大象传媒

This story has been written by the widow of George Brown; George died in May 1994.

George was born in 1921 and joined the Army at the age of 17 in 1938. He had been recruited by his sister's husband Frank; his mother Florence was very upset.

When war was declared he was with the KSLI based at Lokin Camp at Weston-Super-Mare. George was a bugler and a Military Policeman - he rode a motorbike. At the beginning of the War he transferred to the Middlesex Regiment to which the Canadian Army was attached.

George was based in Leicestershire in 1940, we met in Leicester. When he was overseas I sent him soap and writing paper, he could trade these with Europeans who could not get them. His brother Tom was at Dunkirk.

George was with the first wave of soldiers who went to France as part of the D-Day landings on the 6th June, 1944. He was in the battle at Arnhem and at Nijmegen Bridge, a ferocious battle was fought there. He then went to Belsen.

Towards the end of the War George was looking after the German prisoners-of-war in Germany. After the War the Burgermasters of all the small towns that had been liberated signed a Charter ackowledging their grateful thanks to the British Forces. My elder daugher has the original Charter.

George was demobilised in 1946, we got married in 1948 and made our home in Much Wenlock. George was a member of Much Wenlock Town Council for 30 years and served as Mayor in the year before the Government re-organisation in 1964; we were the last Mayor & Mayoress of Much Wenlock to be invited to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

He was Chairman of the Much Wenlock Branch of the British Legion for 25 years. He was also a member of the Youth Club Committee, and when the current Youth Club Building was built, it was George who persuaded the Mucklow Brick Compamy to provide the bricks free-of-charge. He did the same when the Lady Forester Hospital was extended; Mucklow provided the building materials for the 2 extentions that were added to each end of the hospital. He would help everybody and during the first 2 weeks of the month I never saw him.

Note: My story "A Wartime Childhood in Hull, Boston & Leicester" can be found at A4136519 - this story describes my evacuation from and return to Hull at the age of 13; and my family's move to Leicester in 1940. "Thanks from the Burgermasters of Goeree and Overflakkee" can be found at A7363316.

Story: This story has beeen added to the People's War site by Muriel,Palmer (volunteer) of Age Concern Shropshire Telford & Wrekin on behalf of Dorothy BROWN (widow of George Charles BROWN) (author) and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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