Corporal Walter Brown V.C. Print Page

The Plaque commemorates Victoria Cross recipient Corporal Walter Brown (1885-1942).

In July 1918 at Villers-Bretonneux, in France, Corporal Brown on his own initiative, crept out along a trench and made a dash towards the enemy post. He came under fire from another trench and was forced to take cover. He then dashed forward with a Mills grenade in his band and stood at the door of the dugout and called upon the enemy to surrender. One of the enemy rushed out and Corporal Brown knocked him down with his fist after a short scuffle.

An officer and 11 other soldiers surrendered and Corporal Brown bought the prisoners back to the Australian line while coming under heavy enemy fire. He was wounded twice in the month after the VC action and was discharged from the army in 1920 with the rank of sergeant.

He lied about his age in World War Two claiming he was 39 when he joined up in 1940. He was actually 54. he was part of the 8th division which was sent to Malaya in 1941. When the Australians were ordered to surrender to the Japanese in Singapore, Brown’s last recorded words were “No surrender for me”. His body was never recovered

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