Illustrated Chronicle Friday 04/09/1914
Photo : Len
Newcastle Journal 25/08/1914
HMS Suffolk at Valetta Harbour, Malta.
John's brothers
John Lindsay McCutchen Brown-King was born 10th June 1890 at 16 Blue Quarries Road, Sheriff Hill, Gateshead, one of five children of Frederick Brown-King, [born January 1858, Dover, Kent. He died in December 1929 in Newcastle upon Tyne], and his wife Jane Hamilton McCutcheon, [born 1864, Seaham Harbour died in December 1952 at Gateshead], she was the daughter of Samuel McCutcheon and Mary Lindsay Hamilton.
They were married in 1884. Frederick-Brown was an Able Seaman on the 'Alpha' in April 1881. They moved to Gateshead after 1889 from Seaham, the other four children were Christopher Brown-King, born 9th November 1884 in Seaham, [died in 1962 at Perth, Western Australia, he married Edith Margaret Mole, born on the 3rd March 1885 at Hexham, daughter of Joseph Mole and Annie], in July 1910 at Sunderland. Samuel McCutcheon Brown-King, born 9th November 1884 at Seaham, he died in September 1969 at 578 Chesterfield Road, Sheffield, he married Edith Florence Howard [born 1891, in Stonehouse, Devon], in St Pauls, East Stonehouse, Devon. Frederick Brown King was born 1889 in Seaham, and Henry Brown-King, born 1893, at Gateshead.
Samuel McCutcheon, was the son of James McCutcheon, was born in 1832 in Down County, Ireland. He died in July 1911 in Easington. He married Mary Lindsay Hamilton [born 1833 in Down County, Ireland], on the 31st October 1853 in Newtownards, Ireland. They had seven children James McCutchen was born about 1857 in Sherburn, Durham, Mary McCutcheon was born about 1860 in Sherburn, Durham, Samuel McCutcheon was born about 1862 in Seaham, Durham, [he married Margaret J, she was born about 1868 in Gateshead, Durham], Jane Hamilton McCutcheon, John Lindsay McCutcheon was born about 1867 in Seaham, Durham, he died on the 12th October 1945 in Harrogate, he married Deborah Jane Alderson on the 29th April 1896 in St. Hilda's Church, Darlington, Durham, England. She was born about 1867 in Bedale, Yorkshire, Elizabeth McCutcheon was born about 1870 in Seaham, Durham, and Alexander McCutcheon was born about 1875 in Seaham, Durham, England.
John Lindsay McCutchen Brown-King was educated at Shipcote School located then at the top of Inskip Terrace, Deckham, Gateshead. His brothers also attended the same school.
He enlisted on the 21st April 1908 at York when he was aged 17 years and 10 months. His trade was described as a Fitter. 5 Feet 6 and a quarter inches tall, Fresh complexion, Grey Eyes with Brown Hair. He was regarded as under age from the 21st April 1908 to the 9th June 1908 so these 50 days were not be included as part of his length of service.
He was residing at 148 Esk Street, Gateshead with the rest of the family. From the 21st April 1908 he was sent to the Royal Marine Depot at Deal in Kent, where he passes three training course's, Gymnastics, 2nd October, Infantry, 2nd April 19019 and Field Training 25th October 1909, also on the 7th December 1908 he completes his Musketry course. All described as Very Good. In addition he completes the Gunnery course for Sea Service.
From the 8th April 1909 he is transferred to the Plymouth Division, Royal Marine Light Infantry, his character was described as [V]ery [G]ood.
From the 3rd May he is embarked on to H.M.S., Suffolk.
H.M.S., Suffolk, named to commemorate the English county, was laid down at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard on the 25th March 1901 and launched on the 15th January 1903. She was completed on the 21st May 1904, and was assigned to the 3rd Cruiser Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet. In October 1904 Captain (later First Sea Lord) David Beatty assumed command until he returned home in late 1905. The ship returned home in 1907 for a lengthy refit. She returned to the Mediterranean in 1909 and was assigned to the 5th Cruiser Squadron. She began another refit at Devonport Royal Dockyard in October 1912. When it was completed in February 1913, she became the flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Craddock's 4th Cruiser Squadron on the North America and West Indies Station.
