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Harry Brown is my great-great uncle, the uncle of my grandmother.

One Man who deserved a medal for his action at Dunkirk is Harry Brown, former lifeboat coxswain of the Walmer Lifeboat. Harry went to Dunkirk in his boat the Gipsy King with Alf Betts and Fred Hook, both now deceased. Fred Hook had only been married a couple of days.
The Deal boats at Dunkirk included Gipsy King and Gypsy Queen, Lady Haig, Rose Marie, Golden Spray I, Golden Spray II, Moss Rose and Britannic some of which were never seen again.
The Deal boats were bombed and shelled as they went into the beach to ferry the troops to bigger ships waiting offshore.
At one time when Gipsy King nosed in, Harry Brown saw a small pontoon around him with 14 soldiers on it sinking fast. As bombs and shells fell around him, Harry went over the side with a lifeline. He swam strongly to the pontoon; made fast the line and the Gipsy King pulled it clear of the shore and to a waiting transport.
This proves that Harry Brown was one of true lifes heros in the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940.

Harry was also in the East Kent Mercury in 1971 when the then MP for Dover and Deal, Mr. Peter Rees went aboard the Walmer Lifeboat. With Harry at the wheel, the lifeboat went to the Goodwin Sands and Mr Rees was able to see for himself the navigational hazards and the be behaviour on the international shipping lanes.

Harry was born at 33, Water Street in Deal on the 7th January 1911 and died approximately 1980. His father was a Harry Brown and his mother was Caroline Louise Brown (nee Hall). He also married a Violet Brown (nee Brown).

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