602326, Private, Philip John BROWN
Aged 41
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Birth registered in Bury St.Edmunds [4a:560] in Q2 1877 to Edward and Eliza BROWN (née FITCHES), of Westley Hall Cottages, where
his father was a gardener.
1881 census...Philip [3] was at Westley Hall Cottages with his father Edward [31] a domestic gardener, born Snailwell; his mother Eliza [29] born Chippenham and his brother Edward [6] born Waltham, Herts. 1891 census...Philip [13] a hairdressers apprentice was at Orlando Cottage, Horse and Groom Passage, (the area where the ATS Tyre Service is now (2013)) Newmarket with his parents, brother Edward and sister May E. [6] who was born in Horringer. 1901 census...Philip [23], now a hairdresser, was still at the previous address with his parents, brother Edward and sister May. 1911 census...just the same as in 1901. On 22nd January 1914, in Chesterton, Cambridge, he married Mildred Athena INGLE [1-9-1888] of Rose Villa, Sation Road, Willingham. They had 2 children, John Edward born 25/4/1914 and Dorothy Athena, born 3/9/1915. By the time of his death his parents had moved to 29 Lisburn Road, Newmarket and his wife seems to have moved in 1919 to Fox Bush, Girton. That is the address to which his personal effects were sent. |
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On enlisting in the Army on 29th June 1916 he gave his address as 1 Burleigh Cottages, Park Lane, Newmarket. He was a big man for the time,
being 5' 10 3/4" (179.7 cm) and weighing 167 lbs (76 kg). Initially enlisted in the 2nd/5th Yorkshire Regiment he appears to have been quickly transferred to the 2nd/6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry and was serving in UK from 24th July 1916 until 4th May 1918 when he joined the DLI in the BEF in France. Possibly due to injuries, he was transferred to the Labour Corps on 3rd July 1918 as Private 602326 in the 701st Company. He died of a cerebral haemorrhage in 21 Casualty Clearing Station, Gezaincourt, France on 2nd October 1918. His personal effects forwarded to his widow were just 2 letters, 1 photo, a pipe and tobacco pouch, a mirror in a case, a cloth case, a purse and a religious book. CWGC have his widow's address as 7 Rook Grove, Over Road, Willingham. |
photo: Rodney Gibson photo:Rodney Gibson
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