Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | St. Martin Calvaire British Cemetery, St. Martin-Sur-Cojeul | II. B. 21. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.117 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 38A GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | Distinguished Conduct Medal | ||
Family :
Mark was the son of William and Anne Brawn of The School House, Elton in Huntingdonshire.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment |
4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion August 1914 : in Bedford. A training unit, it moved within a few days of declaration of war to Felixstowe, for duty with the Harwich Garrison. 25 July 1916 having been converted for war service it landed at Le Havre and was attached to 190th Brigade, 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. |
| Action : The Second Battles of Arras 1918 |
26 August - 3 September 1918. In a replica of the experience on the Somme which was happening concurrently a few miles further south, the old battlefields around Arras, so bitterly fought over in 1917 were taken and the Germans challenged on the Hindenburg Line. The Drocourt-Queant sector, which had proven such an obstacle in previous years was taken by the 3rd September and with the Hindenburg line broken in the sector the advance was again possible.
Detail :
Killed in action 1st September 1918, aged 38
Lieutenant Brawn originally served in the ranks of the London Regiment, reaching the rank of Warrant Officer before being commissioned into the Bedfordshire Regiment
Visiting the Fallen-Arras South By Peter Hughes: "Another officer in this cemetery with a gallantry award is Lieutenant Mark BRAWN DCM, 4th Bedfordshire Regiment. He was 38 years old when he was killed in action on 1 September 1918. His DCM was gazetted on 14 January 1916, and the citation on 11 March, while he was serving as a company sergeant major with the 9th Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles). It was awarded for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty, but not for any specific action. the citation only states that on each occasion he showed great bravery, skill, and a total disregard of personal risk. (Plot. II.B.21). He and three other ranks were killed that day during an air raid. The battalion was marching up from Boiry to Henin when the incident occured. Eleven others were wounded and twenty-six horses and mules were killed by the explosion. The three men killed with him are buried in this cemetery, but they are all casualties from the 2nd Battalion killed in action on 11 April 1917."
WAR DIARY 23 May 1918 "Lt and Quartermaster W.Brown [sic] joined 16 O R's joined 3 O R's wounded. 1 Sep 1918 - Hindenburg Support Line near Henin-sur-Cojeul Battn marched from BOIRY to N.34 central near HENIN in the Hindenburg Support Line. Hostile aircraft raid, Lieut M.Brawn killed 3 Other Ranks killed 11 Other Ranks wounded and 26 horses & mules killed. "
He lies in the St. Martin Calvaire British cemetery, St. Martin sur Cojeul, 8km south-east of Arras
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Bloomsbury Rifles' No. 2362 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
13th March 1918 | - | - |
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley