The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2807) Private Frank Brown, 10th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Aaron Pegram, the story for this day was on (2807) Private Frank Brown, 10th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

2807 Private Frank Brown, 10th Battalion, AIF
DOW 25th August 1916

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Frank Brown.

Frank Brown was born on 1 March 1892 to Thomas and Ruth Brown of the Adelaide suburb of Parkside. He attended the local public school, and his mother died when he was 14 years old. He went on to work as a labourer in the Islington workshops, where he was reportedly “highly esteemed by his fellow workmen.”

Frank enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in June 1915. After a period of training in Australia, he left for active service overseas with reinforcements to the 10th Battalion the following September. While he made it as far as Mudros on the way to Gallipoli, it is doubtful that he made it onto the peninsula itself; if he did it was only for a few short days before the evacuation. Instead, he returned to Egypt and continued training in the desert for some months before being sent to France to fight on the Western Front.

On the 23rd of July 1916 the 10th Battalion participated in an operation which successfully captured the French village of Pozieres. Brown’s battalion suffered heavy casualties in the process and struggled to make headway against strongly-held German trenches to the north-east of the village. The battalion was relieved a few days after the attack, returning to the same battleground some weeks later to advance against the fortified German position known as Mouquet Farm.

During the attack the 10th Battalion came under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, and struggled to advance. On 22 August 1916, Private Frank Brown was struck by fragments from an exploding artillery shell that severely wounded his abdomen and leg. He was evacuated from the battlefield, and died three days later at a casualty clearing station not far from the front lines.

As news of Frank’s death arrived in Australia, his elder brother William was on his way to the front with reinforcements to the 27th Battalion. William was killed in action at Bullecourt in 1917.

Frank Brown was buried in Puchevillers British Cemetery, close to where he died. He was 24 years old.
His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Frank Brown, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section