The award of the Military Cross to Luton-born Sec Lieut Walter William (Bill) Brown (Royal Field Artillery), who had originally enlisted in the Canadian Infantry when in North America in October 1914, was reported in the Tuesday Telegraph of January 14th, 1919. He was son of hat manufacturer Walter E. Brown and his wife Georgina, of 6 Dunstable Road, Luton.

Writing from Germany, Sec-Lieut Brown said: “Well, the war is over and, as we have always thought, I have come through it absolutely OK. We are now tasting the fruits of victory after a very hard four years trying to make them grow.

“We had a glorious march right through Belgium, through beautiful wooded country around Brussels, up to the valley of the Meuse. All through Belgium the population is mad with delight and they treated us like kings.

“Then we crossed the frontier into Germany, and oh what a difference! No speeches – just a silent, defeated, half-starved nation. Still, they are behaving themselves very well, so we must not complain.”

Sec-Lieut Brown had joined the Canadian Infantry on October 8th. 1914, his 18th birthday. He served in France with the Canadians until transferred into the RFA in 1917. In November of that year he took up his commission, and returned to France on December 8th, 1918.

Born on October 8th, 1896, he was a schoolboy living at 6 Dunstable Road, with his parents and a sister in 1911. He went to Canada just before war broke out.