209661 Sgt. Walter Ernest Brown VC, DCM.Australian Imperial Force 20th Battalion from:Australia Walter Ernest Brown was born in Tasmania and worked as a grocer before enlisting in the Australian Army in 1915. Initially he was sent to Egypt where he served in the Australian Service Corps before being transferred to the Western Front where he served in the infantry with the 20th Battalion. In July 1918, during the fighting at Villers-Bretonneux he single-handedly destroyed a German machine-gun post, taking a number of prisoners in the process. For this act he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was also later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for a previous act of bravery.
His citation reads: 1689A Corporal Walter Ernest Brown, D.C.M., A.I.F.
For most conspicuous bravery and determination when with an advanced party from his battalion which was going into the line in relief.
The company to which he was attached carried out during the night a minor operation resulting in the capture of a small system of enemy trench. Early on the following morning an enemy strong post about seventy. yards distant caused the occupants of the newly captured trench great inconvenience by persistent sniping. Hearing that it had been decided to rush this post, Corporal Brown, on his own initiative, crept out along the shallow trench and made a dash towards the post. An enemy machine gun opened fire from another trench and forced him to take cover. Later he again dashed forward and reached his objective. With a Mills grenade in his hand he stood at the door of a dug-out and called on the occupants to surrender. One of the enemy rushed out, a scuffle ensued, and Corporal Brown knocked him down with his fist. Loud cries of "Kamerad" were then heard, and from the dug-out an officer and eleven, other ranks appeared. This party Corporal Brown brought back as prisoners to our line, the enemy meanwhile from other positions bringing heavy machine-gun fire to bear on the party.
Following the war, Brown was repatriated to Australia and returned to civilian life. When the Second World War began, he lied about his age and previous experience in order to re-enlist in the Australian Army, this time serving in the Royal Australian Artillery. In 1942 Brown's unit was sent to Singapore following the Japanese attack on Malaya. He is believed to have been killed in action on 15 February 1942, although his body has never been recovered.
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