Brave Tommy is remembered for heroics
SEAN SEDDON ON A CEREMONY MARKING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF A SELFLESS ACT OF BRAVERY
FRIENDS and family of Tyneside war hero Thomas Brown have gathered to remember him 75 years since he helped bring the Second World War to an end.
As a 16-year-old canteen assistant from North Shields, Thomas boarded a sinking U-boat with fellow members of HMS Petard and retrieved German Enigma codes.
The valuable intelligence and subsequent code cracking led by Alan Turing at Bletchley Park helped undermine the Nazi war effort.
He was awarded a George Medal for the heroics of October 30, 1942, during which two of his brothers in arms drowned.
Surviving siblings and new generations of his family gathered in the ‘Thomas Brown Room’ at The Exchange in North Shields at a ceremony which saw a window tribute rededicated to him. His younger brother, Norman, 89, said: “It has been a fantastic day. It is so important that the window and the room itself are there as memorials to my brother. “People who come by to The Exchange will be able to read about what he did – people who may not even have known it was there before.
“There are some great photos on the wall and news articles, too.
“It is as good a memorial to my brother as you could get – it’s just a shame he is not here to see it.”
The North Shields’ hero survived his wartime service but was killed in a house fire at the age of 19 in 1945.
The Exchange opened the room to honour him in 2002 and it has since played host to hundreds of musicians and cultural events.
A night of 1940s style was interspersed with memories of Thomas and tributes to his bravery and selflessness.
It is as good a memorial to my brother as you just could get – it’s a shame he’s not here to see it Thomas’ brother Norman
Toby Bridges, chair of The Exchange, said: “We understand how important heritage is to the community in North Shields. We want to bring the community together and this is a way for us to do that.
“Thomas Brown is a big part of North Shields history and we at The Exchange are so proud to be able to have an exhibition and window memorial to honour his life and what he achieved.
“The event was a result of lots of hard work from our team of staff and volunteers, who should be so proud of what they have achieved.”
Also present was Alan Campbell, MP for Tynemouth. He said: “Thomas Brown was a remarkable young man.
“His story is one of extraordinary courage in retrieving the Enigma codes which helped end the war.
“This event and the exhibition are an important reminder of him and what he did.
“I’d like to thank The Exchange for what they have done to keep his memory alive and bring the community together today.”