Source: Post by Annette Fulford at 18th Battalion Facebook Group.
Family Search: When Corporal Francis Robert Brown was born on 4 January 1897, in Hullett Township, Huron, Ontario, Canada, his father, James Brown, was 39 and his mother, Mary Ann Crawford, was 31. He married Evelyn Harriet Brinton in 1924, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They were the parents of at least 1 daughter. He lived in Cochrane, Ontario, Canada, for about 9 years. He registered for military service in 1915. He died in 1977, in Southgate Township, Grey, Ontario, Canada, at the age of 80, and was buried in Southgate Township, Grey, Ontario, Canada.
Private Francis “Frank” Robert Brown, reg. 401998.
This man enlisted at Clinton, Ontario, on 27 January 1915, with the 33rd Battalion. He was a farmer practicing the Presbyterian faith. He had previous military experience with the 33rd (Huron) Regiment.
HE embarked for England at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 9 March 1916 and arrived at Liverpool on 25 March 1916.
He was transferred to the Canadian Army Medical Corps Training School on 13 June 1916.
He was taken on strength with the 151st Battalion at Witley Camp on 3 January 1917 and was appointed an Acting Lance-Corporal on 14 February 1917. He was reverted to the rank of Private on 26 September 1917 as he was found absent without leave. Just over a month later, he was appointed as an Acting Lance-Corporal again.
He was reverted to the rank of Private on 28 February 1918, in expectation of being shipped overseas to an active combat battalion. He proceeded overseas on that date and arrived at No. 2 Canadian Infantry Base Depot at Etaples on that date.
He was transferred to the 18th Battalion, arriving “in the field” on 15 March 1918.
He was wounded in action on 27 August 1918, sustaining a GSW to his back. He was sent to No. 8 Canadian Field Ambulance and thence to a Casualty Clearing Station. From there, he was sent to No. 26 General Hospital the next day. From this hospital, he was invalided to England aboard the A.T. Newhaven on 30 August 1918.
Released from the hospital, he was moved to Witley Camp, attached to the Canadian 4th Reserve Battalion. Placed “On Command” 3 December 1918 in expectation of being returned to Canada, he sailed from Liverpool on 12 December 1918.
He was Taken on Strength with No. 1 District Depot, London, Ontario, on the same date, and after arriving in London, he was discharged due to demobilization on 23 January 1918.
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 