Brown Frederick William Sgt 4450404
Personnel Entry
Name Brown Frederick William
Army number 4450404
Rank Sergeant.
Decorations Service Awards. Military Medal awarded fro actions with 10th DLI on 18/8/1944 - gazetted 21/12/1944. For citation see below.
Date of birth Not yet known.
Age (At the time of his death). Not yet known.
Unit Enlisted in The Durham Light Infantry, no enlistment date as yet, but his number suggests before 1939. Posted 10th Battalion DLI. Served Iceland? Served Normandy. Posted ? Battalion DLI on the disbandment of 10th Battalion. Returned to the UK. Demobilised. Relegated to the Class Z Army Reserve 23/5/46.
Company/Battery Company not yet known.
Platoon or other sub-unit Not yet known.
Task or role Platoon Sergeant at the time of his Gallantry Award.
Joined Brigade Date not yet ascertained.
Promotions None known beyond Sergeant.
Wounded Yes - N W Europe 18/8/1944.
Prisoner of War Not so far as is known.
Died/Killed in action Date of death not yet known.
Home address No family detail as yet.
Source table 10DLI
The Citation for Sergeant Brown's Military Medal reads as follows:-
During the attack on Mt la Vigne on the 18th August 1944, the reserve section of the platoon of which Sgt Brown was platoon Sergeant was held up by MG and rifle fire from a house. Sgt Brown cleared this house on his own, killing the occupants and enabling the section to advance.
On reaching the objective Sergeant Brown showed the greatest courage and and determination in entering and clearing a chateau which contained enemy in strong positions. He alone accounted for three enemy.
During the night he volunteered to go out on patrol into a wood suspected to contain a number of the enemy. This he did alone, preferring not to risk the lives of the other men. During this recce he was wounded in a hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, but he got away and brought valuable information to his Coy Hq. Throughout the day his cheerfulness keeness and total disregard for his personal safety were an inspiration to his platoon under very trying circumstances.'
