{"id":14000,"date":"2024-10-02T17:59:04","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T17:59:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.overloonwarchronicles.nl\/?page_id=14000"},"modified":"2024-10-03T18:27:22","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T18:27:22","slug":"brown-leonard","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.overloonwarchronicles.nl\/en\/brown-leonard\/","title":{"rendered":"Brown Leonard"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Brown | Leonard Walter<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>First names<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>Leonard Walter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Age<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>26<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Date of birth<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>1918<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Date of death<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>16-10-1944<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Service number<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>5776013<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Rank<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>Warrant Officer Class II<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Regiment<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>Royal Norfolk Regiment, 1st Bn.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Grave number<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>III. B. 4.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Leonard-Walter-Brown-web.jpg\" alt=\"Leonard Brown\"><\/p>\n<h3>Leonard Brown<\/h3>\n<p>Leonard Brown<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Graf-Leonard-Walter-Brown.jpg\" alt=\"Grave Leonard Brown\"><\/p>\n<h3>Grave Leonard Brown<\/h3>\n<p>Grave Leonard Brown<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Biography<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Leonard Walter Brown (Service No. 5776013) was killed in action on 16 October 1944 between Overloon and Venray. He was aged 26 and a Warrant Officer Class II in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment. He was initially buried at Cemetery Huijsmans, Rieterdreef, Overloon. This lies just south of Overloon on the road to Venray. He was re-interred on 14 May 1947 in Grave III. B. 4 at the CWGC Cemetery in Overloon. His inscription reads \u201cHe died that we might live\u201d.<\/p>\n<h4>Military Career<\/h4>\n<p>It isn\u2019t known when Leonard Walter Brown joined up in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment. By the time of his death he was a Company Sergeant Major, an appointment held by Warrant Officers Class II in the British Army.<\/p>\n<p>The 1st Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment was still in India on the outbreak of the Second World War. It remained there until July 1940, when it returned home. It then spent the next few years training in Scotland and elsewhere in preparation for what was to come. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>It landed in Normandy at Sword Beach on D-Day (6 June 1944). It played its part in the 1st and 2nd Battles for Caen which succeeded on 9 July after which the Battalion had its first rest period since D-Day. It continued the fight in Normandy through mid July and early August and was involved with Operation Goodwood and then in the preparation for the break out from Normandy which succeeded in late August. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>From 17 August until 3 September the Battalion had a rest period which also allowed them to take on reinforcements to replace the substantial number of men they had lost. It then moved to Villers en Vexin until 17 September. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>By this time, the Allied troops were making a fast advance through France and Belgium to the Escaut canal south of Eindhoven in readiness for Operation Market Garden. On 17 September, airborne troops landed in a corridor from the Belgian\/Dutch border via Eindhoven and Nijmegen to Arnhem to secure bridges and allow ground forces to move forward with speed \u2013 then to reinforce and strike east into Germany. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The role of the Battalion along with others was to protect the main line of communications northwards along this corridor. It moved on from Villers en Vexin on 18 September and reached Peer on 19 September then Asten on 23 September. They entered Helmond, just east of Eindhoven, on 25 September. It had just been taken by another Battalion and they received an uproarious welcome from the Dutch people. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>On 29 September, it moved out of Helmond and on over the River Maas at Grave through Heumen and on to Maldens Vlak. Here they spent time patrolling the area facing the Reichswald Forest in Germany not far to the east. On 9 October the Battalion retraced its steps to Grave, then south to dominate a stretch of the River Maas in the Cuijk area.