Donald Forrester Brown

Photo by Terry Macdonald

Donald Forrester Brown was a New Zealander recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

He was 26 years old, and a sergeant in the 2nd Battalion , Otago Infantry Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force fighting in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette during the Somme Offensive of the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 15 September 1916 south-east of High Wood, France, when his company had suffered very heavy casualties from machine-gun fire, Sergeant Brown, with another man, advanced to a point within 30 yards of an enemy gun, killing four of the crew and capturing the gun. When the advance of the company was again held up, Sergeant Brown and his comrade rushed another gun and killed the crew. On a third occasion the sergeant attacked single-handed a machine-gun, killed the crew and captured the gun.

He was later killed in action near Eaucourt L'Abbaye, France, on 1 October 1916.

Grave/memorial at Buried at Warlencourt British Cemetery, France. 3m SW of Bapaume. Plot III. Row F. Grave 11. Headstone.

References

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• VCs of the First World War - The Somme (Gerald Gliddon, 1994)

External links

• Photo of Sergeant Donald Brown
• New Zealand Troops who have won the Victoria Cross (brief biography details)

Persondata
Name	Brown, Donald Forrester
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1890
Place of birth
Date of death	1916
Place of death