L91715 Rifleman Ross Alexander Brown was born in Success, Saskatchewan on September 22, 1922, the son of Charles Henderson Brown and Sarah Melissa Stewart. He was the seventh of nine children: six sisters Lucille, Phyllis Elaine, Helen Margaret (Nora), Donalda Susan, Fern, Iris Pearl, and two brothers Clair Charles, and Stuart George.

After Ross left primary education at the age of 13 (Grade VIII), he became a shop assistant at W.W. Cooper Department Store in Swift Current.

Ross married Kathleen Schulz in Medicine Hat, Alberta on May 16, 1942, and they had a son, Douglas Ross, born on November 27, 1942.

On May 19, 1942, he signed up with the 22nd Field Company of the Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE) in Regina, Saskatchewan. His registration papers mentioned that he was in excellent health, had blue eyes and black hair, was 5 ft 5” tall and weighed approximately 136 lbs. He took his basic training in Dundurn, Saskatchewan, after which he served at various bases in British Columbia.

On May 26, 1944, Ross Alexander embarked in Halifax, Nova Scotia, bound for England, and from there he went to France on July 29, 1944. On August 1, 1944, he was among one of the ten replacement troops that were posted to A Company of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada.

During the Battle of Caen – Operation Windsor – the QOR, as part of the 8th Infantry Brigade, was ordered to take Carpiquet airfield, which was defended by the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitler Jugend. Then they fought their way along the Normandy coast, after which, in the afternoon of October 4, 1944, they crossed the French-Belgian border in the vicinity of Poperinge.

Ross and twenty-two other soldiers received the Good Conduct Badge on September 18, 1944.

On February 25, 1945, the QOR started preparing for Operation Blockbuster and during heavy fighting in the early morning of February 26, 1945, Rifleman Brown was hit by deadly machine gun fire and killed in action.

He was temporarily buried at the Canadian Military Cemetery in Bedburg (south-east of Kleve), plot 1, row 15, grave 5. Each grave was marked with a white cross showing the soldier’s name, army number, and date of death. His last resting place was at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, grave reference VIII. D. 6., where he was reburied on September 10, 1945.

On his grave marker, the following words are inscribed:

COME TO ME, ALL YE THAT LABOUR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST

His military documents contained a will that stated that he left a plot of land (plot 16) in Swift Current to his sister Iris Pearl and all other possessions to his wife, Kathleen Brown. Allen Jergensen was Executor of the will. Among the personal belongings that he had with him and which were sent to his wife were a silver seal ring, a faux leather folder with snap fasteners, a faux leather folder with photos, a leather wallet and three souvenir coins.

His wife remarried, became Mrs. Lange and moved to Dallas in Oregon, USA.

From Henk Mostert, Faces to Graves