Harold Masters Brown was educated at Horsham Grammar School and at King's College London where he obtained a BSc. (Honours) in chemistry. On leaving he took up a teaching post at a school in Somerset before becoming a science master at the King's School Canterbury from September 1913 to the summer of 1914. On the 11th of September 1914 he enlisted in the Coldstream Guards as Guardsman 12191, rising to the rank of Lance Corporal, before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Berkshire Regiment on the 10th of March 1915. He trained at Sevenoaks, Portsmouth and at Wool and went to France on the 20th of October 1915. Owing to his devotion to the welfare of his men he became known by all in the battalion as "Father Brown".
At 3am on the 2nd of July 1916 the 5th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment took over the trenches from Rycroft Avenue to Argyll Street in front of the village of Ovillers. The trenches were in a very poor state and were choked with the dead and wounded from the previous day's unsuccessful attack in the village. In the evening orders were received to renew the attack on Ovillers the next day. In preparation B and C Companies were placed in the front trench with A and D in the support trenches. The attack was set for 3.15am and was preceded by an artillery bombardment for one hour. The assaulting troops of the first wave, of which C Company under the command of Brown, was one, began to crawl into No-man's Land at 3.03am, partly to escape the overcrowding in the British first line but mainly to reduce the distance to the German first line which had resisted capture two days before on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme.
Brown and his company crossed the first and second German lines but he was wounded soon after by a bomb (hand grenade) during the fight for the third line which was notable for the number of deep dugouts which contained large numbers of German troops, many of them bombers. By 4pm on the afternoon of the 3rd of July, the battalion consisted of the Colonel and 70 men who were ordered back to Albert where they were later joined by Lieutenants Breach and May and around 60 men who had been sheltering in No Man's Land.
Harold Brown was awarded a posthumous Military Cross which appeared in the London Gazette in August 1916 the citation of which reads: - "For conspicuous gallantry in action on several occasions, notably when he carried out a dangerous reconnaissance of the enemy trenches and afterwards led his company to the attack with great dash. He was wounded in five places."
An eyewitness account of the attack, given by Sergeant William Rixon, was published in the Reading Mercury on the 29th of July: "When we got between the second and third German lines, the Germans opened a rapid fire, using in addition plenty of bombs. Lieutenant Brown was killed early on, receiving wounds in each leg, both arms and stomach whilst Captain Stewart was killed by a shell in the first line."
Two other accounts also reported him as being killed.
Interview of 8750 Private William Hawkins taken at the 1st Southern Hospital, Edgbaston:- "Informant states that on 3rd July 1916 near Albert in the morning during an attack I was wounded. The officer was wounded and near me. The stretcher bearer bandaged him up and the officer asked for brandy. This was given and he died. I saw him dead."
Interview of 16536 Private N. Heath taken at the King George Hospital:- "Informant states that Lt H. Brown of my company was killed on July 2nd at the right of Albert. We had got over the first German line when he was killed by a shell striking him in both legs and stomach. Surgeon Thomas (surgeon of the platoon) was with him when I left him . . . I think he was dead at that time. I think the surgeon was wounded afterwards."
In fact he had not been killed but was grievously wounded and was unable to move unaided. He was picked up by Lance Corporal Charles Woodley of Reading who carried him out of the trenches towards the rear but was himself shot and killed in so doing. About an hour later Lieutenant Brown was picked up by stretcher bearers and evacuated. He was taken to the Duchess of Westminster Hospital at Etaples. His elder brother, learning of his wounds immediately set off for France but Harold succumbed to his wounds and died in his brother's arms on the 9th of July.
His father received the following telegram dated the 10th of July 1916:- "Regret to report death 2 Lieut Brown H.M. 5 R Berks on 9/7 from septicaemia shock following mult wounds thighs legs abd wall and arms frac of legs."
His Colonel wrote:- "He was a most popular and gallant officer and led his company, of which he had just taken command, across to the enemy lines splendidly"
His Captain wrote:- "He was a magnificent officer, and made his platoon the most efficient in out battalion; he was a great favourite with all the officers and men."
A brother officer wrote:- "He had earned quite a reputation by having trained the platoon that won the competition for general efficiency and smartness, open to the whole Brigade."
He is commemorated on the memorial at King's College London. He is not currently listed on the King's School War Memorial, as he was a master, and not a pupil.