GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 47


A Great War ‘Winter Operations 1914-15’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant C. H. Brownlow, East Yorkshire Regiment, for his conspicuous courage and ability whilst employed on patrolling and scouting duties


DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL, G.V.R. (8380 .Cpl. C. Brownlow. 1/E. York: Regt.); 1914 STAR, with clasp (8380 Pte. C. Brownlow. 1/E. York: R.); BRITISHWAR AND VICTORYMEDALS (8380 Sjt. C. Brownlow. E. York R.) edge bruising, nearly very fine (4)


£800-1200 D.C.M. London Gazette 23 June 1915: 'For conspicuous courage and ability displayed while employed on patrolling and scouting duties, and also in erecting barbed wire'.


Charles Henry Brownlow was born in Armley, Leeds, Yorkshire, in 1888, and attested for service with the East Yorkshire Regiment at Beverley on 24 August 1906. Posted to the 1st Battalion, he served at home before transferring to the Army Reserve in August 1913 on completion of his first term of engagement. Recalled to the Colours on the outbreak of the Great War, he was re-posted to the 1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, which at the time was quartered at York having been assigned to the 18th Infantry Brigade, 6th Division, and embarked for St. Nazaire aboard the S. S. Cawdor Castle with his Battalion on 8 September 1914. Brownlow was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his conspicuous courage and ability whilst employed in patrolling and scouting duties. Although the citation provides no indication of either location or date, it is most likely that they occurred between November 1914 and February 1915, a period when the Battalion was manning trenches in the 'Houplines Sector', about a mile to the east of Armentieres. The first three awards of the D.C.M. to the 1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment were not gazetted until 1 April 1915, these being awarded for actions between 20 September and 27 November 1914. No further D.C.M.'s were gazetted until those to Brownlow, Sergeant J. E. Wood and Private J. W. Smith, the announcement for all three awards being published on 23 June 1915. No further D.C.M.'s were gazetted to this Battalion until 15 September 1915, when four D.C.M.'s were announced for the action at Hooge on the 9 August 1915.


Brownlow later transferred to the Royal Fusiliers, being allocated regimental number, J/3442, the 'J' prefix indicating service in the Judean Brigade. In April 1917, the War Cabinet allowed the formation of a 'Jewish Regiment of Infantry' to be drawn from Russian Jews enlisted under a special convention with M. Kerensky's Government. A great many Jews from the United Kingdom also volunteered for service. Following the fall of the Kerensky Government, Jewish volunteers from the USA, Canada, Argentina, Palestine and numerous other countries were allowed to enlist, including 150 Turkish Jewish prisoners of war. The 'Judean Brigade', consisted of the 38th, 39th and 40th Battalions Royal Fusiliers, all of which saw active service in Palestine during 1918. Two reserve battalions, the 41st and 42nd Battalions were later formed to provide drafts to the Brigade.


Following his discharge, Brownlow secured work as a Porter employed by the London and North Western Railway Company at Leeds Railway Station. He died on 19 May 1928, at the age of 39 years, whilst being treated as an ‘ex-service’ day patient at the High Royds Lunatic Asylum, Otley, the cause of his death being given as ‘Dementia Paralytica’, a mental disorder, the cause of which was almost certainly brought about as a result of his military service.


The Great War


The 1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment blooded itself during the Battle of Aisne, when on the 20 September 1914, it successfully repulsed an enemy counter-attack along the Chemin des Dames. The casualties sustained by the Battalion during this action was 81 all ranks, killed, wounded and missing. In early October, the B.E.F. moved northwards in order to extend the allied line, protect the channel ports and attempt to turn the northern flank of the German Army. The 1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment detrained at St. Omer on 9 October, and with II Corps already in place, the 18th Brigade, along with the rest of 6th Division took its position as part of Paultney’s III Corps in extending the line beyond II Corps. The northern flank of the German Army was thinly protected by a Cavalry Corps acting as a defensive screen, and consequently, the advance of III Corps was initially successful, the 1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment reaching the River Lys by 15 October. Within three days, the 18th Infantry Brigade had succeeded in securing Ennetiere, a small village located on the Auers Ridge. The German High Command had been developing a strategy to pierce the Allied line in the neighbourhood of Ypres, and had assembled a new IV Army consisting of 5 Corps under the overall command of Duke Albrecht of Wurttemberg. Reinforced by this new Army, the enemy simultaneously attack along the entire II and III Corps front between Armentieres and La Bassee on 20 October. Greatly outnumbered both in manpower and artillery, the B.E.F. was pushed back along its entire line, suffering considerable casualties in the process. Within the sector held by 6th Division, the main attack fell upon 18th Brigade which held the salient in front of Ennetieres, somewhat in advance of the general frontline. In spite of a heroic defence, it was unable to prevent the enemy penetrating the line and isolating parts of the defending force. By nightfall, the villages of Ennetieres and Premesques had fallen, and a general retirement was ordered, the 18th Infantry Brigade eventually taking up a new position astride the village of Rue du Bois. During this brief period, the 1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment sustained total casualties of 300 all ranks. The losses of 6th Division on 20 October alone amounted to approximately 2,000 of which 1,119 fell on 18th Infantry Brigade. The Battle of Amentieres, as the events in this part of the line were to afterwards be called, was a less bloody affair than the First Battles of Ypres that were taking place in parallel but further to the north of the River Lys. Nevertheless, the total casualties sustained by III Corps between 15-31 October was 207 officers and 5,572 other ranks, of whom 125 and 3,585 respectively belonged to 6th Division. By 1 November 1914, the III Corps were defending a line Fleurbaix-Nieppe-Neuve Englise and despite no major attacks being made by the enemy in the intervening period, the 6th Division were to suffer a further 1,609 casualties by 30 November.


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