Herbert's Story.
Born in 1896 at Rainow, the son of George Herbert and Sarah, (nee Dawson), Brown, the 1901 census has them living at 40 Adlington Road, Bollington. Herbert had two younger brothers, Charles Edward and George William. By 1911 the family had moved to South Wales and their address is given as Giants Grave, Briton Ferry, Neath. By this time, Herbert was 14 years old and working as a tinplate worker.
Herbert immigrated to Australia. He enlisted at Ballarat West, Victoria, 15/04/1915, giving his age as 19 years, his occupation was farm labourer, His medical record shows him to have been five feet six and half inches tall weighed 133lbs with a thirty-four-inch chest measurement, he had blue eyes and brown hair, his religion was Methodist. He gave his father as next of kin, resident at 20, Elm Road, Briton Ferry, South Wales. Herbert embarked from Melbourne aboard H.M.A.T. “Ulysses” on 10/05/1915 for Alexandria, Egypt; from here he then sailed to Mudros, disembarking 27/12/15. His next journey was to Marseilles, France, where he disembarked, 26 March 1916. On Saturday 5 August 1916, Herbert was reported missing, later confirmed as killed in action, he was 20 years of age.
Researched by H.A.G. Carlisle