Private William Henry Broad

When William Henry Broad died in 1919 after his service in the First World War, debates over the circumstances of his death continued for nearly one hundred years.

William Henry Broad was born in 1894 in Seaford, East Sussex to Mary and Henry Broad, though his father re-married in 1906 to Jessica Amelia Thornley.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, William joined the Royal Sussex Regiment on 5th September 1914 and was posted to the 11th Battalion in Eastbourne.

During his years of service in the War, William Broad was wounded multiple times:

Private William Broad on the Seaford War Memorial William Broad's death certificate - Image courtesy of Keith Brain and Newhaven Fort

Private William Broad on the Seaford War Memorial – Image courtesy of Keith Brain and Newhaven Fort

5th Sep 1914 – Attested for the Royal Sussex Regiment at Eastbourne and posted to 11th Battalion. His regiment number was SD/288.

4th Mar 1916 – Posted to France.                     

3rd Sep 1916 – Wounded on the Somme – gunshot wound in the right ankle and left leg.

9th Sep 1916 – Posted home.                                            

10th Sep 1916 – Admitted to Netley Hospital and remained there for 20 days.

29th Sep 1916 – Transferred to Poultons Hospital, Romsey and remained there for 50 days.

17th Nov 1916 – Left Hospital.                                             

1st Jan 1917 – Posted back to France.                               

2nd Jan 1917 – Posted to 7th Battalion, Royal Sussex.                

5th Jul 1917 – Wounded in action – shell wound in chest, right thigh and right wrist.                                                                  

25th Jul 1917 – Admitted to hospital in Rouen.                           

13th Aug 1917 – Returned to England (on the hospital ship “Carisbrooke Castle”).

14th Aug 1917 – Transferred to the hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, 40, Grove End Road, London. He had 5 wounds “most serious are the penetrating wounds of chest and the wounds of the right wrist.” He remained in hospital for 72 days. 

15th Oct 1917 – Discharged from Hospital – records stated “all wounds healed”.

24th Oct 1917 – Notification of discharge from service issued. Discharge date to be 5th Nov 1917. The reason for discharge was “Physically unfit. Complete ankylosis” of “right wrist and hand consequent upon GSW (gunshot wound) perforating of right wrist”. The notification stated: “(He) will require out-patient treatment when convenient.  Prevents 80%”. “Shell Wound Chest, Right Thigh, Right Wrist”. William was awarded a pension of 27s 6d for 4 weeks then 22s per week, to be reviewed in 40 weeks.                           

5th Nov 1917 – Discharged from service. The Discharge Form listed the reasons for discharge as “burn scar left cheek, gunshot wound to right wrist, wounds to back, chest, right leg and right arm”.

22nd Dec 1917 – Silver war badge and certificate received by William.

23rd Oct 1918 – A medical board report stated the degree to which William had lost the use of his hand and the degree to which he had burns on his chest: “Prevents 50% Gunshot Wound Hand” and “Less than 20% Gunshot Wound Chest”.                                      

7th Nov 1918 – Awarded (pension of) 22s for 26 weeks then 19s3d for 26 weeks.

6th Dec 1918 – Critically, there appears to have been a statement “of opinion   since 5/11/18” which seems to give 20% for GSW Hand and 70% GSW chest.

He received the British War Medal and Victory Medal and also a Silver War Badge

When discharged from service on 5th Nov 1917 he was living at 10, Brooklyn Road, Seaford with his parents.

William died at home on 20th Feb 1919, aged 25, and was buried in Seaford Cemetery. However, the cause of his death became the subject of controversy.

The parents of Private Broad were in no doubt whatsoever that he died suffering from, and as a consequence of, his war wounds whilst living with them. William’s death certificate does bear this out to be a contributory factor. It clearly states that there were two causes of death

  1. “Wounded in France Spine” (shows his rank, reg.no. and regiment)
  2. “Influenza Meningitis 14 days”

He should, therefore, have been accepted for war grave status under category two, having died from wounds received during service, and commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Application was made for him to be recognised. However, it seems apparent that the War Office chose to ignore the first cause of death.

It appears that the non-commemoration of this soldier was due to the contested cause of his death. It is particularly poignant that, in a letter to the authorities on April 6th 1920, William’s step-mother applied for a memorial plaque but this was refused by No.2 Records Office, Hounslow. On 11th March 1919, the War Office had notified the Records Office that Private Broad died of influenza and meningitis. The War Office stated that they had a copy of his death certificate. The Records Office, therefore, replied to Mrs Broad’s letter stating that according to their records she was not entitled to a plaque as her son had not died from wounds or illness exacerbated by wounds received during his service and requested a copy of the death certificate from her.

Subsequently in a letter to the Records Office (date indecipherable) Mrs Broad sent a copy of the death certificated stating that the War Office had not returned the original to her. No further communication is recorded in the pension records and no evidence that the plaque was ever issued, which it surely was not. Private Broad was not commemorated in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) website, suggesting that the application by his parents was unsuccessful.

However, October 2011 the War Office/CWGC accepted this application and Private Broad is now recorded in their database.

In 2015 the CWGC placed a Gallipoli Stone marker on William’s grave to indicate he died as a result of his war wounds.

This story was submitted by Keith Brain, Newhaven Fort