Biography

Brown, Richard B. de Witt (Browne); b. February 9, 1919, Kansas City, Missouri (Swanville, Minnesota); POW; Attended Manual Training Center; Single; Seaman; CP 1936; Received Passport# 7632, New York series, on June 11, 1937 which listed his address as 195 West 30th Street, Kansas City, Missouri; Arrived in Spain via Espolla on June 28, 1937, enrolled in the IB on July 3, 1937; Served with the XV BDE, Spanish 24th/59th BN, MG Co.; Later Lincoln-Washington BN; Rank Soldado; Served at Quinto, Belchite, Fuentes de Ebro, Teruel, and the Retreats; Noted as deserting on September 17, 1937 with Ralph Isenberg, Henry Shapiro, and Granville Walker Paine; The group stole the Mac-Pap ambulance and were arrested at the French border; Sentenced to death but sentence remanded; Was in Orihuela Hospital in December/January and then returned to XV BCE; Reported MIA, Hijar; Captured Belchite, Retreats; Exchanged October 8, 1938; Returned to the US on October 18, 1938 aboard the Queen Mary; WWII Merchant Marine officer.

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Source: Scope of Soviet Activity; Cadre; Figueres List; Inventory North Americans; BN 58 Retreats; POW; RGASPI Fond 545, Opis 6, Delo 849, ll. 2, Special List for Personnel Service, I. Political Suspect and Bad Element List, January 16, 1938. Code A

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Photograph:Richard B. de Witt Brown from a photograph of returning POWs aboard the Queen Mary, October 8, 1938.