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>However, problems with supply lines had resulted in the failure of the Allies to hold the bridge at Arnhem, so plans changed. The Allies found themselves in a narrow salient through the Netherlands and so it was decided to clear the enemy to the south in Overloon, Venray and Venlo while also securing Antwerp to help with supply issues. American Troops initially attempted to take Overloon, but did not succeed so the British Army took on the task.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>On 11 October, the Battalion therefore moved on foot from Cuijk through Haps and St Hubert and on again the next day to Wanroij, St Anthonis and Oploo, arriving north of Overloon on 13 October.\u00a0 At this time, other British Troops were engaged in capturing Overloon, using an artillery barrage which caused heavy damage to the village. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The Battalion spent the night of 13 October in the woods around Overloon. The ground forward of the woods was flat and featureless and about midway between Overloon and Venray ran a stream called the Molenbeek. From its far bank the enemy had a clear view over a distance of 1000 yards of the British Troops leaving the shelter of the woods. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>At 0700 hrs on the morning of 14 October, two companies led the attack to the south with support from two troops of Churchill tanks. The advance was a difficult one, as once through the thick woods there was very little cover. Some tanks were hit and others retreated back into the woods, leaving the Infantry without support. The Battalion succeeded in reaching a point about 400 yds short of the Molenbeek that day, though were left in a very exposed position. They had to remain there the following day while other units reached their positions in order to carry out a co-ordinated attack on the Molenbeek the following day. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The Molenbeek was between 10 and 15 feet wide and had slopping banks about 5 feet high creating an effective gap of about 30 feet. The approaches were difficult with cratered tracks and waterlogged ground. The area was extensively mined. The success of the operation depended on crossing the Molenbeek silently by night. Any attempt by day would be suicidal as the road bridge was blown. It was therefore planned that the infantry would cross using floating pontoon bridges while a bridging tank would use a girder bridge for vehicles, including tanks.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The Royal Engineers successfully built the two pontoon bridges overnight \u2013 one on each side of the road. At 0500 hrs on 16 October B and D Companies crossed without incident \u2013 though it was later discovered that D Company had walked through a minefield of Schumines. Later A Coy did the same with no casualties. By 0600 hrs the leading Companies were keen to press on as they were lying in the open in full view of the enemy and getting casualties. However, other units hadn\u2019t fared as well and so the Norfolks weren\u2019t allowed to push on. The bridging tank failed to lay the bridge under intense fire. On the second attempt a flail tank was half way across when the whole lot toppled into the Beek. The Battalion\u2019s Churchill tanks had all been knocked out \u2013 but thankfully the enemy tanks had withdrawn. By 0700 hrs the leading companies were allowed to progress. Casualties mounted up. By the afternoon, A and C Companies were able to push on to about 1000 yds south of the Beek. The Battalion had succeeded in securing the crossing and forcing the enemy to withdraw. This was the day on which Leonard Walter Brown and 16 other men of the Battalion were killed. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>By 18 October Venray had been taken. Between 13 and 18 October, the Battalion incurred 43 fatal casualties and about 200 wounded.<\/p>\n<h4>Family Background<\/h4>\n<p>Leonard was the son of John Brown and Florence Matilda Oliver who had married in Norwich, Norfolk in 1898. <br \/>John was born on 8\/3\/1880 in Norwich while Florence was born on 2\/2\/1881 and came from Marylebone in London. Leonard, born in 1918, was one of at least 12 children as follows, all born in Norwich: John S 20\/6\/1900, Ellen May 1899 (died 1902), Herbert William 2\/8\/1903, Bertie 9\/1\/1906, an earlier Leonard Walter 1908 (probably died before 1918), Percy R 1910, Florence Emma 13\/7\/1912, Elsie M 1914, Ethel Ivy 10\/11\/1915, Leonard Walter 1918, Ellen Rose 15\/3\/1921 and Russell Derrick in 22\/11\/1922.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>John was working as a Shoe Maker in 1901, a Boot Maker in 1911, a Boot &amp; Shoe Maker for Fred Sexton &amp; son in 1921 and a Shoe Trade Repairer in 1939.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Shoe making was a key industry in Norwich for many years. It dates back to the 14th Century. It moved over time from an industry based in homes to one based in factories as new machinery was invented. By the early 1900s\u00a0 Norwich was concentrating on making shoes for women and children and became the third-largest centre of shoemaking in the country after Northampton and Leicester. In 1931 the trade employed more than 10,000 people in the city. Norwich shoes were among the best in the land. The Second World War followed by cheap imports along with changes in fashion resulted in the closure of the factories.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>In 1901 John and Florence were living with their first two children at 7, Haslips Opening, Hugham, Norwich. By 1911 they had moved to 16 Fullers Hall, Norwich. Their first five surviving children were with them, Ellen having died in 1902. By 1921 they had moved to 33, Leonard Street, Norwich. With them were six of their children but excluding the Leonard Walter Brown who was born in 1908. Although no death record has been found for him, it is assumed that he had died as the younger Leonard Walter Brown, born 1918, was with them. Three sons were all working as shoe makers. John(Jnr) \u00a0was with the same firm as his father, Herbert was out of work but had been working for Holmes Bros. and Bertie was also out of work but had been working for W Hurrell &amp; Son. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>John and Florence were still at 33, Leonard Street in September 1939 but only Ethel, Ellen and Russell were living at home by this time. Ethel was working as a Tailoring Machinist, Ellen as a Shoe Trade Machinist and Russell as a Shoe Trade Clicker. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Six of Leonard\u2019s brothers and sisters had married between 1923 and 1939 and had children. They, or their family were still living in Norfolk. Of these, by September 1939, only Florence was still working in the Boot and Shoe industry. John was a Stoker in a Gas Works, Herbert was a Steel Erector and Bertie was a Spray Painter for the War Office. Florence was living in Herbert\u2019s household with a child but her husband was not present while Percy was not in the same household as his wife and three children at that time. It is known that both Florence\u2019s husband and Percy fought in WW2 so may already have joined up. \u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Leonard himself was not at home in September 1939. It is not thought that he had married. He could either have been living elsewhere or could already have been in the Army. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>His remaining two sisters and brother married between 1941 and 1947 and again, at least two of them seemed to remain in Norfolk. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>His sister Florence\u2019s first husband, Albert G Bammant (Service No. 2076213), was a Driver in 560 Field Company of the Royal Engineers. He was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese on 15\/2\/1942 in Thailand and died on 3\/6\/1943 while still in captivity. He is buried in grave 4. F. 52 at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery in Thailand. His brother Percy is known to have served mainly in Africa in WW2. His other brothers or brothers in law may also have served.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Sadly, Leonard Walter Brown was killed in action on 16 October 1944 in the Netherlands. <\/p>\n<p>His mother, Florence M Brown, died in Norwich in 1962.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Sources and credits<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>From FindMyPast website: Civil and Parish Birth, Marriage and Death Records; England Census and 1939 Register Records; Electoral Rolls; Military Records<br \/>Information from \u201cThank God and the Infantry &#8211; from D-Day to VE-Day with the 1st Battalion, the Royal Norfolk Regiment\u201d by John Lincoln<br \/>History of the 1st Battalion The Royal Norfolk Regiment<br \/>Wikipedia Royal Norfolk Regiment<br \/>Memories of the boot and shoe factories at the heart of industrial Norwich: by Derek James &#8211; Norwich Evening News 22\/3\/2022 <br \/>https:\/\/www.eveningnews24.co.uk\/lifestyle\/22327535.memories-boot-shoe-factories-heart-industrial-norwich\/<\/p>\n<p>Research Elaine Gathercole<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--more--><br \/>\n<!-- {\"type\":\"layout\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"props\":{\"layout\":\"1-2,1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"Brown | Leonard Walter\",\"title_element\":\"h3\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"layout\":\"grid-2\",\"list_element\":\"ul\",\"list_size\":\"collapse\",\"list_style\":\"divider\",\"meta_align\":\"below-content\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"show_content\":true,\"show_link\":true,\"show_meta\":true,\"show_title\":true,\"title_element\":\"div\",\"title_grid_column_gap\":\"small\",\"title_grid_row_gap\":\"small\",\"title_grid_width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>Leonard Walter<\\\/p>\",\"title\":\"First names\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>26<\\\/p>\",\"title\":\"Age\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>1918<\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"\",\"title\":\"Date of birth\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>16-10-1944<\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"\",\"title\":\"Date of death\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>5776013<\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"\",\"title\":\"Service number\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>Warrant Officer Class II<\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"\",\"title\":\"Rank\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>Royal Norfolk Regiment, 1st Bn.