The son of Peter and Catherine Keddie Brown of Chatham, Ontario, Canada.

A graduate of the Chatham Collegiate Institute where he was the editor of the school paper “Acta Collegil”. He was president of the debating club, member of the Student’s council and a player on the CCI soccer team.

Harold enlisted in the RCAF at the age of 19. He trained at Toronto, Ottawa, Crumlin and Fingal, ON. graduating from there 13 September, 1941 as an ‘observer’ (later know as Navigator). He then trained at Pennfield Ridge, Nova Scotia, in a course of ‘advanced navigation’ prior to going overseas. He continued his training in England before being posted to the RCAF 419 Squadron “Moose Squadron”.

Flight Sergeant. R/67850  (Air Obs.), Royal Canadian Air Force, Unit Text: 419 Sqd. (Moose Squadron) Bomber. Son of Peter and Catherine Keddie Brown, of  31 ½  Duffern Avenue, Chatham, Ontario, Canada. A graduate of the Chatham Collegiate Institute where he was the editor of the school paper “Acta Collegil”. He was president of the debating club, member of the Student’s council and a player on the CCI soccer team.

In a letter home, Harold he mentioned how much he like “Moose Sqd.” and even though his tour (thirty missions) was almost complete he expressed the hope that he would not be posted to instructional duty. He wanted to continue in the actions of his squadron. He said he had so many op’s over Germany he knew the geography better than he did Canada’s.

Reported as missing in action by the Windsor Star 16/09/42(P)and CDN 16/09/42(P) Harold,  who was reported missing in air operations over enemy territory, was reported buried in a German cemetery. CDN 7/11/42

Age: 21, KIA – Date of Death: 06/08/1942, in Wellington bomber shot down near Kieve at Bedburg, Germany while on Air Ops., target – Essen, Germany. Also lost on that mission, FS(P) W. J. Macaulay, P/O. R. M. Kretting,  Sgt. R. F. Churchill (RAF), A. H. Johnson (RAF) and T. H. Lawton (RAF). Flt/Sgt. Brown was originally buried at Bedberg, Germany, exhumed and reburied where he now rest. 

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead, Grave/Memorial Reference: 18. D. 12.

Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY  Flight Sergeant Harold Alexander Brown is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton AB.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources

IODE(P), TBD-RH, CCI-RH, WS (16-09-1942), Index of Overseas Deaths., CDN (15/09/42), CVWM, “They Shall Not Grow Old"

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