Joe Brown

A Royal Scots Rifleman Remembers Walcheren, 1944.

From The Royal Scots 'Campbell Collection' of Second World War newspaper articles. There was more than one 'Joe Brown' in both Royal Scots battalions in which I served. We were only related by name. Of more concern to me as a young Private Soldier in September 1939 was the stark fact that my regimental number ended with '13' and although reluctant to admit being more superstitious that the next man, it seemed as if I was starting my War service with a major disadvantage. That changed, however, in April 1943 when commissioned as a Second-Lieutenant and given a Personal Number. My namesake Joe Brown shared an ambulance with the man he shot. When I was wounded at Heinsberg during the later part of January 1945 I shared an ambulance from my Battalion First Aid Post to the Casualty Clearing Station with an enemy machine gunner who, believing all was 'kaput', had tried to surrender but shot in the stomach by his officer. He was in great pain during our journey together as we endured a very bumpy ride over the battlefield terrain made worse by rutted ice and snow. At the CCS we separated and down through years have remembered our circumstances as young men, lying side by side in stretchers, and hoped he survived. 'Another' Joe Brown.

A Royal Scots Rifleman Remembers Walcheren, 1944.
Joe Brown, May 23, 2013