Pte 32817 Joseph Harold Brown

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 3rd July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

32817 Private Joseph Harold BROWN, 21 years, 17^th Battn KLR, KIA 03.07.1916.

Born in Kirkdale in 1894 and baptised in St Mary’s Church, Kirkdale on 02^nd December 1894, Joseph Harold was the only son of Robert Morrison Brown and his wife Alice Rebecca (nee Chinn), who married on 9^th November 1892.

His father died in 1901 and the Census of that year shows Alice, 34 years old and a widow, at 13 Suffolk Street where she is a licensed victualler.

On 9^th November 1902, Alice married Edward Graham and in March 1904 she and Edward had a son, Frederick Douglas Graham, who was christened on 6^th April 1904 when his parents gave their address as still 13 Suffolk Street and Edward described himself as a warehouseman.

In 1911 Alice, with Joseph (a page boy in a hotel aged 16 years) and his half-brother Frederick Graham are shown at 22 Bengel Street, presumably like 13 Suffolk Street a public house, but Alice is again shown as a widow.

No record of Joseph’s military service survive other than his Medal Card, which shows the award of the BWM and VM, but it is likely that he went to France with the initial Pals detachment on 7^th November 1915 in which case he would also qualify for the 1915 Star.

Joseph was serving as Private 32817 in the 17th Battalion of THe King's Liverpool Regiment when he was killed in action on 03rd July 1916 aged 21.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 20th July 1916

BROWN - July 3,  killed in action, aged 21 years, Joseph H. (Joe) ("Pals"), the dearly-beloved son of Mrs Graham, 22 Bengel Street. (Sadly missed by Mother and Brother Fred).

Joseph was one of four men who had fallen and who were commemorated in the Liverpool Express on 19th August 1916, with a photograph of each under the header:

OUR HONOURED HEROES 

Liverpool Men Who Have Fought and Fallen

His body was either not recovered or was subsequently lost as he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. 

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01^st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

His family paid tribute to him  ahead of the first anniversary of his death in the Liverpool Echo on 02nd July 1917:

BROWN - in loving memory of my dear son Joseph Harold (Joe) K.L.R. Pals, killed in action, July 3, 1916. (Sadly missed by Mother and Brother Fred.) -  Mrs Graham, 22 Bengel Street.

BROWN - in loving memory of our dear nephew, Joseph Harold Brown (Pals), killed in the big push, July 1916 (Duty nobly done.) - Ever remembered by Uncle Jack, Aunt Lillie, and cousin Ron. - 21 Sark Road, Stoneycroft.

An entry in the Register of Soldiers’ Effects which shows that monies owed to Joseph were sent to his mother Alice R Graham in 1916 and 1917, while in 1919 the remainder was sent to Frederick Chinn.

Alice in fact died on 31^st December 1918, while still living at 22 Bengel Street, off Mt Vernon St and Probate records show that administration of her estate, approx. £475, was granted to Frederick Chinn, solicitor. The 1891 Census shows that Alice had a younger brother, Frederick Chinn aged 23 years, a clerk, so no doubt he is the Frederick referred to above. 

We currently have no further information on Joseph Harold Brown, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.

Grateful thanks are extended to Joe Devereux who has given permission for us to use the photograph of Joseph now shown on this site.