Gunner Brown

Kranji War Cemetery (looking towards the Singapore Memorial)

Panel 115, Singapore Memorial

Kranji Memorial (War Cemetery) in Singapore, has the graves of nearly 4,500 servicemen. Also at the cemetery is a winged structure known as the Singapore Memorial. On its walls are the names of over 24,000 servicemen who have no known grave.

Of those 24,000, two had received the VC. One was a British fighter pilot who received his VC in the Battle of Britain only to be lost over the South China Sea. The other was an Australian, Gunner Brown (Panel 115).

Gunner (Walter Ernest) Brown received his VC in World War 1 when he single-handedly captured a German machine gun post at Villers-Bretonneux in France. Later at Passchendaele, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

With the outbreak of World War 2, Gunner Brown wanted desperately to rejoin the army but his age was against him. Being ever persistent, he was finally able to re-enlist, joining the 2/15th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery attached to the 27th Brigade of the 8th Division. He served in Malaya and then in Singapore as the Japanese advanced.

On the 15th February 1942, the day of the allied surrender in Singapore, Brown’s regiment was moved to the front to make a final stand. But when the order was given to surrender, it is alleged that he calmly picked up some grenades and said, “No surrender for me” before walking towards enemy lines never to be seen again.

However, it is believed that Brown sought escape after receiving permission from his commanding officer and led some other members of the 2/15th to Sumatra in a rowing boat. While waiting to be evacuated, it is believed that he became separated and was killed. A brave man!!