The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3732) Private James Alexander Brown, 11th 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 Troy Clayton, the story for this day was on (3732) Private James Alexander Brown, 11th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

3732 Private James Alexander Brown, 11th Battalion, AIF
KIA 20 September 1917
Story delivered 16 December 2018

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private James Alexander Brown.
James Brown was born about 1882 in Moonta, South Australia. By the time that war was declared, he was living in Kurrawang, near Kalgoorlie in West Australia, and working as a teamster: driving teams of horses.

In August 1915, he travelled to the military camp at Blackboy Hill, Perth, in order to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force. He was allotted to reinforcements to the 11th Battalion, and began initial training. As he was too late to join the Gallipoli campaign, he joined his battalion in Egypt. As the AIF prepared to join the fighting on the Western Front, it went through a period of expansion and reorganisation.

After its withdrawal from Gallipoli, the 11th Battalion was split to help form the 51st Battalion, and then bought up to strength with fresh reinforcements, such as Private Brown.

The 11th Battalion sailed for France in March 1916. After a period of
period of acclimatisation and training for the European battlefield, the 11th Battalion moved up to the front line In mid-May.

Its first major action came in July at Pozieres in the Somme valley. The attack was a costly success. Amidst heavy casualties, the 11th Battalion took the forward German trenches and in the confusion of battle advanced beyond their limit of exploitation, entering Pozieres and becoming embroiled in close quarters fighting.

During the night of 24 July, the Australians attacked again, but the 11th was forced to withdraw after suffering heavily from friendly and enemy shelling. In the morning of 25 July, further casualties were sustained by artillery fire before German infantry launched a counterattack. While the Australians managed to hold their ground, Brown was wounded, suffering from a shell-wound to the ribs. He was evacuated to General Hospital in Camiers, but rejoined his unit in in time to take part in an attack around Mouquet Farm after which his battalion was moved to Belgium.
The 11th Battalion spent the remainder of the year in the Ypres sector, but was moved back to the Somme at the end of the year as the worst winter in living memory descended on the front.

In early October Brown was awarded 14 days field punishment number two for quitting the ranks without urgent necessity.

In November, the conditions took their toll on his health. He was admitted to hospital with trench feet and eventually evacuated to France for rest and recovery. After a brief period of respite, he was back in hospital again in late December, this time being evacuated to England and given a period of furlough.

Rejoining his unit in mid-July 1917, Brown returned to Belgium to participate in the offensive that became known as the Third Battle of Ypres.

The 11th Battalion’s first attack came around Glencorse Wood on 20 September. While the attack was successful along its entire front, the advancing troops had to overcome formidable entrenched German defensive positions, which included mutually supporting concrete pill-box strongpoints, and also resist fierce German counter-attacks.

The two AIF Divisions involved sustained 5,013 casualties in the action, and the 11th Battalion along lost 46 killed and 100 wounded. Among the dead was James Brown.

Thirty-five years old at the time of his death, his grave was lost during later fighting, and today he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.

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 James Alexander Brown, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section