<\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"\",\"title\":\"Regiment\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>III. B. 4.<\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"\",\"title\":\"Grave number\"}}]}]},{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"gallery\",\"props\":{\"filter_align\":\"left\",\"filter_all\":true,\"filter_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"filter_grid_width\":\"auto\",\"filter_position\":\"top\",\"filter_style\":\"tab\",\"grid_default\":\"1\",\"grid_medium\":\"2\",\"image_height\":\"350\",\"image_width\":\"200\",\"item_animation\":true,\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"overlay_hover\":true,\"overlay_mode\":\"cover\",\"overlay_position\":\"center\",\"overlay_style\":\"overlay-primary\",\"overlay_transition\":\"fade\",\"parallax_easing\":\"1\",\"show_content\":true,\"show_hover_image\":false,\"show_link\":false,\"show_meta\":true,\"show_title\":false,\"text_align\":\"center\",\"text_color\":\"light\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"gallery_item\",\"props\":{\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/Leonard-Walter-Brown-web.jpg\",\"image_alt\":\"Leonard Brown\",\"meta\":\"Leonard Brown\",\"title\":\"Leonard Brown\"}},{\"type\":\"gallery_item\",\"props\":{\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/Graf-Leonard-Walter-Brown.jpg\",\"image_alt\":\"Grave Leonard Brown\",\"meta\":\"Grave Leonard Brown\",\"title\":\"Grave Leonard Brown\"}}]}]}]}],\"name\":\"personalia\"},{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"padding\":\"xsmall\",\"padding_remove_top\":true,\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\"}}]}],\"name\":\"auteur\"},{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"padding_remove_top\":true,\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"Biography\",\"title_element\":\"h2\"}},{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p>Leonard Walter Brown (Service No. 5776013) was killed in action on 16 October 1944 between Overloon and Venray. He was aged 26 and a Warrant Officer Class II in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment. He was initially buried at Cemetery Huijsmans, Rieterdreef, Overloon. This lies just south of Overloon on the road to Venray. He was re-interred on 14 May 1947 in Grave III. B. 4 at the CWGC Cemetery in Overloon. His inscription reads \\u201cHe died that we might live\\u201d.<\\\/p>\\n\n\n<h4>Military Career<\\\/h4>\\n\n\n<p>It isn\\u2019t known when Leonard Walter Brown joined up in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment. By the time of his death he was a Company Sergeant Major, an appointment held by Warrant Officers Class II in the British Army.<\\\/p>\\n\n\n<p>The 1st Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment was still in India on the outbreak of the Second World War. It remained there until July 1940, when it returned home. It then spent the next few years training in Scotland and elsewhere in preparation for what was to come. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>It landed in Normandy at Sword Beach on D-Day (6 June 1944). It played its part in the 1st and 2nd Battles for Caen which succeeded on 9 July after which the Battalion had its first rest period since D-Day. It continued the fight in Normandy through mid July and early August and was involved with Operation Goodwood and then in the preparation for the break out from Normandy which succeeded in late August. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>From 17 August until 3 September the Battalion had a rest period which also allowed them to take on reinforcements to replace the substantial number of men they had lost. It then moved to Villers en Vexin until 17 September. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>By this time, the Allied troops were making a fast advance through France and Belgium to the Escaut canal south of Eindhoven in readiness for Operation Market Garden. On 17 September, airborne troops landed in a corridor from the Belgian\\\/Dutch border via Eindhoven and Nijmegen to Arnhem to secure bridges and allow ground forces to move forward with speed \\u2013 then to reinforce and strike east into Germany. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>The role of the Battalion along with others was to protect the main line of communications northwards along this corridor. It moved on from Villers en Vexin on 18 September and reached Peer on 19 September then Asten on 23 September. They entered Helmond, just east of Eindhoven, on 25 September. It had just been taken by another Battalion and they received an uproarious welcome from the Dutch people. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>On 29 September, it moved out of Helmond and on over the River Maas at Grave through Heumen and on to Maldens Vlak. Here they spent time patrolling the area facing the Reichswald Forest in Germany not far to the east. On 9 October the Battalion retraced its steps to Grave, then south to dominate a stretch of the River Maas in the Cuijk area.