BROWN, John W

John Brown lived at 17 Green Street, Stourbridge, and attended the Enville Street Council School. He worked as a moulder for J. and W. Wood. He enlisted in 1917 and was posted to the 2/8th Battalion of the Worcesters in the 61st Division. This Division had been in the front line on the 21st March 1918 for the first great German offensive of that year and had suffered great losses. When the second assault on the Lys started on the 9th April, the German forces again made great gains, capturing Armentieres. The 61st Division was then moved to the front line to halt the German advance at St. Venant. The Worcesters fought gallantly but with heavy casualties. Among those killed in action was Private John Brown. He was 18 years of age and is buried near Bethune at St. Venant-Robecq Road Military Cemetery (Special Memorial 2) and commemorated on the Stourbridge, St. Thomas's church and the former Enville Street School Memorials. His younger brother, Albert Brown, was also in the Worcesters and was killed in the Second World War in the 1944 Normandy campaign.