BROWN, Bernard

NAME:                                BROWN                       Bernard
RANK:                                Private
DIVISIONAL UNIT:        3rd Canadian Infantry Division
                                             9th Infantry Brigade
                                             58th Battalion - Central Ontario
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   654142
RESIDENCE:                    Seaforth – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:            July 2, 1896
                                             Scotland
DATE OF DEATH:           September 12, 1918             22 years     2 months      
CEMETERY:                     Sun Quarry Cemetery – Cherisy –
                                             Pas de Calais – France
                                                  F     23
BROTHER:                        Mr. Edward Brown – Egmondville – Ontario.
Occupation:                        Farmer                                  Religion:     Methodist
Enlistment:                         Seaforth – January 1, 1916 – 161st Huron Battalion
Enlistment Age:                 19 years     6 months    

The 1911 census shows Bernard living in Tuckersmith Township and employed as a servant and farm labourer.  He and his brother Edward arrived from Scotland in August of 1906 at the age of 10 after sailing from Liverpool on the steamship “Dominion” and arriving in Canada at the port of Quebec. From there they went to Toronto to a Bernardo home and were part of a group of 379 Home Children. Bernardo children were juveniles sent to Canada for a better life. Many were used as cheap labour once in Canada. Once in Canada they were sent to receiving homes and then sent to farmers. Bernard and his brother would have been sent to Toronto and from there would have been sent out throughout southern Ontario. We know both brothers came to Huron County and in particular Seaforth / Egmondville.
Private Brown arrived in England on November 11, 1916. He then transferred to the 58th Battalion on November 27, 1916. He then went overseas into France and joined his unit on December 22, 1916.
On approximately June 29, 1917, Private Brown was wounded in the right leg, left thigh and the head and was taken to No. 22 Casualty Clearing Station. He was then moved to Rouen to No. 11 Stationary Hospital on 
July 26th. From there he was taken to the 2nd West General Hospital in Manchester on July 31st. Then he moved to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital located at Woodcote Park at Epsom on August 16th and was discharged on September 28, 1917.
The weather on September 12, 1918 was rain showers with winds at 30 mph.
Private Brown was serving with the 58th Battalion and was leaving the line at Wancourt near Dury in France when he was killed immediately from the explosion of an enemy high velocity shell.
The 58th Battalion had been in support of the 116th Battalion.