Light Duties - The Story of a Royal Marine

“LIGHT DUTIES” THE STORY OF A ROYAL MARINE JOHN BROWN AM

BY E.J. SPARROW

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I TRODUCTIO This is the story of a regular marine in the RMLI prior to WW1. It continues through the early years of the war until he becomes unfit for front line duty and is re-graded medical category “B”. Having been discharged he is recalled the next day in 1917 to become a gunner on small merchant vessels armed with obsolete old guns and exposed to the weather and incoming enemy fire.

Note the unshielded gun on the foredeck He goes on to earn the Albert Medal equivalent to the George Cross. At the end of the war his “Oppo”(friend) took over looking after his family. This practice was not uncommon after WW1.

BROWN, John Edwin: Albert Medal John Edwin was born at 58 Exmouth Street in Stepney (1887). He was the son of John and Emily Brown, of Bethnal Green, London. However, his father died between 1887 and 1891, while his mother, who had remarried, also died between 1901 and 1904. John was brought up by his maternal great uncle James Harris. The 1901census shows he was working as a shop boy in a jeweller’s shop but by the time he joined the Royal Marines 3 years later, he was an outside porter for an Engineering Company.

He joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry 5th April 1904 and had the Service No: PO/13676.

After training at Deal, he joined the Portsmouth Division and went to Sea on HMS Majestic in 1906. HMS Majestic had been commissioned into the Atlantic Fleet from August 1906 but was re-commissioned into the Reserve in October 1906.

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WEI HAI WEI circa 1904 In February 1907 he was posted to the China Station, serving at the Coaling Station Wei Hai Wei on the Chinese Coast and HMS Tamar. HMS Tamar was the floating hulk of an old troopship, which hich at the time was moored offshore at Hong Kong. In 1913, she was brought alongside and remained there until sunk during the Japanese invasion in 1942.

HMS TAMAR shown at left hand berth

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John is shown on the right in this picture taken in Hong Kong He came home on HMS Edgar on the 12th March 1910.

HMS EDGAR

John's engagement picture taken at Singapore on the way home.

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He then appears to have been stationed around the UK until the 5th August 1913. During this time he got married. His wife was Lilian Sarah Brown, and they set up home at 2 Brook Road, Wood Green but moved subsequently in 1917 to 23, Richmond Road. Saint Ann's Rd. Tottenham. John was then posted to HMS Philomel serving in Australian waters. His elder son, Edwin Sydney Brown was born 27th March 1914. The second name Sydney reflected John's presence in New South Wales at the time of his son's birth.

HMS PHILOMEL

SAMOA 1914

HMS PSYCHE John had been serving on HMS Philomel since 1913. He was transferred to HMS Psyche on the 14th July 1914, a few days before war broke out. On 29 August 1914, Australia in a combined operation with a New Zealand Expeditionary Force of 1400 troops landed at Apia, Western Samoa, covered by the guns of HMAS Australia, and the cruisers HMAS Melbourne, HMS Psyche, HMS Pyramus, HMS Philomel and the French Montcalm. With no troops to

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defend the islands, the German Administrator surrendered on 30 August. The wireless station and harbour facilities were thereafter denied to the German Admiral Von Spee’s Squadron.

According to the Admiralty Library's log cards (digests made from ships' logs of the 1914-18 period); HMS PSYCHE was at Samoa on 29th August 1914. The Log Card entry for that date reads: Aug. 29. Arrived Apia (8.15 am) Landed Flag of Truce & demanded surrender of German Samoa.

Hoisted Union Jack in Apia (12.15 pm) Hauled down German Governor's flag in Apia (1.25 pm) Aug. 30. Colonel Logan proclaimed German Samoa to be British possession. Fired Royal Salute, 21 guns (8 am) Departed Apia (4.45 pm)

HMS SWIFTSURE

SUEZ 1915 On the 19th January 1915, John was drafted to HMS Swiftsure. She became the Flagship of a squadron of ships in Lake Timsah on the Suez Canal. She was one of a number of the older Battleships, who were considered too slow to operate with the Home Fleet and which had been sent to the Mediterranean to provide artillery support to the Army.

