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1894. Born on 22nd July at Hunters Hill, Sydney, Arnold Brown
was the son of James Brown and his wife, Clara Brown (née
Marshall).
1915. While in Western Australia and intending to buy land, Arnold
enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in March 1915 and was
posted to the 28th Infantry Battalion. He was promoted to
Sergeant in May.
The battalion left Australia the following month and moving via
Egypt and the Greek island of Lemnos it landed on the Gallipoli
Peninsula, Turkey in September. The battalion then carried out
defensive operations until the general evacuation of Gallipoli until
its evacuation in December.
1916. Back in Egypt, Arnold was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and embarked
with the 28th Battalion in March for movement to France and by June had been
promoted to Lieutenant. He took part in the Battle of Pozières in July – September in the
Somme Department. He was awarded the Military Cross for showing great initiative as
the Battalion Bomb Officer in patrolling, raids and attacks, and in consolidating the
trench line during the battle.
Arnold was wounded leading a bayonet charge at Flers in the Somme Department on 16th
November and was evacuated to England for treatment.
1917. Returning to the 28th Battalion in January, Arnold was promoted to Temporary
Major in April. For his organisation and conduct of bombing raids during the 2nd Battle of
Bullecourt in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Region, France on 3rd – 4th May, he was awarded
the Distinguished Service Order.
Arnold Brown’s rank of Major was confirmed in August and on 28th September he was
again wounded, this time when a German aircraft dropped a bomb on the battalion camp
at Reninghelst, West Flanders, Belgium. He was again evacuated to England for
treatment.
1918. By February, Arnold was back with the 28th Battalion in the Somme Department,
northern France. He temporarily commanded the battalion on occasions and participated
in turning back the 1918 German Spring Offensive and in the Allied Counter-Offensive
that led to the Armistice 11th November.
Inter-war years.
In 1920 Arnold Brown married Freda Mary Thompson in Sydney and took up farming
near Coonabarabran, New South Wales the same year. He became active in the
Returned Sailors' and Soldiers' Imperial League of Australia, becoming Vice-President of
the local sub-Branch in the early 1930s. He was also a Zone Commander in the New
Guard, a conservative paramilitary facist movement active in New South Wales in the early
1930s.
In 1935 he became a partner in a stock and station agency and in 1938 was a
foundation member of the National Defence League of Australia.
1939-1940. Between October 1939 and May 1940 Arnold Brown served full-time in the
2nd Garrison Battalion of the Citizen Military Forces before being seconded to the
Australian Imperial Force in May 1940 with posting to the 2/1st Pioneer Battalion.
He embarked with the battalion in September 1940 at Sydney for movement to the
Middle East.
1941. Arnold was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in March when he assumed command
of the 2/1st Pioneer Battalion and was mentioned in despatches in December.
1942. In March, he was repatriated to Australia and in April was appointed as an Officer
in the Order of the British Empire for outstanding command of the 2/1st Pioneer Battalion
when it was operating as infantry in the defence of Tobruk, Libya April/September 1941.
Between May and September Arnold commanded the 36th Infantry Battalion on garrison
duties at Port Moresby, Papua then resumed command of the 2/1st Pioneer Battalion.
In late 1942 Arnold became ill and
spent almost five months in hospital.
1943-1945. Arnold Brown relinquished
command of the 2/1st Pioneer Battalion
in June 1943 and for the remainder of
the Second World War variously held
personnel and logistics positions.
Post-Second World War
Between August and November 1945
Arnold was Commanding Officer of the
6th Australian Prisoner of War
Reception Centre, Singapore
established for the repatriation of
Australians who had been held by
Japanese forces.
Between February and July 1946 he
was a member of a War Crimes
Tribunal and transferred to the Reserve
of Officers in August that year.
After leaving the Army, Arnold took up
farming near Windsor, New South
Wales and in 1949 became Director of
the nearby Immigration Holding Centre,
Scheyville.
1960. Arnold Brown passed away on 6th March aged 65 at Batemans Bay, New South
Wales. He was survived by his wife, two daughters and one of two sons.
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