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Private Marcus Blake Norman Brown

Jon Lewis, a teacher at Parklands High School, came to know Private Marcus Blake Norman Brown through teaching year nine students about the soldier. So, when Jon was selected for the Frank MacDonald Memorial Study Tour in 2022 he decided to research Private Brown for the pilgrimage.

Marcus was a palawa man born in 1895 on Cape Barren Island, which is located in the Furneaux Islands group, off the North East of coast of Tasmania.

Marcus enlisted at the Claremont training camp on 26 June 1916. He was described as having a “very dark” complexion, with brown eyes and brown hair (NAA: B2455, Brown M B N).  

Marcus’ older brother Henry George Brown had already enlisted on the 25 January 1916 and later fought at the Somme. He was wounded twice and also suffered from shell-shock. He returned to Australia on 4 May 1917 and was discharged (Libraries Tasmania, N.D.).

Marcus’ younger brother, Willard Brown enlisted on 27 June 1916, but was found to be underage. He had claimed that he was 18, when he was actually 16 and was discharged 16 days later on 13 July 1916.

The 40th Battalion lost 317 men at the Battle of Messines, including Marcus.

Marcus is buried at the St Sever Cemetery Extension in Rouen France.

Marcus’ participation in active warfare was quite short, spending just over a month on the Western Front, before meeting his untimely death.

• Read Jon Lewis' research about Private Marcus Blake Norman Brown

Photo captions

• Private John Fisher (left) and Private Marcus Brown.
• Students Taleah Smith and Jenique Rogers with Jon Lewis at Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory.