Brown | Douglas Brodie
Biography
Douglas Brodie Brown was killed on 13th October 1944 at Overloon. He was a Lieutenant (Service No. 281795) in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment but was attached to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment at the time of his death. He was 25 years old. He was initially buried at the Maria Regina Monastery at Stevenbeek and re-interred at the Overloon CWG Cemetery on 22/5/1947.
Family History
Douglas was the son of Rupert Kirby Brown and Norah Phyllis Brown of Luton, Bedfordshire.
Douglas’ father, Rupert Kirby Brown, was the son of Frederick John Brown and Ann Stenson Higgins who had married in Luton in 1878. They had six children, all in Luton: Ethel M 20/7/1879, Richard Marks 14/8/1881, Harold Wiblen 18/3/1883, Rupert Kirby 10/10/1884, Mildred Alice 22/9/1886 and Gilbert 24/4/1889. In 1898 Rupert was enrolled at Bedford Grammar School but only seems to have been there for one year. In 1891 Frederick was described as a Justice of the Peace and the Managing Director of an Iron Works, but by 1901 he was working as a commission agent for a fire insurance office.
In these years they were living at Holly House, Holly Street, Luton. Sadly, Rupert’s mother, Annie Brown, died aged just 52 on 4/4/1910. By then they were living at 42 Ashburnham Road, Luton, and Frederick was still there in 1921, though by then only his son Richard was at home but was now married and living there with his wife Doris and their first child. In 1911 Frederick was working as a Commercial Traveller and in 1921, aged 70, as a District Agent to the Belfast Ropework Company and Fire Insurance to the Phoenix and Royal Insurance Company. Frederick J Brown died in Luton in 1936, aged 85.
Douglas’s mother, Norah Phyllis Brodie, was the daughter of William Thomas Brodie and Amelia Martha Fromings who had married in Hornsey, Middlesex on 13/5/1889. William was born in 1866 in Ireland to a Scottish father and Irish mother but the family had moved to Islington between 1877 and 1880 where William’s father was a Wholesale Stationer & Printer. In 1891 William and Amelia were living at 65, Allerton Road, Stoke Newington, Hackney. They moved to Hertfordshire sometime between 1894 and 1899. They had four children: Harold Sydney 8/12/1889, Douglas Blake 1892, Norah Phyllis 5/3/1894 and Arthur William 27/10/1899. In 1901 the family were living at Hillhead, St Catherines Estate, Hoddesdon, Ware in Hertfordshire. By 1911 they had moved again, to Rathfarnham, Dunstable Road, Luton and by 1921 had moved once more to 21, Castle Street, Luton where they were living with their as yet unmarried adult son Arthur and a servant. From 1891 to 1911 William was working as a Commercial Traveller, but more specifically for a Paper Works in 1911 and in 1921 as a Paper Merchant for Chas. Brodie & Co Ltd, Paper Merchants of Church St. Luton. This was probably his brother, Charles’, business which he may have taken over from their father.
The outbreak of WW1 in 1914 had an impact on both families, but particularly the Brodies. Norah’s brother, Douglas Blake Brodie died in France on 26th May, 1915 having taken part in what was described in the Luton Reporter as “that memorable charge at Givenchy”. He was a Corporal in the 24th Battalion of the London Regiment. He is commemorated on the Le Touquet memorial in France.
Douglas’ brother, Harold Sydney Brodie, had joined the Territorial Army in 1908, but had emigrated to Canada by 1911. In July 1915, following his brother’s death, he returned to serve in the Stafford Royal Field Artillery and survived the war. At least two of Rupert K. Brown’s brothers, Richard and Gilbert, were also in the Army in WW1.
Rupert Kirby Brown married Norah Phyllis Brodie in late 1915.
It seems that Rupert was exempted from serving in WW1. He was one of two partners in the hat making firm of Davis, Lyon and Co., 66 Old Bedford Road, Luton. A case was heard in July 1917 to decide whether both partners should be exempt from war service. It was decided that Rupert was exempt but that his partner, Walter Lyon, should serve. They protested that it was a “hard blow considering the stock and orders in hand” but the Mayor said it was the unanimous decision of the tribunal and that other businesses had had to close completely. Rupert was living in Biscot Road, Luton at this time.
