Lance Corporal William John Brown

William John Brown was born at Hemmingford, Quebec, on 8 September 1919. He left Hemmingford graded school after Grade 7 and part of Grade 8 and worked on his father's farm before enlisting at Westmount on 2 August 1940. He served overseas with the Canadian Forestry Corps and Canadian Provost Corps, working as a log carrier and truck driver. His service took him through the United Kingdom and Mediterranean and northwest European theatres; he received a Good Conduct Badge and rose to Lance Corporal. By 1944 his family was seeking his return to help on the Hemmingford farm. An initial investigation concluded that the farm had not seriously deteriorated, but his father challenged that assessment and local M.P. Donald F. Black supported the family's case. After reinvestigation, military authorities approved compassionate repatriation. Brown returned to Canada in June 1945 and was discharged at Montreal South on 3 August. He planned to buy a farm under the Veterans' Land Act and return to farming.

1919-09-08 — Born at Hemmingford, Quebec — Hemmingford, Quebec / Brown family.
1935 — Left Hemmingford graded school after Grade 7 and part of Grade 8 — Hemmingford, Quebec / Hemmingford graded school.
1935-1940 — Worked intermittently without wages on his father's farm, doing general farm work — Hemmingford, Quebec / Brown family farm.
1940-08-02 — Enlisted voluntarily at Westmount as a Private in the Canadian Provost Corps — Westmount, Quebec / Canadian Provost Corps.
1940-08-02 — Family particulars recorded both parents alive at Hemmingford and no wife, children or other dependants — Hemmingford, Quebec / Brown family.
1940-08-02 to 1941-02-14 — Served in Canada from enlistment until proceeding overseas — Canada / Canadian Army.
1941-02-15 to 1943-09-25 — Served in England during the first overseas phase of his service — England / Canadian Army Overseas.
1941-03-29 — Record of Service records a posting during early overseas service — United Kingdom / Canadian Army Overseas.
1941-04-25 — Record of Service records a further posting during overseas service — United Kingdom / Canadian Army Overseas.
1941-06-13 — Record of Service records another overseas posting/change of status — United Kingdom / Canadian Army Overseas.
1941-08-14 — Record of Service records another posting/change of status during overseas service — United Kingdom / Canadian Army Overseas.
1941-11-25 — Transferred from the Canadian Provost Corps to No. 2 Company, Canadian Forestry Corps, as a Private — Canadian Army Overseas / No. 2 Company, Canadian Forestry Corps.
1941-1945 — Rehabilitation interview recorded overseas service in Scotland, England, Sicily, Italy, France, Belgium and Germany — Scotland, England, Sicily, Italy, France, Belgium and Germany / Canadian Army Overseas.
1941-1945 — Wartime employment included log-carrier work with the Canadian Forestry Corps and truck-driving duties with the Canadian Provost Corps — Canadian Army Overseas / Canadian Forestry Corps and Canadian Provost Corps.
1942-09-10 — Awarded one Good Conduct Badge — Canadian Forestry Corps.
1943-08-11 — Canadian Dental Corps treated Brown's lower right teeth, including amalgam work and prophylaxis — Canadian Army Overseas / Canadian Dental Corps.
1943-08-13 — Canadian Dental Corps repaired Brown's upper complete denture — Canadian Army Overseas / Canadian Dental Corps.
1943-09-26 — Began service in Italy after embarkation from the United Kingdom the previous day — Italy / Canadian Army Overseas.
1943-09-26 to 1945-03-14 — Served in Italy — Italy / Canadian Army Overseas.
1943-11-19 — Appointed Lance Corporal — No. 2 Company, Canadian Forestry Corps.
1944-10 — In his compassionate-return application Brown stated that his 62-year-old father had suffered a heart attack, that Brown was the only son in a family of three, and that he had managed the family farm before enlistment — Hemmingford, Quebec / Brown family farm.
1944-10-06 — Brown signed his formal application for compassionate return to Canada; the form identified him as a Lance Corporal with No. 3 Canadian Provost Company and certified the information as correct — Canadian Army Overseas / No. 3 Canadian Provost Company.