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>However, problems with supply lines had resulted in the failure of the Allies to hold the bridge at Arnhem, so plans changed. The Allies found themselves in a narrow salient through the Netherlands and so it was decided to clear the enemy to the south in Overloon, Venray and Venlo while also securing Antwerp to help with supply issues. American Troops initially attempted to take Overloon, but did not succeed so the British Army took on the task.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>On 11 October, the Battalion therefore moved on foot from Cuijk through Haps and St Hubert and on again the next day to Wanroij, St Anthonis and Oploo, arriving north of Overloon on 13 October.\\u00a0 At this time, other British Troops were engaged in capturing Overloon, using an artillery barrage which caused heavy damage to the village. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>The Battalion spent the night of 13 October in the woods around Overloon. The ground forward of the woods was flat and featureless and about midway between Overloon and Venray ran a stream called the Molenbeek. From its far bank the enemy had a clear view over a distance of 1000 yards of the British Troops leaving the shelter of the woods. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>At 0700 hrs on the morning of 14 October, two companies led the attack to the south with support from two troops of Churchill tanks. The advance was a difficult one, as once through the thick woods there was very little cover. Some tanks were hit and others retreated back into the woods, leaving the Infantry without support. The Battalion succeeded in reaching a point about 400 yds short of the Molenbeek that day, though were left in a very exposed position. They had to remain there the following day while other units reached their positions in order to carry out a co-ordinated attack on the Molenbeek the following day. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>The Molenbeek was between 10 and 15 feet wide and had slopping banks about 5 feet high creating an effective gap of about 30 feet. The approaches were difficult with cratered tracks and waterlogged ground. The area was extensively mined. The success of the operation depended on crossing the Molenbeek silently by night. Any attempt by day would be suicidal as the road bridge was blown. It was therefore planned that the infantry would cross using floating pontoon bridges while a bridging tank would use a girder bridge for vehicles, including tanks.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>The Royal Engineers successfully built the two pontoon bridges overnight \\u2013 one on each side of the road. At 0500 hrs on 16 October B and D Companies crossed without incident \\u2013 though it was later discovered that D Company had walked through a minefield of Schumines. Later A Coy did the same with no casualties. By 0600 hrs the leading Companies were keen to press on as they were lying in the open in full view of the enemy and getting casualties. However, other units hadn\\u2019t fared as well and so the Norfolks weren\\u2019t allowed to push on. The bridging tank failed to lay the bridge under intense fire. On the second attempt a flail tank was half way across when the whole lot toppled into the Beek. The Battalion\\u2019s Churchill tanks had all been knocked out \\u2013 but thankfully the enemy tanks had withdrawn. By 0700 hrs the leading companies were allowed to progress. Casualties mounted up. By the afternoon, A and C Companies were able to push on to about 1000 yds south of the Beek. The Battalion had succeeded in securing the crossing and forcing the enemy to withdraw. This was the day on which Leonard Walter Brown and 16 other men of the Battalion were killed. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>By 18 October Venray had been taken. Between 13 and 18 October, the Battalion incurred 43 fatal casualties and about 200 wounded.<\\\/p>\\n\n\n<h4>Family Background<\\\/h4>\\n\n\n<p>Leonard was the son of John Brown and Florence Matilda Oliver who had married in Norwich, Norfolk in 1898. <br \\\/>John was born on 8\\\/3\\\/1880 in Norwich while Florence was born on 2\\\/2\\\/1881 and came from Marylebone in London. Leonard, born in 1918, was one of at least 12 children as follows, all born in Norwich: John S 20\\\/6\\\/1900, Ellen May 1899 (died 1902), Herbert William 2\\\/8\\\/1903, Bertie 9\\\/1\\\/1906, an earlier Leonard Walter 1908 (probably died before 1918), Percy R 1910, Florence Emma 13\\\/7\\\/1912, Elsie M 1914, Ethel Ivy 10\\\/11\\\/1915, Leonard Walter 1918, Ellen Rose 15\\\/3\\\/1921 and Russell Derrick in 22\\\/11\\\/1922.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>John was working as a Shoe Maker in 1901, a Boot Maker in 1911, a Boot &amp; Shoe Maker for Fred Sexton &amp; son in 1921 and a Shoe Trade Repairer in 1939.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>Shoe making was a key industry in Norwich for many years. It dates back to the 14th Century. It moved over time from an industry based in homes to one based in factories as new machinery was invented. By the early 1900s\\u00a0 Norwich was concentrating on making shoes for women and children and became the third-largest centre of shoemaking in the country after Northampton and Leicester. In 1931 the trade employed more than 10,000 people in the city. Norwich shoes were among the best in the land. The Second World War followed by cheap imports along with changes in fashion resulted in the closure of the factories.