After the start of the war, Cradock transferred his flag to the faster and more heavily armed Good Hope while Suffolk remained in the Atlantic hunting for German raiders. She captured a German merchant ship on 8 August and remained in the Atlantic until August 1917 when she became flagship of the China Station. She became a private ship in November 1918 and deployed to Vladivostok to support the Siberian Intervention against the Bolsheviks. Suffolk returned home in 1919 and became a cadet training ship before she was listed for sale in April 1920. The ship was sold for scrap on the 1st July and broken up in 1922 in Germany.
On the 10th June 1910 he is awarded a Good Conduct Badge, promoted to a Lance-Corporal from the 11th February 1913.
He was in Malta from the 17th March 1911 till the 20th September 1911.
John left H.M.S., Suffolk on the 28th October 1912 and was now based at the Plymouth Barracks, on the 2nd April 1913, he is now transferred to the recently built H.M.S., Amphion.
HMS Amphion was an Active-class scout cruiser built for the Royal Navy before the First World War. Completed in 1913, she was initially assigned to the First Fleet and became a destroyer flotilla leader in mid-1914. When the war began, her flotilla was assigned to the Harwich Force. While patrolling on the first full day of the war, Amphion and her destroyers encountered and sank a German minelayer, SMS Königin Luise, but not before she had laid many of her mines. While returning from patrolling the following morning, Amphion accidentally struck a mine on the 6th August 1914 off the Thames Estuary and sank with the loss of 132 crewmen killed. She was the first ship of the Royal Navy to be sunk in the First World War. The wreck site is now protected and may not be dived upon without permission from the Ministry of Defence.
By the start of the First World War in August, Amphion and her flotilla was assigned to the Harwich Force, defending the eastern approaches to the English Channel, under the command of Captain Cecil H. Fox. On the morning of the 5th August, Amphion and the 3rd Flotilla sortied into the North Sea to patrol the area between Harwich and the Dutch island of Terschelling for German activity. At 10:15am, a ship in the black, buff, and yellow colours of the Great Eastern Railway's steamers that plied between Harwich and the Hook of Holland was spotted. Fox sent the destroyers Lance and Landrail to investigate and shortly afterwards another destroyer reported that a trawler had seen a suspicious ship, 'throwing things overboard, presumably mines'. Amphion led the flotilla to investigate and observed that the fleeing ship was deploying mines even then. At 10:45am, Lance opened fire at a range of 4,400 yards (4,000 m).
The target was SMS Königin Luise, a former Hamburg-Heligoland excursion boat that had been converted to an auxiliary minelayer by the Germans. They had planned to mount a pair of 8.8-centimetre (3.5 in) guns on board, but they did not have the time to do so, her only armament was a pair of lighter guns and 180 mines. On the night of the 4th August, she had departed Emden and headed into the North Sea to lay mines off the Thames Estuary, which she began at to do at dawn.
The fire from the destroyers was ineffective until Amphion closed to a range of 7,000 yards (6,400 m) and began hitting the German ship at about 11:15. By noon, Königin Luise was sinking and the three British ships rescued 5 officers and 70 ratings. The flotilla proceeded onwards with their patrol until they reached the Dutch coast around 21:00 hrs and turned for home. Fox was uncertain as to the locations of the mines laid by Königin Luise and laid a course that was seven nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) west of where he thought the mines were. He guessed wrongly and led his flotilla over the danger area.
At 06:35am Amphion struck a mine that detonated underneath her bridge. The explosion set her forecastle on fire and broke the ship's keel. The destroyer Linnet attempted to tow the cruiser, but a deep crack across her upper deck showed that she was hogging badly and Fox ordered his crew to abandon ship. Shortly afterwards, her forward magazine exploded, throwing one 4-inch gun into the air that narrowly missed Linnet. One of Amphion's shells burst on the deck of the destroyer Lark, killing two of her men and the only German prisoner rescued from the cruiser. Amphion then rapidly sank within 15 minutes of the explosion losing 1 officer and 131 ratings killed in the sinking, plus an unknown number of the crew rescued from Königin Luise. The wreck is a protected site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
Illustrated Chronicle 05/09/1914, page 10 carries a brief obituary:
WINDY NOOK HERO.