1944-10-16 — Dependants' authorities opened a special enquiry into Brown's home circumstances — Montreal, Quebec / Dependants' Advisory Committee.
1944-10-24 — Granted seven days' privilege leave — United Kingdom / Canadian Army Overseas.
1944-10-31 — Canadian Military Headquarters acknowledged Brown's compassionate-return application and advised that the case was under investigation — London, England / Canadian Military Headquarters.
1944-11-28 — Dependants' Board of Trustees requested an expedited report on Brown's home circumstances — Ottawa, Ontario / Dependants' Board of Trustees.
1944-12-07 — Dependants' Board of Trustees forwarded explanatory material in Brown's special-enquiry case to the Director of Administration — Ottawa, Ontario / Dependants' Board of Trustees.
1945-01-12 — Dependants' Advisory Committee again requested an urgent completed report on Brown's home circumstances — Montreal, Quebec / Dependants' Advisory Committee.
1945-01-19 — Independent home-circumstances investigation described George E. Brown as a Hemmingford farmer about 60 or over, generally in good health, operating approximately 140 acres with livestock and equipment. It found hired labour difficult to obtain and acknowledged that William's return would help, but concluded that the farm had not materially deteriorated since his enlistment and that no great hardship then existed — Hemmingford, Quebec / Brown family farm.
1945-02-05 — National Defence asked the Montreal Dependants' Advisory Committee to expedite completion of the home-circumstances investigation — Ottawa, Ontario / Department of National Defence.
1945-02-13 — National Defence advised that the investigation found no undue hardship and did not recommend compassionate return — Ottawa, Ontario / Department of National Defence.
1945-02-27 — George E. Brown challenged the decision, saying he could no longer do the farm work, could not obtain a hired man, and needed William home — Hemmingford, Quebec / Brown family farm.
1945-03-03 — Donald F. Black, M.P. for Chateauguay-Huntingdon, wrote the Minister of National Defence supporting the family's request; he said he knew George Brown personally, described his health and circumstances as poor, and asked that William be returned to help his father — Ottawa, Ontario / House of Commons.
1945-03-08 — National Defence acknowledged the renewed representations and ordered Brown's home circumstances investigated again in light of George Brown's letter — Ottawa, Ontario / Department of National Defence.
1945-03-09 — Renewed home-circumstances material was received in Ottawa for further consideration of Brown's return — Ottawa, Ontario / Department of National Defence.
1945-03-10 — Draft cable recorded renewed representations that Brown's father was unable to carry on operation of the farm; it noted Brown had been overseas since February 1941 and recommended his return — Ottawa, Ontario / Department of National Defence.
1945-03-14 — Army message traffic concerning Brown's compassionate-return case was received and became part of subsequent CMHQ repatriation action — Canadian Army Overseas / compassionate repatriation.
1945-03-15 — Began service in France after the Italian phase of his overseas service — France / Canadian Army Overseas.
1945-03-15 to 1945-06-20 — Record of Service places Brown in France during the final overseas phase before his return to Canada — France / Canadian Army Overseas.
1945-03-16 — Cipher message ordered Brown carried on the strength of his parent organization and posted to No. 2 Echelon for compassionate repatriation to Canada — Canadian Army Overseas / compassionate repatriation.
1945-03-21 — Canadian Military Headquarters reported that Brown, an NCO on strength of No. 3 Canadian Provost Company, had applied for return to Canada on compassionate grounds; investigation of the circumstances was said to warrant compassionate return and authority was issued to post him for Canadian Repatriation Depot processing — Canadian Military Headquarters / No. 3 Canadian Provost Company.
1945-03-29 — Army message traffic continued action on Brown's compassionate-return case and requested the relevant report — Canadian Army Overseas / compassionate repatriation.
1945-04-03 — Military Secretary reported that CMHQ had advised Brown was being returned to Canada at the earliest possible date — Ottawa, Ontario / Department of National Defence.
