Brown, Edward (Private, b.1915 - d.1984)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of QX13341 Private Edward Brown, 8 Division Signals, Second Australian Imperial Force, c1942-1945.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Consists of four pages of notes made by Private Edward Brown during his time as a prisoner of war of the Japanese, between 1942 and 1945. These pages contain recipes and a hymn, ‘Abide with me’. Several of the recipes are sourced from 'Moffat's cookbook', published in 1939.

Private Edward Brown enlisted to the Citizen Military Forces on 17 July 1939. After completing a military cooking course, he transferred to the Second Australian Imperial Force on 20 June 1940. Private Brown was assigned to 8 Division Signals. He embarked for service in Malaya in August 1941, and served there as a cook for his unit. In February 1942, Private Brown was captured as a prisoner of war when Singapore fell to the Japanese. Initially interned in Changi Prisoner of War Camp, Singapore, he was transferred to Japan as part of ‘C Force’ in November 1942. Private Brown remained in Japan until the end of the war, and was discharged on 8 March 1946. He enlisted to the Royal Australian Air Force in 1948, and served until the late 1960s.