Death of Marine on Amphion Who Shattered German Flag.
Private John Brown-King, Royal Marine L.I., No. 14467, aged 23 years, has died at Shotley Naval Hospital as a result of injuries received in the blowing up of H.M.S. Amphion. Private Brown-King, who was well known, was a native of Sheriff Hill, Gateshead, being the fourth son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Brown-King, resident at 148, Esk Street, Windy Nook. He held the position of gunlayer on the Amphion, and while lying in a dying condition for three weeks the young man related his terrible experiences to his parents.
He said that he had the honour of firing the first shot and the further distinction of shattering the German flag when the Amphion succeeded in sinking the Konegin Luise, the German mine-layer. Private Brown-King escaped injury when the first explosion took place, but, seeing one of his comrades enveloped in flames, he hastened to save him, and it was when in the act of performing this heroic act that he received mortal injuries in the second explosion.
A letter was published in the Weekly Dispatch from the father of Private J. Brown-King, of the R.M.L.I., who received fatal injuries while serving in the ill-fated Amphion. Some days ago, the father Frederick Brown-King, who is a miner, living in Esk Street, Gateshead, received a letter from the Parliamentary Recruitment Committee, asking him to fill up a form indicating how many of his household were willing to serve. Mr Brown-King is 56 years of age, but he promptly replied: I am willing to serve my country, I would not send my lads where I would not go myself. We all come of a fighting stock, right back to my grandfather. Four of my sons have been serving the King:
Sergt, S. Brown-King, H.M.S., Berwick. Private F. Brown-King, Northumberland Fusiliers , Private H. Brown, R.M.L.I. Late Private J. Brown-King, R.ML.I., H.M.S. Amphion.
'The latter, who is dead, fired the first shot, knocked the first German flag down in the war, and helped to sink the first German ship, the Konnig Louise [sic], the mine layer. He was the first man to give his life in trying to save one of his comrades. I enclose a copy of his last words, which will show that our men can die as well as fight'.
The enclosed document, which is a record of a conversation at Shotley Hospital, bore the following text:- Mother: You are badly hurt?
Son: They have damaged me, but I have damaged them, too. Never mind, mother. I have had the pleasure and great honour of knocking the German flag down. I fetched it down with my second shot, and I fetched the mast level with the deck with my third shot. I fired fourteen shots and I had ? hits, That was not bad for a start. Still, I have done nothing. The bravest thing that was done on board the ship was the lieutenant taking his belt off himself and putting it on me. The German prisoners said they did not want to fight, but that is what I joined the service for. I would not like to serve twenty-one years in the service and not have a fight.
Mother: Are you suffering much pain now?
Son: No mother, I have no pain now. This is the last day for me, mother. Don't stop and see the final.
Mother: I must stay, my boy.
Son: Then, mother, keep up a good heart, and remember this: I have done my duty.
His lips moved for a time and then said 'God,' and all was over.
His mother was residing at Railton Terrace at this time.
Joe Armstrong Private research 1998:
It was then that Brown-King made history when he was given the order to open fire and became the first British serviceman to shoot at German militaryforces.
The doom of the Konigin-Luise was sealed as HMS Amphion, HMS Lance and HMS Landrail pounded her with their guns during an hour-long bombardment. The hapless Germans had only pom-poms with which to return fire, as the heavier guns, intended for the vessel had not been fitted in the rush to get to sea. Soon their ordeal was over.
The minelayer was burning, listing badly, and half of the crew were dead when the order was given to abandon ship. They had left it too late and she capsized and sank just after midday. Eighty five men went down with her. Commander Biermann, her skipper, was among the survivors picked up by the destroyers.
It seemed a successful operation but the ghosts of the Konigin-Luise wereto reach up from their watery grave to wreak vengeance on their executioners.
