Brown, Alexander Swan

13156 Private Alexander Swan Brown – 13^th Field Ambulance

Alexander Swan Brown was born in Bathgate Scotland in 1884. He was educated locally and after leaving school he took up employment as a local handyman and labourer. Alex also joined the British Army, serving for eleven years in the 7^th Royal Scots (Territorials). While in Scotland he married Isabella and they would have four children. James (1906), Margaret (1907), Marion (1909) and Isabella (1914).

Alex and his family then migrated to Australia, taking up residence in Fremantle. Alex began his own business and the family lived at 70 Queen Victoria Street. (Later renumbered to 43 Queen Victoria Street).

Despite having a large family Alex felt it was his duty to enlist, thus on the 16^th November 1915 he went to the Swan Barracks in Perth to enlist in the AIF.

Alex was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height:                              5 feet 4 & ¾ inches;

Weight:                              137lbs;

Chest Measurement:          34-36 inches;

Complexion:                      Fresh;

Eyes:                                 Grey;

Hair:                                  Brown;

Religious Denomination:    Presbyterian;

Distinctive Marks:              Tattoo of heart & dagger right arm and tattoo marks left arm; 2 vaccination scars right arm.

Upon his successful enlistment Alex was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.36 Training Depot. Alex was soon attached to the Australian Army Medical Corps reinforcements and he worked at both Blackboy Hill and Belmont Camps. On the 14^th March 1916 Alex was assigned to a Medical reinforcement group leaving WA and he boarded the HMAT Karoola in Fremantle Harbour. After a three week sea voyage Alex arrived at Egypt and after a short stint in the reinforcement camp he was assigned to the 13^th Field Ambulance on the 20^th April 1916. This was the Field Ambulance group for the 13^th Brigade, 4^th Division AIF.

For the next several weeks Alex trained with this group in Egypt while they waited for their embarkation orders to arrive. These finally came through and on the 6^th June 1916 Alex and his unit boarded the HT Oriana and set sail for France, disembarking at Marseilles on the 13^th June 1916.

Upon their arrival the men were taken through Marseilles to the Railway station where they were entrained north, pass Paris to the battlefields. After their arrival near Armentieres, Alex and the 13^th Field Ambulance had a few weeks front line experience near Fleurbaix. However in mid July they were relieved by the 5^th Division and were sent to the Somme battlefield. The 1^st Australian Division attacked Pozieres on the 22^nd July 1916 and successfully captured the village. The 13^th Field Ambulance was sent to assist in retrieving the 1^st Division casualties and on the 22^nd July Alex was attached for duty with the 2^nd Field Ambulance. It was a horrendous time for the stretcher bearers as they had to evacuate casualties under a withering and relentless shellfire. For seven days Alex operated with the 2^nd Field Ambulance and he fortunately came through unscathed.

On the 29^th July Alex returned to the 13^th Field Ambulance for duty however as the 13^th Brigade were in reserve for the planned 4^th Division advance at Pozieres, Alex was attached to the 12^th Field Ambulance on the 5^th August. Apart from a day when he was treated for trench feet, Alex spent the next ten days in the midst of the Pozieres battlefield evacuating casualties and on the 15^th August he rejoined his own unit. There was no rest for Alex as the 13^th Brigade launched their assault on Mouquet Farm, which was unsuccessful and many casualties had to be retrieved. After the unsuccessful assault the 13^th Brigade was withdrawn for a rest. It was a well earned rest for Alex as he had been in the thick of it since the 22^nd July.

In early September 1916 the 13^th Brigade tried another assault on Mouquet Farm and despite some initial success, the attack failed. Casualties were high and some 13^th Field Ambulance bearers were captured by the Germans though Alex came through this unscathed. It appears that Alex thought he had been awarded a mention in despatches for his work at Pozieres but unfortunately nothing can be located.

The 4^th Division were now sent to the Belgian front for several weeks and during this time in Belgium Alex went absent without leave for six hours. As a punishment he had to endure seven days of Field Punishment No.2. All too soon the Australians had to return to the Somme front in November 1916. The Australians would spend the French 1916/17 winter in the horrendous muddy conditions of the Somme battlefield. It was a torturous time for the stretcher bearers as they struggled to evacuate casualties through the thick glutinous mud.

