BROWN, Hubert Richard


No.3028, Lance Corporal, Hubert BROWN
Aged 23


1st/8th Battalion, London Regiment (Post Office Rifles)
Killed in Action on 15th September 1916


Hubert Richard BROWN was born in Haverhill (Risbridge Q3-1892 4A:689), son of Charles and Harriet BROWN (née BACKLER).
His mother was previously married to Odessa WHITING, living in Eden Row. She had three daughters, Catherine Agnes, born just before the marriage and recorded in1891 as WHITING BACKLER, Lily and Ethel. Her husband Odessa was killed in an accident at Gurteens when he took a short cut to return to the ground level on a hoist. Harriet married Charles BROWN in 1882.
By 1891 at 4 Waveney Terrace there were Charles (plumber/decorator) and Harriet (overlooker at Gurteens), Harriet's daughter Agnes Kate and Lily Jane and children with Charles, sons Charles, George and John and daughter Bertha and Emily.



1901 census...Aged 8, he was at 91 High Street, Haverhill with his father Charles BROWN [38] plumber/decorator; his mother Harriet [45] sewing machine (packer); brothers George William [17] plumber/decorator and Archie [6]; sisters Minnie B [12], Emily B [11] and Dora May [2]. All were born in Haverhill.

1911 census...Hubert has yet to be found in this census. He was known as Tim to his friends. His parents were still at 91 High Street with his brother Charles Whiting [28] assisting in father's decorating/plumbing business, with his brother George William; Archibald was a shop assistant; sisters Dora May and a niece, Constance BROWN [1] born Haverhill (parentage not noted. Brother John had died.


He enlisted in London in 1914, and was in France by 1st July 1915.

On the night of the 14th September 1916 the battalion assembled in Becourt Wood. The operation to take High Wood and Flers was the first to use tanks, but despite doing good work around Flers, they failed to get through the wood. On the right the enemy 2nd and 3rd lines were carried and by noon, with the help of 149th Trench Mortar Battery, firing 700 rounds into the wood in twenty minutes, the wood was finally cleared. This was at the expense of 96 of the battalion killed, 67 of them with no known grave.

The South West Suffolk Echo recorded on 7th October 1916:-
"There is, unfortunately, reason to fear that Rifleman Hubert Brown of the City of London Regt., third son of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Brown of 91 High Street, has been killed in action at the age of 23 years."


That was followed in the edition of 14th October by :-
"Last week we announced the probability that Lance Cpl. Hubert Brown, London Regt., son of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Brown of 91 High Street, had been killed. Unfortunately this has since proved to be but true, official intimation having been received to the effect that he was killed in action on September 15th"




Delville Wood had been taken on 3rd September



Hubert Brown is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France, pier/face 9C/9D
and the memorial in the Old Independent Church

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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