I was at the Thiepval Memorial last Sunday and located the name of Cpl Victor Brown, a Dover lad.
Victor was born on the 24th May 1895 and was living in Longfield Road at the outbreak of hostilities. He went to Dover County School (now DGSB) but in October 1914 volunteered to join the RNVR Dover Anti-Aircraft Corps. From there he was assigned to the Langdon Station searchlights where he worked every other night watching over the channel for enemy aircraft and zeppelins. During the day he worked at Bradley Brothers corn merchants.
On the 24th August 1915 he left the Corps and volunteered to join the infantry and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. He attained the rank of corporal and was posted to France. Victor was sadly killed on the opening attack on the Battle of the Somme on the 1st July 1916 when his Battalion emerged from their trenches near Bertrancourt and walked towards the enemy lines. They, like so many others, were cut down by German machine gun fire from troops who had remained hidden in deep shelters protecting them from the previous weeks artillery bombardment.
Lt. Cdr. Henry D. Capper of the Dover searchlight corps paid tribute to him in Dover Town Hall in August 1916 when the Corps were disbanded, calling him 'gallant'. He was the only ex-member to die on active service and their youngest, being only 21 when he was killed.
I believe he is commemorated on the DGSB memorial window. His sister, Mrs Weekes, lived at 240 Folkestone Road.
It's poignant to travel to France and find a local lad who stood where we all have stood so many times.