John Brown
Gunner 59339 - "J" Battery, Royal Horse Artillery
Killed by a lightning strike on Sunday 10th June 1917, aged 26.
Buried Tincourt New British Cemetery, Somme, France
John Brown was adopted into the family of Charles and Florence Elizabeth Bratton (née
Harding) who had married in 1888.
Both Charles’ mother and grandmother had the maiden name ‘Brown’ so there may have
been a family connection, indeed they described John as their grandson in 1901 when he
was ten years old, although after thought this was changed to ‘nurse-child’.
However he had become their adopted son by 1911. The Bratton’s were wheelwrights and
carpenters from Gnosall who in 1911 were working for the Shropshire Union Canal
Company in Norbury – John as a blacksmith’s striker so, a strong young man.
A few years later the family had returned to Gnosall and were living at the Hollies.
John Brown entered the theatre of war in France on the 13
th
April 1915 as Gunner 59339
of “J” Battery, Royal Horse Artillery.
After two years of fighting, John’s Company were on the Western Front where, in June
1917 the weather was extremely wet and, on the 10
th
of that month (a Sunday, day of
church parades when possible) there was a lightning strike which hit and killed John
Brown. He was 26 years old.
John was buried at Tincourt New British Cemetery in Plot 10, Row A, Grave 12 and was
later awarded the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1915 Star.
His headstone inscription reads “A True Englishman – Without Fear - Faithful Unto Death”.