Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War battle of Messines M.M. group of three awarded to Corporal A. W. Browne, alias ‘A. Cooper’, 42nd Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, who was wounded in the course of winning his decoration

Military Medal, G.V.R. (2052 Pte. A. Cooper, 42/Aust. Inf.); British War and Victory Medals (2052 Cpl. A. W. Browne, 42 Bn. A.I.F.), good very fine (3) £700-900

M.M. London Gazette 18 August 1917.

Albert William Brown - alias ‘Albert Cooper’ - was born near Mildenhall, Suffolk and emigrated to Australia where he found work as a labourer. Enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force at Rockhampton, Queensland in May 1916, aged 30 years, he was drafted to the 42nd Battalion and arrived in France in February 1917. As cited above, he was wounded in the course of winning his M.M. at Messines in June 1917, namely a compound fracture of his left arm caused by a gunshot. Rejoining his unit in the Field at the year’s end, he later transferred to 11th Field Ambulance and was discharged in Australia in May 1919. It was in March 1918 that he revealed his true identity as Albert William Browne, rather than ‘Albert Cooper’; sold with copied service record and M.M. recommendation.