To mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day we launched a new campaign to honour both past and present heroes by inviting individuals to share their stories. Whether it’s a family member who served their country or community at war or a modern-day hero who embodies courage and resilience.
We‘ve selected the story of Bert Brown, Grandad to Iain Brown the UK Sales Director for Jeep, to receive a limited-edition replica Victoria Cross as a special token of our appreciation. We’re honoured to share his story and continue his legacy.
Bert Brown – a life of service
Known to most as “Bert,” Robert Brown was a proud Scotsman, a lifelong butcher and husband to Maria or better known as “Cis”. Bert was a quietly remarkable man whose wartime service left a lasting mark on his family, and on history.
Bert joined the Royal Engineers in 1940 at the age of 23, swapping his butcher’s apron in Dundee for a uniform and the role of Sapper, in the 51st Highland Division. Though Bert was in the army at the time of the Dunkirk evacuations he wasn’t deployed with the BEF (British Expeditionary Force), he narrowly avoided being forced to surrender at Saint-Valery-en-Caux during WW2 while still training in the UK – a twist of fate that may have saved his life.
From there, Bert saw some of the most pivotal moments of war including the invasion of Sicily and the Battle of El Alamein in North Africa, a decisive victory in the Second World War, before returning to the UK to train for the “invasion of Europe”, today known as D-Day.
Bert’s Division landed on Sword Beach with The Royal Engineers being some of the first ashore to clear the beaches of mines and obstacles. His time on those beaches left a lasting mark. Iain fondly recalls his Grandad’s gentle warnings whenever they walked along the shore: “Don’t go kicking things, you never know what’s underneath.” It was a simple phrase, but it carried the weight of lived experience. One story that stuck with Iain was an account of his boat ride to Sword Beach. Bert had noticed the sailors wore boots without laces. When he asked why, they told him it was so they could kick them off quickly in case the boat was hit, to stop them to drowning. Bert glanced down at his own tightly laced boots, and his face turned pale. It was a quiet, jarring moment – a sudden confrontation with just how real the danger was.
Bert’s unit was then positioned close to Pegasus Bridge supporting the British 6th Airborne Division who had famously captured the key bridge crossing in the early hours of the 6th June, well depicted in the classic war film, the Longest Day. Bert went on to spend time in Colleville (now named Colleville Montgomery in honour of the famous British Field Marshall), St Aubin D-Arquency and Ranville during the subsequent battle for Normandy.
Once the city of Caen was liberated, the 51st Highland Division headed North and Montgomery poignantly sent them to liberate St Valery en Caux after thousands of men were forced to surrender.
They continued North and Bert travelled to Holland and Belgium where the Division were sent to support the Americans in the Ardennes during the famous Battle of the Bulge.
They then crossed the Rhine into Germany in 1945 and Bert witnessed firsthand the horrors of Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp near Bremen when it was liberated.
He ended the war in Bremerhaven in Germany and returned to Monifieth in 1946, aged 29 to raise a family with Cis and they had 3 children – Bob, Nicky & Marshall (Iain’s dad). He went back to his pre-war profession as a butcher and ran the shop in Dundee until he eventually retired in his 80s.
Bridging past and present – an automotive connection passed through generations
A favourite family photo shows Bert beside his Bedford OY lorry – his pride and joy. Painted with the word “Dundee” and “Cis” (his wife’s nickname) on the bumper, and a lucky horseshoe fixed to the front, the image is now a cherished heirloom. That same horseshoe later hung in his garage, a quiet reminder of everything he’d been through and everything he came home for.
Bert’s connection to vehicles didn’t end there. His grandson, Iain Brown, now works as UK Sales Director for Jeep, part of Stellantis – the global vehicle manufacturer. Fittingly, Iain’s career in the automotive industry has felt like a continuation of his grandfather’s legacy, with a high chance that Bert drove a Willy’s Jeep during the war with 2 on his units’ kit list.
Honouring Bert and continuing his legacy
Despite the trauma and chaos of war, Bert was remembered by his commanding officer as having a “cheery disposition” and a smile that never seemed to fade. He served until 1946, making him one of the longest serving soldiers in his unit. His military records also detailed how Bert became the unofficial regimental butcher at the end of the war while they were stationed in Germany.
His family, including Iain and great granddaughter Maisey, have spent recent years retracing Bert’s wartime journey through Europe, honouring the friends he lost and most importantly keeping his memory alive.
Bert’s story is one of the many untold accounts and is a continuous reminder of all we have to be grateful for thanks to the millions of soldiers who served with courage. We’re honoured to share Bert’s story and present Iain, Bert’s Grandson, with a limited-edition Hancock’s replica medal as a small memento of our appreciation.
