B56077 Rifleman William Robert Brown was born on 19 May 1921, in Oshawa, Ontario, the son of Edward Norman Brown and Ernestine Ruby Jeanetta Drinkle. He had two brothers and one sister and left school at age 16 having completed grade 7.

Brown worked as a truck driver when he enlisted on 17 September 1942 with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps.

Brown married Marion Ruth Perry on 22 May 1943.

After training at Simcoe, Ontario, Camp Borden and Debert, Nova Scotia, and having gone overseas, he was taken on strength with The Queen’s Own Rifles on 16 February 1945.

Rifleman Brown was killed in action in Mooshof, Germany on 26 February 1945 and is buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, grave reference VIII. D. 9.

His wife received a war gratuity payment of $341.14 (equivalent to about about $5,978.21 in 2024.)