John Henry Brown

With his arm shattered, he carried the message through fire.

John Henry Brown, known as Harry Brown, was born on 9 May 1898 in Gananoque, Ontario, to Henry Brown and Adelaide, also called Addie, née Ledger. His father worked as a brass moulder. After Henry's death, his mother married Patrick McAuliffe in 1911 and became known as Helen McAuliffe. By 1916 he was living in London, where he enlisted at eighteen.

On 18 August 1916 he attested for the Canadian Expeditionary Force as Harry Brown, joining the Depot Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, with service number 226353. He described himself as an unmarried farmer with no previous military service and named his mother, then living at East Emily, as his next of kin. He sailed to Britain with the regiment's sixth overseas draft in October 1916. Training at Shorncliffe followed, including service with the 11th Reserve Battalion. He reached France in May 1917 and joined the 10th Canadian Infantry Battalion in the field on 27 June, serving in the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division. He remained a private.

During the Battle of Hill 70, near Lens, the 10th Battalion fought to secure positions overlooking the German-held town. On 16 August 1917, after the capture of the Chalk Pit, German troops assembled for a counterattack. Artillery fire had cut the telephone wires, leaving the forward troops urgently needing contact with battalion headquarters. Brown and another soldier were ordered to carry a message back at all costs.

The other runner was killed, and Brown's arm was shattered. Despite his wound, he pressed on through the barrage until he reached the close support line and found an officer at company headquarters. Exhausted, he fell down the dugout steps but stayed conscious long enough to deliver the message. The battalion's account recorded that it arrived in time to alter the supporting barrage, help preserve the position and prevent further casualties.

Brown then lost consciousness. Evacuated for treatment, he died of his wounds at No. 7 Casualty Clearing Station on 17 August 1917, aged nineteen. His military service lasted almost exactly a year. He was buried in Noeux-les-Mines Communal Cemetery, France, in grave II. J. 29. His Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously for the courage and determination with which he completed his mission.

Victoria Cross citation No. 226353 Pte. Harry Brown, late Can. Inf. Bn. London Gazette, Supplement 30338, page 10678, printed 17 October 1917.

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. Pte. 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.