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James Whiteford Brown cap badgePrivate James Whiteford Brown

1/6th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Service No: 2179

James Whiteford Brown grave

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Personal details

Family Information

Son of James and stepson of Margaret Brown of 246d Quarry St, Hamilton. James' younger brother Lance Corporal William Brownlie Brown (43864) of the 16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Edinburgh) Royal Scots was Killed in Action on the 10/06/1917. He was formerly with his brother in the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). William is listed on the Arras Memorial. Both brothers have no known grave. From the 1891 Census - Address - 33 Low Patrick St, Hamilton - Grandfather James Brown aged 52, Grandmother Annie Brown aged 52, Agnes Colquhoun (Brown) aged 30, Father James Brown aged 25, Annie Brown aged 22, Maggie Brown aged 20, William Brown aged 17, Helen Brown aged 15, Janet Brown aged 13, Grandson James W Brown aged 1. James' Pension was claimed by his stepmother Margaret but was refused. His younger brother William's was awarded to his wife Eliza Ann (29/10/1895) of 10 Morgan St, Hamilton on the 22/12/1917. Their daughter Mary born on the 14/04/1916 is also listed. William's wife remarried.

Born / Resided

Hamilton / Coatbridge.

Died

Killed in Action on the 15/06/1915 near Festubert during the 2nd Action of Givenchy (part of the Actions in the Spring and Summer 1915)

Enlisted

Hamilton

Employed

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Age

25

Buried / Remembered

Le Touret Memorial (Panel 15 and 16), Pas de Calais, France.

Cemetery / Memorial Information

The Le Touret Memorial commemorates over 13,400 British soldiers who were killed in this sector of the Western Front from the beginning of October 1914 to the eve of the Battle of Loos in late September 1915 and who have no known grave. Almost all of the men commemorated on the Memorial served with regular or territorial regiments from across the United Kingdom and were killed in actions that took place along a section of the front line that stretched from Estaires in the north to Grenay in the south. This part of the Western Front was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the first year of the war, including the battles of La Bassée (10 October - 2 November 1914), Neuve Chapelle (10 - 12 March 1915), Aubers Ridge (9 - 10 May 1915), and Festubert (15 - 25 May 1915). Soldiers serving with Indian and Canadian units who were killed in this sector in 1914 and 1915 whose remains were never identified are commemorated on the Neuve Chapelle and Vimy memorials, while those who fell during the northern pincer attack at the Battle of Aubers Ridge are commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial.

Additional Information

James and the Battalion arrived at Le Havre on the 21/03/1915 and were part of the 154th Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division. James was Killed in Action at the Second Action of Givenchy, 15th - 16th June 1915 : The 7th Division moved into the Givenchy sector shortly after their costly involvement in the Aubers Ridge and Festubert assaults. It proved to be a very difficult line to hold, being subject to constant mining, sniping and trench mortar activity. A decision was taken to make a large-scale attack on the German front between a point East of Givenchy to just South of Rue d'Ouvert, to capture some key points. 21st Brigade was selected to lead the attack, with two Battalions in the front wave. On their right, the Canadians were to attack a strong point called 'Dorchester' and forming a defensive flank near the Canal; on their left, the 51st (Highland) Division would move on Rue d'Ouvert from the north. To maintain contact between the main thrusts, the 1st Grenadier Guards of 20th Brigade would advance over the flat ground towards the village. After several postponements, the attack was fixed for the evening of 15 June 1915. SEE PHOTOS x 42 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY FROM 1st JUNE - 16th JUNE 1915. This was part of the Actions in the Spring and Summer of 1915 (Western Front), 15th June - 9th August 1915 : Localised operations seeking tactical advantage. After the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the French high command came to believe that the British could undertake an offensive action, not just fight a dogged defence. The prestige of the British in that operation, which was judged by all to have been a success even though it fell far short of the strategic goal of breaking through to Lille, rose considerably. It led to increased French pressure for the British army, still small and woefully under-gunned, to play an increasing part in offensive warfare. The Battles of Aubers and Festubert in May 1915 came as a result of this pressure, with woeful results. The other photo of James' name on the Le Touret Memorial kindly donated by Mick McCann at britishwargraves.co.uk. James and his brother William are remembered on the Hamilton War Memorial (see photos). The plaques with the men's names are held in the old Town Hall now the Library and Civic Centre (see photos x 2). See photos for James' Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Le Touret Memorial Panel List and the Le Touret Memorial, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Cap Badge and James' and his brother William's Pension Records x 4. Also see photos for James' brother William's Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his Service Records x 15, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Arras Memorial Panel List and the Royal Scots Cap Badge. Finally, see photos of a Poppy placed by myself at Le Touret Memorial in July 2023 x 2, a photo that includes James' brother William's name on the Arras Memorial taken in July 2023, PHOTOS x 18 FOR THE 51st (HIGHLAND) DIVISION BOOK MARCH - JUNE 1915 and the 51st (Highland) Division Order of Battle x 12 (the Division he was with when he died).

Photos
James Whiteford Brown Medal Index CardJames Whiteford Brown newspaper clippingJames Whiteford Brown newspaper clippingJames Whiteford Brown newspaper clippingJames Whiteford Brown remembered at homeJames Whiteford Brown remembered at homeJames Whiteford Brown remembered at homeJames Whiteford Brown remembered at homeJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photoJames Whiteford Brown additional photo

War Diaries

The battalion War Diary is available on the National Archives website.

Creative Commons License

We have made this information and the images available under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement: © coatbridgeandthegreatwar.com

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