Private Maurice Lester Browne
- Rank
- Private
- Service number
- WX7148
- Unit
- 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action
- Place of death
- Singapore, Malaya
- Date of death
- 9 February 1942
- Age
- 38
- Plaque number
- L256A
- Co-located plaques
- L256 - PTE John MacDonald
- Dedicated by
- Family on 17 November 2018
- More information
Biography presented during plaque dedication:
Private Maurice Lester Browne was born in Ballarat East, Victoria in 1903, the son of John and Isabella Browne. He had one brother.
The family moved to Western Australia about 1910, and Maurice married Ethel Mercer in 1925. The couple lived at Bruce Rock and had a son and two daughters.
Later, Maurice moved to Meekatharra and was employed as a truck driver. He was also a keen jockey and trained horses for many years.
Maurice enlisted in the AIF in August 1940 and was posted to 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion when the unit was raised in November 1940.
The battalion initially trained at Northam military camp, then in South Australia and in October 1941 moved to Darwin.
In December 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbour and the Japanese landing in Malaya, the unit was ordered to Singapore, where they arrived on 25 January 1942.
By then, the Japanese had taken Malaya and were preparing to invade Singapore.
Maurice's company, D company, was deployed to support 2/19 Battalion on the north-west coast of the island.
When the japanese attack commenced on the 8 February, this position came under heavy shelling and aerial bombardment.
Private Maurice Lester Browne, service number WX7148 of 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion, was killed in action in Singapore on 9 February 1942.
He was 38 years of age and is buried in Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore.
His plaque is placed alongside Private John MacDonald, who was in the same 2/4 Machine Gun Battalion and died on the same day.