Canadian Expeditionary Forces 10th Btn. an Infantry (Alberta Regiment),
from:Canada
(d.17th August 1917)
Harry Brown died of wounds on 17th August 1917, aged 19 and is buried in the Noeux-les-Mines Communal Cemetery in France.
An extract from The London Gazette, No. 30338, dated 16th Oct, 1917, records the following: "For most conspicuous bravery, courage and devotion to duty. After the capture of a position, the enemy massed in force and counter-attacked. The situation became very critical, all wires being cut. It was of the utmost importance to get word back to Headquarters. This soldier and one other were given the message with orders to deliver the same at all costs. The other messenger was killed. Private Brown had his arm shattered but continued on through an intense barrage until he arrived at the close support lines and found an officer. He was so spent that he fell down the dug-out steps, but retained consciousness long enough to hand over his message, saying ' Important message.' He then became unconscious and died in the dressing station a few hours later. His devotion to duty was of the highest possible degree imaginable, and his successful delivery of the message undoubtedly saved the loss of the position for the time and prevented many casualties."
