A Gunner's confirmed 'Battle of Mons' 1914 Star campaign medal trio: Sergeant Thomas Brown Royal Artillery, 124th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, late 30th (Howitzer) Brigade Royal Field Artillery

- 1914 Star. With contemporary clasp (75517 Dvr: T. Brown. R.F.A.)
- British War Medal. Silver (75517 Sjt. T. Brown. R.A.)
- Interallied Victory Medal (75517 Sjt. T. Brown. R.A.)

Medal Verification: All medals & clasp verified per the respective Great War medal rolls of the Royal Artillery as under:

- 1914 Star & dated clasp: Reference WO 329/2403 1914 Star medal roll of 30th Brigade R.F.A.

- British War Medal & Interallied Victory Medals: Ref WO 329/194

Note: Driver Thomas Brown is confirmed having first entered theatre of war 'France' on 19 August 1914 (medal roll refers)

Mons: For the British Army - and the recipient Driver Thomas Brown - the Battle of Mons fought on the 23rd August 1914, was the first major action of the Great War. 30th (Howitzer) Brigade Royal Field Artillery was formed in 1914, from the 128th, 129th & 130th (Howitzer) Batteries, and after mobilization was attached to 3rd Infantry Division, British Expeditionary Force, or B.E.F.. Each of the batteries was equipped with 4.5 inch howitzers. On 18 August 1914, the 30th Brigade was embarked at Southampton aboard the S.S. 'Colleen Bawn', and entered theatre of war 'France' on, 19 August 1914, when the brigade disembarked at, Le Havre, France. On disembarkation the brigade was entrained for the Belgian front. On the morning of 23 August 1914, the brigade came into contact with advancing enemy forces, about 1 and a half miles outside the Belgian town of Mons. At 15.45 Hours on the same day the , 130th Battery led the brigade into action when their guns were the first of the brigade to get their guns into action

Thomas Brown, son of William Brown (a Hawker) & Betsy Brown, was a native of Clapham, Surrey, England, where he was born in 1895. The 1911 National Census for England & Wales shows that Thomas was, then, one of 11 children in the Brown family. Thomas first enlisted in the British Army on 13 November 1913, when he attested for the 2nd London Sanitary Company Royal Army Medical Corps (Territorial Force) - regimental number 1599 - with which unit he served for 40 days, prior to joining the Royal Field Artillery (Reserve) on 16 December 1913 - regimental number 75517. Thomas Brown served with 30th (Howitzer) Brigade Royal Field Artillery in France in 1914, and later with the 124th Brigade Royal Field Artillery (Absent Voters List for 1918 refers) prior to his transfer to the Labour Corps on 1 November 1918 - regimental number 634007. By 1918 he held the rank of Sergeant. Thomas was transferred to Section B of the Army Reserve, and latterly held the regimental number 1010709 , the last number he held during his association with the British Army. Thomas Brown married Nellie Peggy Britt, at, Fulham, London, on, 25 April 1920

Condition: VF

Code: 21425