1945-04-19 — Army message traffic suspended further administrative action pending a decision on Brown's compassionate-return application — Canadian Army Overseas / compassionate-return case.
1945-04-23 — Army message traffic requested a report on action taken in Brown's compassionate-return case — Canadian Army Overseas / compassionate-return case.
1945-04-24 — Military Secretary reported that CMHQ advised Brown was arriving abroad and that there would be some delay before a report could be sent — Ottawa, Ontario / Department of National Defence.
1945-05-09 — Taken on strength of No. 1 Canadian Repatriation Unit from X-8 List, Allied Expeditionary Force, during repatriation processing — Canadian Army Overseas / No. 1 Canadian Repatriation Unit.
1945-05-18 — While at No. 1 Canadian Repatriation Depot, Brown was granted seven days' privilege leave — United Kingdom / No. 1 Canadian Repatriation Depot.
1945-05-22 — Army message traffic recorded further action in Brown's repatriation case — London, England / Canadian Army Overseas.
1945-05-29 — While still overseas and awaiting repatriation, Brown completed a statutory declaration concerning passage to Canada for his fiancée, Muriel Simpson of Bedford, Aberdeen, Scotland; he declared that he was single and engaged to marry her — Canadian Army Overseas / Directorate of Repatriation.
1945-06-20 — Struck off strength of No. 1 Canadian Repatriation Unit to Canada, ending his overseas service — Canadian Army Overseas / No. 1 Canadian Repatriation Unit.
1945-06-21 — Taken on strength of No. 4 District Depot from Canadian Army Overseas after return to Canada — Canada / No. 4 District Depot.
1945-06-29 to 1945-07-28 — Granted leave and ration allowance during demobilization — Canada / No. 4 District Depot.
1945-07 — Rehabilitation interview recorded his intention to buy a farm under the Veterans' Land Act and return to full-time farming — Montreal South, Quebec / Rehabilitation Services.
1945-07-17 — Medical Board recorded wartime episodes of tonsillitis, acute bronchitis and other minor illnesses; no medical treatment was required on demobilization — Montreal South, Quebec / No. 4 District Depot.
1945-07-31 — Canadian Dental Corps recorded unsatisfactory upper complete denture and dental requirements before discharge — No. 24 Dental Clinic / No. 4 District Depot.
1945-08-03 — Tradesmen's qualification certificate at discharge recorded his trade as Log Carrier (Forestry), civilian equivalent sawmill log carrier — Montreal South, Quebec / Canadian Army.
1945-08-03 — Discharged at Montreal South on routine demobilization as a Lance Corporal — Montreal South, Quebec / Canadian Army.
1945-08-03 — War Service Gratuity application recorded Brown's final rank as Lance Corporal and service from 2 August 1940 to 3 August 1945 — Hemmingford, Quebec / Canadian Army.
1945-08-27 — War Service Gratuity paperwork was received after discharge — Ottawa, Ontario / Department of National Defence.
1945-09-14 — Director of Records returned Brown's executed will to him by registered mail at Hemmingford — Hemmingford, Quebec / Department of National Defence.
1945-10-25 — After discharge Brown wrote the Directorate of Repatriation asking how to obtain papers to bring his fiancée Muriel Simpson of Aberdeen, Scotland, to Canada — Hemmingford, Quebec / Directorate of Repatriation.
1945-11-01 — Department of National Defence sent Brown forms and instructions for arranging passage to Canada for his fiancée Muriel Simpson — Ottawa, Ontario / Department of National Defence.
1945-11-30 — Directorate of Repatriation acknowledged receipt of Brown's completed passage form for his fiancée and sent statutory-declaration forms for completion and return — Ottawa, Ontario / Directorate of Repatriation.
1946-04-25 — Army pay administration sent Brown an adjustment cheque after discharge — Hemmingford, Quebec / Paymaster-General.
1946-05-18 — Army pay administration sent Brown a further cheque representing an adjustment on promotion to Lance Corporal — Hemmingford, Quebec / Paymaster-General.
1996-05-25 — Died — Hemmingford, Quebec.