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>In 1901 John and Florence were living with their first two children at 7, Haslips Opening, Hugham, Norwich. By 1911 they had moved to 16 Fullers Hall, Norwich. Their first five surviving children were with them, Ellen having died in 1902. By 1921 they had moved to 33, Leonard Street, Norwich. With them were six of their children but excluding the Leonard Walter Brown who was born in 1908. Although no death record has been found for him, it is assumed that he had died as the younger Leonard Walter Brown, born 1918, was with them. Three sons were all working as shoe makers. John(Jnr) \\u00a0was with the same firm as his father, Herbert was out of work but had been working for Holmes Bros. and Bertie was also out of work but had been working for W Hurrell &amp; Son. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>John and Florence were still at 33, Leonard Street in September 1939 but only Ethel, Ellen and Russell were living at home by this time. Ethel was working as a Tailoring Machinist, Ellen as a Shoe Trade Machinist and Russell as a Shoe Trade Clicker. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>Six of Leonard\\u2019s brothers and sisters had married between 1923 and 1939 and had children. They, or their family were still living in Norfolk. Of these, by September 1939, only Florence was still working in the Boot and Shoe industry. John was a Stoker in a Gas Works, Herbert was a Steel Erector and Bertie was a Spray Painter for the War Office. Florence was living in Herbert\\u2019s household with a child but her husband was not present while Percy was not in the same household as his wife and three children at that time. It is known that both Florence\\u2019s husband and Percy fought in WW2 so may already have joined up. \\u00a0<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>Leonard himself was not at home in September 1939. It is not thought that he had married. He could either have been living elsewhere or could already have been in the Army. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>His remaining two sisters and brother married between 1941 and 1947 and again, at least two of them seemed to remain in Norfolk. <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>His sister Florence\\u2019s first husband, Albert G Bammant (Service No. 2076213), was a Driver in 560 Field Company of the Royal Engineers. He was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese on 15\\\/2\\\/1942 in Thailand and died on 3\\\/6\\\/1943 while still in captivity. He is buried in grave 4. F. 52 at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery in Thailand. His brother Percy is known to have served mainly in Africa in WW2. His other brothers or brothers in law may also have served.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>Sadly, Leonard Walter Brown was killed in action on 16 October 1944 in the Netherlands. <\\\/p>\\n\n\n<p>His mother, Florence M Brown, died in Norwich in 1962.<\\\/p>\",\"margin\":\"default\"}}]}]}],\"name\":\"biografie\"},{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"padding_remove_top\":true,\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"Sources and credits\",\"title_element\":\"h2\"}},{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p>From FindMyPast website: Civil and Parish Birth, Marriage and Death Records; England Census and 1939 Register Records; Electoral Rolls; Military Records<br \\\/>Information from \\u201cThank God and the Infantry - from D-Day to VE-Day with the 1st Battalion, the Royal Norfolk Regiment\\u201d by John Lincoln<br \\\/>History of the 1st Battalion The Royal Norfolk Regiment<br \\\/>Wikipedia Royal Norfolk Regiment<br \\\/>Memories of the boot and shoe factories at the heart of industrial Norwich: by Derek James - Norwich Evening News 22\\\/3\\\/2022 <br \\\/>https:\\\/\\\/www.eveningnews24.co.uk\\\/lifestyle\\\/22327535.memories-boot-shoe-factories-heart-industrial-norwich\\\/<\\\/p>\\n\n\n<p>Research Elaine Gathercole<\\\/p>\\n\n\n<p>\\u00a0\\u00a0<\\\/p>\",\"margin\":\"default\"}}]}]}],\"name\":\"bronnen en credits\"}],\"version\":\"4.3.7\"} --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brown | Leonard Walter First names Leonard Walter Age 26 Date of birth 1918 Date of death 16-10-1944 Service number 5776013 Rank Warrant Officer Class II Regiment Royal Norfolk Regiment, 1st Bn. Grave number III. B. 4. Leonard Brown Leonard Brown Grave Leonard Brown Grave Leonard Brown Biography Leonard Walter Brown (Service No. 5776013) was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14000","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-biografie","category-biography"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Brown Leonard - Overloon War Chronicles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Biography of Leonard Water Brown of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, 1st Bn. who died in the Battle of Overloon and is buried at the CWGC war cemetery.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.overloonwarchronicles.nl\/en\/brown-leonard\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Brown Leonard - 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