Douglas Brodie Brown was Rupert and Norah’s first child, born in early 1919, and no doubt named after his uncle Douglas Brodie who had died in WW1. In September 1920, Rupert Brown had to go to court to retain possession of his rented house in Biscot Road, Luton for six months. A newly married soldier returning from war had bought the property and wished to live in it. The purchaser had offered Rupert a house with three bedrooms in Kenilworth Road but he needed the current four as he had a wife, a child and a maid and his widowed mother was being moved out of her home and would shortly come to live with him. He was allowed to stay for 6 months. Rupert and Norah had a second child, Philip Rupert Brodie Brown, on 28/5/1921. The family were living at 4, Kenilworth Road, Luton. The family had a Maternity Nurse and another servant.
There were over 500 hat manufacturers in Luton during the 1800s, with the majority of them making straw hats. The industry dominated the town both on an industrial and domestic scale. After WW1 the straw hat industry went into decline but the felt hat industry increased such that the town was still producing 70 million hats each year. However, by the 1930s engineering had replaced hats as the chief employer in town and WW2 led to a further contraction. Many of Douglas’ family were involved in this industry at some point. In 1901 both Rupert and his brother Harold were working as Straw Hat Assistant Warehousemen and by 1911 both they and Gilbert were Straw Hat Manufacturers. In 1911 Douglas’ mother Norah Brodie was working as an Assistant in Millinery and in 1921 her brother Arthur was a Commercial Traveller for Chas. Clay & Sons Ltd, Hat Material Merchants. Rupert was still a Straw Hat Manufacturer in 1921 but by 1939 he had changed careers. In 1921 his brother Richard was also described as a Manufacturer of Ladies Hats and Hat Renovation at Old Bedford Road, Luton and in 1939 Richard’s wife was working as a Foreman Hat Machinist, but Robert was by then an Engineer’s Scheduling Clerk. Both Harold and Gilbert continued to work as Straw and Felt Hat Manufacturers until at least 1939. Harold’s business was at 6 Melson Street, Luton while Gilbert’s was very nearby at John Street.
Returning to Douglas Brodie Brown, in February 1939 the Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle reported the following regarding Douglas together with his photo:
“Exhibition Award to Lutonian
Mr Douglas B. Brown 19 year old Son of Mr Rupert K Brown 248 Dunstable Road, Luton has had the distinction of being awarded the Sir James Martin Memorial Exhibition of the Society of Incorporated Accountants and Auditors. The annual award of the Exhibition was made at a meeting of the Council of the Society on Tuesday. It is competed for by candidates throughout this country and the Dominions. Mr. Brown is articled to Mr A.T. Kings of Messrs Keens, Shay, Keens and has been in the firm’s London office since he left school. In December, he received 4th place certificate, bracketed, in the intermediate examination held by the Society.
Keen Table Tennis Enthusiast
Mr. Brown was educated at St Gregory’s School, Luton, and later at St Albans Grammar School, where he obtained his school certificate. He is a keen table tennis enthusiast and turns out regularly for Atlanta in the Luton and District League. He and his brother, Mr PR Brown won the second division doubles championship last year. Their father, Mr Rupert Brown, was secretary for many years of the Luton Amateur Football Club and is well known in local sporting circles.”
In September 1939, Rupert and Norah Brown were living at 248 Dunstable Road, Luton but Rupert was now a Control Store Foreman at an Aircraft Factory. Living with them were their son Phillip working as an Inspector of Aircraft Metal Parts and Rupert’s widowed mother Amelia. Douglas Brodie Brown was not present. It is possible that he had joined the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment by then.
Military career
The following extract from an obituary for Douglas in the St Albans’ Grammar School Journal of Spring 1945 gives some information about Douglas’ time both at school and after and his military progress:
“He was at school from 1931 to 1935. He passed the school certificate exam with matric. exemption, was in the cast of The Rivals and was an Assistant Librarian and a member of the Albanian Committee. He was in the sixth form on the Arts Side when he left. We know that he loved his school and was very proud of it.
