HORACE ROBERT BROWN
Known as 'Bob', Horace Robert was born on Hayling Island on 23rd January 1892. His father Alfred (born 1860 in Lewisham) was manager of the Royal Hotel at the time and his mother Caroline (nee Wilkins) was born at Westbourne, Sussex in 1866.
By the time of the 1901 census the family had moved to 21 Jessie Road, Southsea whilst Alfred had seemingly taken a step down by becoming a Head Stableman for a brewery. Alfred and Caroline then had six children, Percy (b. 1888), Frederick (b. 1890), Alfred (b. 1891), Horace Robert (b. 1892), Florence (b. 1894) and Harold (b. 1899).
Ten years later Alfred seems to have taken another lesser post as Storehouse Assistant in the Dockyard whilst the family had moved to 177 Fawcett Road and acquired another child, Edith (b. 1905). In the meantime Bob had attended Portsmouth Town School after which he worked as a fishmonger. Although he was 22 years of age when the Great War broke out he did not immediately enlist, rather he left it until 15th February 1916 when he joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry. This was a year after the family had moved to 20 Pembroke Road where Alfred had become landlord of the Pembroke Arms.
Bob received basic training at Deal before being posted to the 188th Infantry Brigade and embarking for France on the 16th September 1916. He fought at Beaucourt (13th-18th November 1916), Miraumont (17th February 1917), and Arleaux-Gavrelle where he was killed on 28th April 1917. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the memorial at Arras.
FURTHER INFORMATION
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) list Private Horace Robert Brown, (PO/1429-S), Royal Marine Light Infantry, died 28/04/1917. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial (Bay 1).
Horace Brown is commemorated on the Anglican Cathedral WW1 Memorial Cross and the Cenotaph. He is not listed in "The National Roll of the Great War", Section X.
Tim Backhouse
October 2014
With additional information from Cynthia Sherwood and Trevor Brown