Before 24 hours had passed, the Amphion struck one of the mines laid by the very ship they had sunk. The mines had been laid 11 feet beneath the surface and the British flotilla had ploughed across the minefield all day without mishap. Then, when they had set a course for home, - disaster struck.
At 6.30am on August 6th the Amphion was ripped apart by a titanic blast which sent her to the bottom. Eighteen of the rescued Germans and 151 of the British crew died in the holocaust, but Brown-King was one of the survivors brought ashore at Harwich.
It was to Shotley Naval Hospital, between the rivers Stour and Orwell, that a strained, apprehensive Mrs. Jane Brown-King travelled from Tyneside to visit her son in the first week of a war that was to kill millions.
What did she expect? What did she feel? Only a mother can know her thoughts. The reality was a searing experience which was to shock her to the core.
Doctors at the hospital said that she could see her son but stressed that she must promise not to make a 'scene' of any kind or they would not allow her in.
Naturally, she promised, no doubt with a sickening sensation that things were worse than she had feared. When she saw her son, in her own words uttered 25 years later, I could have screamed and screamed!
There he lay with the top half of his face torn away, both eyes completely gouged out, and both arms ending in shattered stumps below the elbows where his hands had been blown off. The effect on her can barely be imagined. There were no wonder drugs and miracle surgery then to ease the effects of such terrible injuries. He was aged 23 years, three months, and two weeks.
John, in a living hell of pain and darkness, was but dimly aware of his mothers presence at his bedside. The unfortunate young marine lingered another two weeks before, mercifully perhaps, he died, on August 23rd.
Poor Jane was left with bitter memories of his awful end, in what should have been the prime of his life, and was to carry the burden for 40 years.
School log book records succinctly: Sep. 10 1914. Private John Brownking, a former pupil of this school, died through wounds received while rescuing a comrade when the ill-fated Amphion was struck by a mine. His father has presented many useful objects to the school museum in his memory.
Recently I made a pilgrimage to St. Alban's Church, Windy Nook, where the Vicar, The Rev. M.L. Malleson, escorted me to the object of my mission. On the south wall, above the pews, is a plaque bearing the following legend: 'Sacred to the memory of Private John Lindsay McCutcheon Brown-King, Royal Marine Light Infantry, who died at Shotley Naval Hospital, Harwich, on 23rd of August, 1914, from wounds received on HMS Amphion, 6th August, 1914."
Was Jane's favourite pew the one under the plaque? We shall never know. People were very reluctant to open old wounds by asking about the way in which her son met his death.
The last word on her sad story was on the last day of 1952, December 31st, when she at long last laid down the burden of her grief and was buried, aged 88.
When all the talk of great heroes in the great Anglo-German conflict is unleashed, remember the quiet heroism of women like Jane. Not for them the meteoric moment of high drama in action followed by years of glory. Quitethe opposite in fact. Which is the greater courage?
Sources : Michael Scott, Joe Armstrong, 'Gateshead Memories and Portraits' by Clarence R. Walton. Produced by Northumberland Press in 1940 at Sutherland Press South Shore Road, Gateshead-on-Tyne.
In July 1944, a submarine built by Vickers at Barrow-in Furness slid out to sea on her trials. She was called HMS Amphion. On board were some civilians from Vickers, including one from the Elswick works at Newcastle. He was John Lindsay Brown-King, name sake of his father's brother, who served on the original Amphion!
Sunday Sun 26/02/1989.
Heslop's Local Advertiser 11/09/1914 reports:
A Windy Nook Hero.
One of the first to give up his life in his Country's cause in the present campaign was Private John Brown-King of Windy Nook, after three weeks of suffering in the Shotley Naval Hospital, as a result of injuries received in the blowing-up of H.M.S. Amphion. His young life was cut short, not in the ordinary methods of civilised warfare, but by the cunning and devilishly-devised death-traps of the Germans, which have demanded so heavy a toll on the North Sea. We know that the sympathy of all will go out to the parents of this hero in their bereavement.
John Lindsay McCutchen Brown-King is remembered on W95.01 and W95.02 and on our List of Ships’ crews.
