SAPPER PETER BROWN
2343 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland was stated to be the birthplace of Peter Brown about 1867 and served for twelve years with the Royal Engineers until his time expired. He came to Australia.
At the recruiting depot in Perth, Western Australia on November 29, 1915 the single miner applied to enlist for active service abroad and passed the preliminary medical examination. Personal particulars taken show his age to be forty-eight years and eleven months and was 164cms (5ft 4½ins) tall with a chest measurement of 95cms (37½ins). His address was Post Office, Nedlands, W.A. Declared fit his application was accepted by the recruiting officer.
Attestation Forms were completed and describe him further as weighing 54kgs (120lbs) with a dark complexion, brown eyes and steel grey hair. Distinctive marks were two vaccination scars on his left arm and a sailor’s head tattoo on the left arm with a ring tattooed on the 2nd finger of the left hand. Religion was Presbyterian. He stated both parents were dead and nominated his sister Mrs Emily McMillan of Hutchinson Street, Glasgow, Scotland as next-of-kin. He was sworn in the same day.
Basic training commenced on November 30, 1915 with the Mining Corp recruits in the rank of Private at Blackboy Hill camp, near Perth.
Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps began on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Brown was placed for basic training at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, W.A. with the newly forming Corps. The Unit’s title was the No. 3 Company with a major portion of No. 3 Company recruited by 2nd Lt. L.J. Coulter, A.I.F. who was sent from N.S.W. to W.A. for that purpose. They were made up to strength with 1 Officer and 274 Other Ranks and embarked from Fremantle, W.A.
On December 18, 1915 the company sailed for Sydney, NSW on board the troopship SS Indarra. His name appears on the passenger list which was published in:
On Boxing Day (Dec 26th), 1915 the Unit arrived in Sydney and marched into Casula Camp, near Liverpool, NSW. They were joined by the 4th Section of the Tasmanian Miners, bringing the establishment strength up to 15 officers and 349 Other Ranks under the command of 2nd Lieutenant L.J. Coulter.
Mining Corps Units from all Military districts came together at Casula camp, near Liverpool, NSW to complete training as a Corps. Brown was assigned the regimental number 923 in the rank of Sapper and remained in No.3 Company. Later he was transferred to the 2nd Reinforcements No.1 Company and did not embark with the Mining Corps on February 20, 1916.
On March 25, 1916 Sapper Brown moved to Rosebery Park, Sydney, NSW with the 2nd Reinforcements and his regimental number allotted was 2343. He was promoted to the rank of Acting Corporal for the voyage to Europe.
The Reinforcements consisting of 3 Officers and 177 Other Ranks (180 members) embarked from Sydney, NSW on March 31, 1916 on the transport HMAT A16 Star of Victoria. The ship arrived at Colombo, Ceylon on April 4, 1916 and after refuelling departed the following day. The vessel docked at the Suez, Egypt on May 3, 1916 where the Reinforcements disembarked after 33 days at sea. The weather during the voyage was cold and rough.
The Star of Victoria departed the next day for Port Said and spent the day in port May 5, 1916. From the Suez the men were transported to Alexandria where they were transhipped to the City of Edinburgh leaving on May 5 for the crossing to France. They arrived at Marseilles on May 17 and were entrained to Etaples marching in on June 1, 1916 to the Base Depot. Sapper Brown was taken on strength on June 23, 1916.
Disciplinary action was taken for the following:
Offence:26/6/16 Drunk and being in an Estaminet during prohibited hours
Award:(1) Fined 10 shillings
(2) 14 days C.B. [confined to barracks]
Sapper was attached for duty on June 25, 1916 to the 3rd Tunnelling Company and taken on strength in the field on September 30, 1916.
On December 19, 1916 Sapper marched into the Aust General Base Depot at Etaples and detached from the 3rd Tunnelling Company being unfit for duty at the front to ‘permanent base’ duties.
Sapper left the Base Depot on February 13, 1917 on transfer to England arriving four days later at the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth.
A few months later Sapper Brown embarked from Devonport, England for Australia for Home Service due to overage on board H.T. Runic on May 4, 1917. The ship docked at Fremantle (5th Military District) on June 26, 1917.
Military Discharge was issued in Perth (5th M.D.) on July 12, 1917 due to overage.
For serving his country Sapper 2343 Peter Brown, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued with the British War Medal (9020) and the Victory Medal (8980).
In 1921 his address was 233 William Street, North Perth with the occupation of miner.
A Statement of his Service was requested by the Perth Branch of the Repatriation Commission and sent from Base Records on December 5, 1929.
He later was a resident at the Old Men’s Home at Claremont, Perth with miner still listed as his occupation.
The following report of his death appeared in the:
The next day the newspaper corrected the name of the deceased in:
It is possible that the Peter Brown who passed away on June 11, 1937 aged 75 years and was an A.I.F. soldier is him. Arrangements were published in:
A notice advising the demise of former Western Front soldiers that month was placed in the:
His grave is located in the Anglican portion of Guildford Cemetery, within section C in gravesite no. 94.
© Donna Baldey 2015