The case of the stolen war medals

Francis Roy Brown was born in Carlton, Victoria on the 24th of November 1893. He enlisted at around 20 years of age on the 2nd of September 1914 and was admitted into the 11th Battalion, C Company. His unit embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia on board HMAT Ascanius on the 31st October 1914 bound for war.

He was my great uncle.

From the records held within the Australian War Memorial we learn that the 11th Battalion was among the first infantry units raised for the AIF during the First World War. It was the first battalion recruited in Western Australia, and with the 9th, 10th and 12th Battalions it formed the 3rd Brigade.

The battalion was raised within weeks of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked for overseas after just two weeks of preliminary training. It arrived in Egypt to continue its training in early December. The 3rd Brigade was the covering force for the ANZAC landing on 25 April 1915 and so was the first ashore at around 4:30 am. Ten days after the landing, a company from the 11th Battalion mounted the AIF's first raid of the war against Turkish positions at Gaba Tepe. Subsequently, the battalion was heavily involved in defending the front line of the ANZAC beachhead. In August, it made preparatory attacks at the southern end of the ANZAC position before the battle of Lone Pine. The 11th Battalion continued to serve at ANZAC until the evacuation in December.

After the withdrawal from Gallipoli, the 11th Battalion returned to Egypt. It was split to help form the 51st Battalion, and then bought up to strength with reinforcements.

Somewhere in this photo is Francis Roy Brown, perched on the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) with members of the 11th Battalion, 3rd Brigade, Australian Infantry Force.

In March 1916, the battalion sailed for France and the Western Front. From then until 1918, the battalion took part in bloody trench warfare. Its first major action in France was at Pozieres in the Somme valley in July. After Pozieres, the battalion manned trenches near Ypres in Flanders before returning to the Somme valley for winter.

In 1917 the battalion took part in the brief advance that followed the German Army's retreat to the Hindenburg Line. During a German counterattack at Louverval, France, in April 1917 Lieutenant Charles Pope was killed performing the deed for which he would be awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. The battalion subsequently returned to Belgium to participate in the offensive that became known as the Third Battle of Ypres.

The battalion helped to stop the German spring offensive in March and April 1918, and later that year participated in the great Allied offensive launched east of Amiens on 8 August 1918. The 11th Battalion continued operations until late September 1918. At 11 am on 11 November 1918, the guns fell silent.

In November 1918 members of the AIF began to return to Australia. In February 1919, the 11th and 12th Battalions were amalgamated due to steadily declining numbers in both battalions. They remained so linked until their last members returned home for demobilisation and discharge.

Returning to Australia on the 13th of December, 1918 Francis Roy Brown had achieved the rank of Lieutenant and suffered significant physical and mental health issues from enduring four years of war. He was a hero but not treated as such.

Around 1943 The medals bestowed upon Francis Roy Brown from his service were taken from him and to this date have yet to be returned.

From a letter sent around this time, it is alleged that another serving member of the Australian Imperial Force, a Corporal named "Allen" from the 2/33rd Battalion who had returned from the Middle East and was on a "jollification" at Maroubra Beach took the medals from Francis's possession from his work premises nearby.

I write this post for several reasons today, the 25th of April 2021 on ANZAC Day.

One is to acknowledge the brilliant work that the Australian War Memorial do in preserving and archiving Australia's war time past. Without this, I along with my family would not have known the story of my Great Uncle and his three brothers all of who served in Australia's armed forces throughout wartime.

Brothers in Arms - clockwise from top left to right - Francis Roy Brown, Leopold Russell Brown, Bruce Nelson Brown, Eric Gordon Brown.

I also write this post to acknowledge the debt of gratitude I have for those that enlist and I implore the current and future Governments of Australia to do more to preserve the memories of the past and to continue to provide the services necessary, without compromise, to those that have so chosen to demonstrate the ultimate act of bravery in wartime.

Finally I cast this post out onto the internet in the hope, no matter how distant it may appear, that this story begins the process of returning Francis's medals to the surviving members of his family so that our history can be preserved for generations to come.

If you have made it this far and value this story, I ask that you please share it. Thank you.