The Turkish Minister of Marine, Djemal Pasha, together with his German Chief of Staff Kress von Kressenstein, led an expedition on 14 January 1915 across the Sinai Peninsula from Beersheba - the Turkish Suez Expeditionary Force was some 25,000 men. On 2 February, advance elements of the Ottoman Fourth Army reached the canal and began the assault.

They were met and beaten back by an Indian force, subsequently reinforced by Australian infantry. The ship's guns played a significant role in the British victory.

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British Battleship in Lake Timsah with decks cleared for action and sand bag barricades fixed up to defend the crew from stray shots.

The Admiralty Library's log cards for HMS SWIFTSURE's part in the action in the Suez Canal in early February 1915 show that her part of the affair was providing what is nowadays called Naval Gunfire Support (NGS). On 3rd and 4th February she was bombarding Turkish troops with shrapnel and Lyddite shell; the SWIFTSURE had one fatal casualty from enemy return fire, but the casualties she inflicted on the Turkish infantry and gunners were of quite another order. Indeed, on the 5th she landed what the Log Cards describe as a 'Red Cross party' to seek out Turkish wounded. It is not recorded in the Admiralty Library's log cards whether this party included any Royal Marines.

DARDANELLES 1915

The Anglo- French fleet in the Dardanelles An Anglo-French fleet had been prevented by the Turks from forcing the Dardanelles on the 19th February 1915. A further attempt was made on the 18th March. The fleet this time included HMS Swiftsure. She occupied the extreme right position of the third line of ships.

The intent was for the large Battleships to pound the Turkish Forts and gun positions into submission and so allow the Minesweepers to clear the mine fields.

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HM Ships Queen Elizabeth, Inflexible, Lord Nelson, and Agamemnon - opened the attack at long range on the forts at Chanak and Kilid Bahr, while HM Ships Triumph and Prince George bombarded Fort Dardanus on the Asiatic coast, and Fort Soghandere, opposite to it upon the Peninsula.

At about 12.30 the second squadron, consisting of the four French ships, came up into action, advancing beyond the former line in the direction of Kephez Point.

Finally, the third squadron, consisting of six British ships (HM Ships Irresistible, Vengeance, Ocean, Swiftsure, Majestic, and Albion), were brought up, with the intent of advancing first through the Narrows, so as to insure a clear passage for the bigger ships, which had made the first attack.

The French battleship Bouvet was hit by a vast explosion and sank. Then at 4 o'clock HMS Irresistible drew away with a heavy list. Apparently, she also had been struck by a mine. However, she remained afloat for nearly two hours; and nearly all her crew were saved by destroyers. In similar fashion HMS Ocean was sunk. Two other ships were badly damaged; HMS Inflexible, which managed to limp to Tenedos and ultimate repairs in Malta and the French Gaulios, which was beached at Rabbit Island.

At sunset the fleet was withdrawn, the Mission having failed.

GALLIPOLI In the very early morning of April 25th, the sea borne invasion of Gallipoli began. HMS Swiftsure was one of some 200 vessels involved in the landings of the Anzacs at ANZAC Cove and the British on 5 beaches at Cape Helles. HMS Swiftsure was providing artillery support to the troops ashore. The campaign began to drift towards stalemate and a month later it was realised that the battleships had become very vulnerable to attack by a German U-boat, which had entered the Mediterranean. On the night of the 12th/13th May, the old battleship HMS Goliath, whilst at anchor off Cape Helles was sunk by a Turkish torpedo boat with the loss of over 500 seamen. On the 25th May the German U-21 torpedoed the British pre-dreadnought HMS Triumph, while she was firing her guns in support off Gabe Tepe, midway between Suvla Bay and Cape Helles. She capsized in a short time with the loss of some 70 men.

