John Brown (1922 - 1942)

Born 25 Mar 1922 in Wyreema, Cambooya, Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 20 in At sea, Pacific Ocean

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Biography

Jack Brown was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Jack Brown died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

John Brown was born on 25 March 1922 in Wyreema, QLD, the son of Leslie Finnie Brown and Millie Humphrey.

He enlisted in the Australian Army Militia at Toowoomba, QLD on 31 May 1941 initially as a Gunner (Q90662) with the Coastal Artillery, Royal Australian Artillery. At the time he was single, a farm labourer living with his father at Wyreema, QLD. He was 5 ft 5 in tall with brown hair and brown eyes.

He had previously served 20 months with the Australian Army Militia as a Trooper (Q4788) in the 11th Light Horse as a machine gunner.

On 04 Jun 1941 he was transferred to the Royal Australian Engineers as a Sapper for duty at Fort Lytton, QLD.

He embarked on the "Macdhui" at Brisbane on 10 Aug 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea where he joined the Rabaul Fortress Coy, RAE.

While in Rabaul he completed forms to enlist in the AIF, but these were not actioned.

After the Japanese invasion on 23 Jan 1942 he was captured on the Lassul Bay Coast and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. He died on board the "Montevideo Maru" when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines on 01 Jul 1942, en route from Rabaul to Hainan where he was destined for forced labour.

He was posthumously enrolled in the 2nd AIF as QX64926.

Military Service: Royal Australian Engineers; to Rabaul, captured by the Japanese. 1941 Lytton, Queensland, Australia. Map: Latitude: S27.4167. Longitude: E153.1667.

Jack was killed when the "Montevideo Maru" was torpedoed by USN submarine whilst transporting prisoners of war to Japan from Rabaul to Hainan.

Military Service: Royal Australian Engineers; to Rabaul, captured by the Japanese. 1941 Lytton, Queensland, Australia. Map: Latitude: S27.4167. Longitude: E153.1667.

Sources

• Queensland Government: Family history research service: Birth. John Brown; Event date: 25/03/1922; Event type: Birth registration; Registration details: 1922/C/6493; Mother: Millie Humphrey; Father/parent: Leslie Finnie Brown. https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - BROWN JOHN : Service Number - QX64926 : Date of birth - 25 Mar 1922 : Place of birth - WYREEMA QLD : Place of enlistment - TOOWOOMBA QLD : Next of Kin - BROWN LESLIE - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4481397

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1693074

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615427/brown,-john/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/621344

• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/brown-john/

• Gersekowski, Jenny (1985) Humphrey Families in Australia, including the Riethmuller Family History. Cranbrook Press, Toowoomba. ISBN 0959036903

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