In late February 1917 the Germans began their withdrawal to their prepared defensive position known as the Hindenburg Line. However it was a fighting withdrawal and the Australian and British troops had several sharp battles with the Germans around the Villages around Bapaume. The 13^th Brigade were heavily involved around Noreuil in early April 1917. While the 13^th Brigade infantry weren’t involved in the attack on the Hindenburg Line on April 11^th 1917 the stretcher bearers of the 13^th Field Ambulance helped to evacuate the casualties from the battlefield.

There was not much rest for the 4^th Division as in May they moved to Belgium to take part in the Messines Offensive. This was a successful advance on June 7^th 1917 though casualties were heavy and Alex and his stretcher bearers were kept busy removing casualties from the battlefield. The 4^th Division would stay in this sector for the next few months. On the 25^th July Alex became a patient at the 13^th Field Ambulance as came down ill. Fortunately it was nothing too serious and he rejoined his unit on the 28^th July. In late August 1917 Alex was given a fortnight’s leave to England and he returned on the 5^th September 1917.

The 13^th Field Ambulance served at the Third Battle of Ypres in September/October 1917 and Alex would have seen action at Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, Broodseinde and Passchendaele. 

Alex had been receiving correspondence from his wife who had been telling him it was a continuing struggle with the four children and trying to continue their business. Alex would put in an application to return to Australia to the Commander the 4^th Division in early December 1917. Alex wrote;

Sir,

I wish to apply for a transfer to transport duty. I have twenty two months to my credit as a stretcher bearer in the 13^th Field Ambulance. I am a married man with four children and from my wife’s recent letters, two of them are ill.

My wife’s relations reside in Scotland, she, therefore, has no one to confide in, in time of trouble. We have a small business and ever since my leaving Australia everything has been going against us. I would deem it a great favour, if you would accede to my request, my going to Australia, would, I am sure, take a lot of financial and domestic worries off her mind, besides enabling me to settle things up. Thanking you in anticipation.   I am Sir

                               Yours obediently

                               A.S. Brown Pte 13156

Alex’s request was sent through the chain of command. His CO in the 13^th Field Ambulance, Lt-Colonel Fay, supported the application and made the statement that Alex;

“has an excellent record with this unit and I can vouch for the truthfulness of his statements.”

Colonel GW Barber, the ADMS of the 4^th Division also supported the application. Major General Sinclair-MacLagan, the 4^th Division commander gave his support. The Director of Medical Services for the AIF also agreed and suggested that Alex could be used for Medical detail on a transport ship to Australia. On the 10^th January 1918 Lt-Colonel Wynter of the AIF Headquarters in London put the final verification in place for Alex’s return to Australia.

On the 15^th January 1918 Alex left France and proceeded to England. He was given a fortnight’s furlough and then had to report to the AIF HQ in London. On the 1^st February 1918 Alex was sent to No.2 Command Depot at Weymouth Camp. He would spend the next five weeks in this camp while he waited to be allotted to a transport ship. On the 9^th March 1918 Alex was ordered to report to AIF HQ in London where he would be assigned his transport ship details. On the 12^th March 1918 Alex boarded the HT Kenilworth Castle and assumed his duties on the nursing staff for the voyage to Australia.

The journey took several weeks but Alex returned home to Fremantle and was discharged from the AIF on the 3^rd June 1918. He resumed his civilian life with his family.

Alex would serve again in World War Two. It appears that he lowered his age to be accepted for service. On the 15^th May 1941 he was accepted for service and was given the regimental number W29501. It appears that Alex’s service was in Australia and he served at the Training Battalion in Northam, as well as in the Australian Special Investigation Branch Maritime Group. Alex was discharged from the Australian Army on the 6^th February 1946.

Alexander lived for a time in the Northam district and in 1950 he was involved in an accident when the truck he was travelling in ran off the road near Bakers Hill and overturned. Fortunately he only suffered fractured ribs in the accident.

 Alex would later move back to the Fremantle district and he died on the 27^th December 1971 at Hilton Park. He was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery, with the memorial panel Crematorium C 0009.