HMS Majestic in her death throes

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Two days later, on the 27th May U-21 torpedoed John's first ship, HMS Majestic. She turned over and sank within seven minutes, but casualties were not heavy. The remaining battleships were withdrawn, including John in HMS Swiftsure, to the safety of the Greek islands and the soldiers were left without the artillery support of the battleships.

John stayed with HMS Swiftsure until 15th May 1916, when he rejoined the Portsmouth Division.

ROYAL FLEET RESERVE On the 16th May 1916, John returned to the UK. His health had deteriorated and he was regraded "B". He was demobbed on the 1st January 1917 and reassigned to the Royal Fleet Reserve. He was used as a gunner with Defence of Armed Merchantmen (DAMs) with HMS President III. This was to protect merchant ships from surface attack by U-boat or Commerce Raider.

John joined the SS Rhydwen, a 4,799 tons Steamer, at Port Said. She sailed from there, carrying Naval stores on the 22nd January 1917 for Genoa. He was the second gunner. At Genoa about 10 am, smoke was noticed issuing from the Poop Hatch and ventilators. A serious fire had broken out in the ship's magazine. In dealing with this fire John was awarded the Albert Medal for shipboard bravery.

Citation: An extract from "The London Gazette," dated 7th Sept., 1917, records the particulars of the award of the Albert Medal to John David Bulmer, boatswain of the Steamship "Rhydwen" of Cardiff, and Private. J. E. Brown as follows:-"On the 31st Jan., 1917, while the Steamship" Rhydwen "of Cardiff was lying at Genoa, a fire broke out in the ship's magazine. A fire signal was immediately hoisted, but before assistance arrived Bulmer and Brown went below, unlocked the door of the magazine and got the hose at the seat of the fire. Water was then played on the magazine and the ammunition was taken out on deck, and, owing to the prompt action of the ship's crew, the fire was extinguished. Considerable risk was incurred by Bulmer and Brown in rendering the service." He was also awarded the Life Saving Certificate and Medal.

From Genoa the SS Rhydwen sailed to Algiers, Galveston and Norfolk Virginia. She was sailing home, when she became a victim of a U-boat, being torpedoed 170 miles from the Fastnet Rock on the 13th April 1917. "At almost 7.30 am the steamer was torpedoed by a German submarine and sank 6 hours later. With the exception of 6 members, all the crew of 38 got away in two boats and were picked up by the destroyer "Preyton" and landed at Queenstown.".Two members of the crew were paid off on the 20th having been injured while being rescued.

John taken in 1917, showing the strain he has endured.

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His second son, Leonard was born in April 1917 at about the time his father was being saved from the sinking of SS Rhydwen.

John was killed on the 26th February 1918, aged 30, while serving on the collier S. S. "Dalewood" (London) when she was sunk. SS Dalewood was a supply ship (collier) and was on a voyage from Cardiff to deliver coal to the Royal Fleet at Scapa Flow. She was sunk by a submarine, U 105, whilst off the Isle of Man. 19 lives were lost including John and the vessel's Master.

Just 5 weeks later, Lilian, his widow along with his 4 year old son, Edwin, went to Buckingham Palace on the 6th April 1918 to receive his award of the Albert Medal from King George V.

His son, Edwin with his father's medal at the Palace

POST WAR John's friend and fellow Royal Marine, Frederick Charles Pretlove, honoured his promise to John and post war looked after John's family. Frederick worked after the war, as a diver in the North Sea clearing mines. Unfortunately, he became chronically ill for the rest of his life from the "Bends". On the 27th December 1924 he married John's widow, Lilian. Fred died 8th February 1952

COMMEMORATION John is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial Reference 30

(c) Commonwealth War Graves Commission

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POSTSCRIPT The family information was provided by the next of kin

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