On leaving us, he was articled to a firm of accountants and passed the Intermediate Examination of the Society of Incorporated Accountants and Auditors with Honours. He was awarded the Sir James Martin Memorial Exhibition as being the most promising candidate.
He joined the Territorials before the war and was mobilised in due course. He had the distinction of being the youngest RQMS in the Army, being under 21 when he was promoted to this rank. He was commissioned in June 1943 and was made Lieutenant in December of the same year. In July 1944 he went abroad with his regiment, the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshires, but was attached to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment when he met his death. His uncle, DB Brodie, fell in the last war and his name is inscribed on the School War Memorial.”
The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was expanded for the duration of WW2. The 1st Battalion served in the middle and far east. The 2nd Battalion served in France in 1939/40 and went on to serve in North Africa, Italy and Greece from 1942. Other battalions were raised during the war and were used mainly to supply the other battalions of the regiment with trained infantrymen or for home defence. From reading his obituary it is unlikely that he went abroad until July 1944 and so was probably attached to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment by then. It was part of the 185thInfantry Brigade which was then incorporated in the 3rd Infantry Division which landed on D-Day on 6 June 1944 with the first assault on the Normandy beaches. It fought from the Battle for Caen and the break out from Normandy to the Rhine crossing. From D-Day until the end of the war, the Battalion lost 286 officers and men killed in action, with nearly another 1,000 all ranks wounded, missing or suffering from exhaustion.
The Battalion entered the Netherlands at Asten on 22nd September, 1944. This is to the east of Eindhoven. On 1stOctober they moved north east from there to Malden which is between Nijmegen and the River Meuse. The plan had been for an offensive eastwards to the Reichswald Forest but on the 9th October this idea was abandoned due to the strong German threat to the right flank of the British corridor based on Venlo and Venray.
The Battalion was diverted with other regiments to clear this threat, so by 12th October they had moved to near Wanroy, a village south of the Meuse and just north of Overloon. They took over from the 8th Infantry Brigade which moved down to attack and capture Overloon, but they had been unable to make progress through the woods south of it as had been hoped. On the 13th the 185th Brigade was ordered to clear these woods. The Battalion moved to a position just 500 yds north west of Overloon with the aim, along with the 2nd Battalion of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, of clearing the woods and then allowing the 1st Norfolk Battalion to pass through and advance on Venray. The attack started at 12.35 hours but immediately came under heavy fire from enemy mortars and artillery, but at first no opposition from small arms. The leading companies made good progress followed closely by the companies in reserve. ‘C’ company then started to meet small arms opposition in the thick woods about half way to the objective and progress became very slow. ‘A’ company, however, were able to get through the woods without much difficulty, but then came under heavy fire from small arms and one or two German tanks or self-propelled guns when they got into the open ground south of the woods. The Battalion finally achieved its objective but it was decided it was too late for the 1st Norfolk Battalion to pass through until the next day. The War Diary reports that the casualties during this day’s fighting were as follows: – Killed – Lt. DB Brown and two other ranks; Wounded – Lt. HTC Merryweather and eighteen other ranks.
Douglas’ school obituary records his death as follows:
“Lieutenant DB Brown was killed in action in North West Europe in October 1944. One of his men had been hit and it was going to his assistance that he himself was hit. His C.O. has written ‘He died very bravely. He was a very efficient officer, liked by all. We all mourned his loss’.”
His probate record gave his address as still that of his parents, 248 Dunstable Road Luton. His estate was administered by his father Rupert Kirby Brown who was now described as a Civil Servant.
Douglas’ grandmother, Amelia Martha Brodie, died on 24th March 1944 aged 79 so before her grandson’s death. Her address was given as 248 Dunstable Road, Luton and her will was administered by her eldest son, Harold Sydney Brodie, Seed Potato Merchant. It is understood he had moved to Darlington after WW1.
Douglas’ father, Rupert Kirby Brown, died on 9/12/1973 in Luton. He was living at 26 Malzeard Road, Luton at the time. His mother, Norah Phyllis Brown, died in 1983 at the same address.
No marriage could be found with certainty for Douglas’ brother, Philip Rupert Brodie Brown, but he died on 18/6/1999 in Luton.
