Sgt 23917 William Henry Brown

• Age: 27
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

William Henry Brown was born in 1890 in Birkenhead, the eldest son of Henry Thomas Brown and his wife Charlotte Ann (nee McCoy) who were married in 1889 at St Mary's Church, Birkenhead. Henry was born in Camden Town in London and Charlotte had been born on the 31^st December 1895 in Carrickcarnan, Dundalk, Ireland.

At the time of the 1891 census William was 11 months old and living with his parents at 11 Banning Street, Birkenhead. His father Henry was 24 years old and a railway train shunter, his mother Charlotte was 23.

The couple had another son called David who was born in 1893.

Sadly his mother Charlotte died in 1899.

The 1901 census records William and his brother David living with their widowed father at 12 Keightley Street. Several of Charlotte’s relatives are also living there. Her widowed brother, James McCoy, and his two sons James aged 18, and Peter aged 13 and her sister Elizabeth with her son 10 year old William McCoy.

The 1911 census shows the family have moved to 274 Conway St, Birkenhead under the name Jennings. Father Henry Thomas Jennings aged 46, a railway shunter, his "wife" Elizabeth Jennings (McCoy from 1901), children David Jennings aged 18, an apprentice upholsterer, Lillie Jennings aged 7 at school. Also present are the McCoy family again.

William enlisted in Liverpool, joining the 20th Battalion as Private 23917.

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

William had transferred and was serving in the 19th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Sergeant No 23917 when he was killed in action on 31st July 1917 on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

The 19th Battalion started the day in Divisional Reserve but were called forward in the early morning of 31st July and reached Maple Copse in late afternoon. It was originally detailed to continue with the morning’s attack but this was cancelled and they eventually relieved a Battalion of the 53rd Brigade in the newly captured line, sustaining casualties from shell fire.

The Battalion was relieved on the night of 3rd/4th August.

Although not actively engaged in the assault the Battalion lost 26 men were killed or died of wounds with four officers and 101 men wounded.

William's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

He was reported wounded and missing in the Liverpool Daily Post on the 25^th Sept 1917.

King's(Liverpool R.) - Brown, 23917, Sgt W.H.(Birkenhead);

His father is recorded as his sole beneficiary, but also includes the name Elizabeth Brown (stepmother).

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