246170 Captain Brian BROWNSCOMBE, GM, RAMC att'd 2 South Staffordshire Regiment: 24/09/1944

Discussion in 'Airborne' started by Medic7922, Aug 8, 2015.

  1. Medic7922

    Medic7922 Senior Member

    New photo of Captain Brian Brownscombe RAMC who was murdered by a drunken SS NCO at the St Elizabeth Hospital during the Battle of Arnhem.
     
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  2. Medic7922

    Medic7922 Senior Member

    Sorry folks the image won’t attach ?
     
  3. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Why not try uploading it to the Gallery?




    Captain Brian Brownscombe | War Casualty Details | CWGC
    CAPTAIN BRIAN BROWNSCOMBE
    Awards: George Medal

    Service Number: 246170
    Regiment & Unit: Royal Army Medical Corps attd. 2nd (Airborne) Bn South Staffordshire Regiment
    Date of Death: 24 September 1944
    Age 29 years old
    Buried or commemorated at ARNHEM OOSTERBEEK WAR CEMETERY
    Grave Reference: 15. B. 10.
    Location: Netherlands
    Additional Info: Son of Herbert Henry and Edith May Brownscombe, of Watchet, Somerset. M.B., B.S. (Lond.), M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.
    Personal Inscription: IN ARDUIS FIDELIS
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2022
  4. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Brian Brownscombe was not murdered at St Elisabeth Hospital - he was killed at the Municipal Hospital in Arnhem on 24th September 1944 by Karl Gustave Lerche, a member of the SS propaganda unit. Lerche was arrested in 1952, put on trial in 1955 and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for murder.
     
  5. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Glasgow Herald, 17 December 1955
    Screen Shot 2015-08-08 at 17.16.58.png
     
  6. Medic7922

    Medic7922 Senior Member

    Where was the Municipal Hospital in Arnhem, I knew of the St Elizabeth but not of the Municipal, you learn something every day.
     
  7. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    The Municipal Hospital was to the north of the Sonsbeek Park (see attached). St Elisabeth Hospital was the pre designated hospital to be taken over by the 16th Parachute Field Ambulance and the Municipal Hospital was to her occupied by the 181 Air Landing Field Ambulance.
    There was an excellent booklet published by Bob Gerritsen about the murder of Captain Brownscombe called "For no apparent reason", unfortunately it is long out of print but copies occasionally come up for sale. There are also some very interesting War Crimes files about the incident at the National Archives.
     

    Attached Files:

  8. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Another map - location of St Elisabeth Hospital (31) at bottom left and Municipal Hospital (3) at top right
     

    Attached Files:

  9. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    George Medal citation
    WO 373/68/178
     
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