Philip Brown

Wireman, H.M.S. Fiji
Service number P/MX 71973
Died 23 May 1941
Commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Age 20


Philip was born on 1 September 1920 in Birmingham, Warwickshire to Poland born parents Henry and Hannah nee Dresden and he had three sisters, Esther, Sarah and Freda and a brother Abraham. In the 1921 and 1939 census the family were listed as living at 101 Bishop Street, Birmingham and Henry is listed as working as a tailor.

Philip enlisted into the Royal Navy and was serving as a wireman when he was killed. During the Battle of Crete, the ship HMS Fiji was sunk by German bombers about 45 nautical miles south-west of Crete in position 34º35’N, 23º10’E. She took 241 men to the bottom and the 523 survivors were rescued by the destroyers HMS Kingston and HMS Kandahar.