Corporal Brown QGM and his dog Oliver
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| Corporal Brian Brown QGM with Oliver |
Corporal David Brian Brown QGM was an ammunition and explosive search dog handler with the 3rd Battalion The Ulster Defence Regiment. He and his dog were killed by a terrorist explosive device during a search operation in Kilkeel on 28 May 1986.
He was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal posthumously and the notification was published in the Supplement to the London Gazette dated 14 April 1987; the background to his award included the following:
'The Queen's Gallantry Medal is awarded for exemplary acts of bravery, and is in recognition not only of his actions in the incident in which he died, but also of the outstanding performance of his duties as a search expert over a period of years, during which he also received the General Officer Commanding's Commendation'.
'He died, together with his specially trained 'sniffer dog' Oliver, while searching a garage for a suspected bomb on 28th May 1986. Corporal Brown was fully aware of the risks involved in carrying out his mission, but was equally aware of the risk to the community posed by the terrorist bombing campaign.'
'Corporal Brown lived in Ballynahinch. He left a widow and four children.'
In 1987 members of the Northern Ireland Army Dog Unit commissioned a memorial trophy (right) to commemorate Corporal Brown and Oliver's actions. Each year the trophy right was awarded to the best UDR dog handler serving on Operation BANNER in Northern Ireland. The trophy was last awarded in 1992, the year in which The Ulster Defence Regiment amalgamated with The Royal Irish Rangers to form The Royal Irish Regiment.
