1914-15 Star: J.11552 C.T. BROWN. A.B. R.N.
Pair: J.11553 C.T. BROWN. A.B. R.N.
('3' in error)
1939-1945 Star
Atlantic Star
Defence Medal
War Medal 1939-1945
L.S.G.C. (GV) J.11552 C.T. BROWN. L.S. H.M.S. AMBROSE
HMS AMBROSE Was an armed merchant cruiser, previously RMS AMBROSE which was purchased by the admiralty from the Booth Line.
[BIOGRAPHY]
Charles Thomas BROWN was born in Somers Town, London in 1894 and prior to joining the navy on 24th June 1912 at age 18 he had been employed as an office boy. He was serving in the battle cruiser H.M.S. Princess Royal in April 1914.
The Princess Royal was present during 1914 at the battles of Heligoland Bight and Dogger Bank, when the ship obtained hits on the German ship Blucher which subsequently sank.
Brown also fought in HMS Princess Royal at The Battle of Jutland as part of the 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron. During the action the ship took numerous hits and sustained over one hundred casualties many of whom were badly burned.
[THE CAPTAIN]
Her charismatic captain, Walter Cowan - that famous “fire-eater” who preferred to spend his RN leave in the Army trenches in France and who wept when peace was declared, added a second D.S.O. to his accolades in the 1939-45 War with No. 2 Commando - summarised the damage inflicted on Princess Royal in the following terms:-
"In Princess Royal one turret was punched through the armour and out of action, two out of the three struts of the tripod mast carrying the control tower were shot through and the mast was consequently somewhat of an anxiety should the sea get up.
Twenty-five percent of the auxiliary armament was also out of action from heavy shell bursts inside and below. One shell exploded inside the canteen, where 10,000 eggs were blown to pieces with the bodies of the two poor servers lying in the middle of the mess.
Fore and aft, the upper deck casings and funnels were riddled with holes from shell splinters, and a shell shot through the Admiral’s cabin.
These damages are all I can recollect, and the engines were intact.
We had over a hundred casualties."
Post WW1, A.B. Brown was awarded Six Shillings and a Penny (6/1d) from the prize fund for the sinking of the Blucher.
He was awarded his LSGC on 6th November 1927 while serving at HMS AMBROSE. His original Portsmouth service papers finish on 1st January 1929 but Charles T. Brown also served in WW2 during the Battle of the Atlantic An Excellent & Historic BATTLE OF JUTLAND & WW2 Group with service record sheet and WW1 medal roll copies. £595