Name
Dennis Gurney Broad
20 Jul 1883
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/04/1916
32
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Flight Sub-Lieutenant
Royal Naval Air Service
H.M.S. "Killingholme."
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
18
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Harpenden Town Memorial, Church of St Nicholas Memorial, Harpenden
Pre War
Dennis Gurney Broad was born at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England on 20th July, 1883 to parents Henry Eustace and Alice Broad (nee Gurney).
The 1891 Census recorded Dennis G. Broad as a 7 year old, living with his family at 7 Market Square, Aylesbury, Bucks., his father was listed as a Draper. Dennis was the eldest of four children listed Dennis, James E. Broad (aged 6), Philip L. Broad (aged 3) & Alice G. Broad (aged 1). Dennis and James were admitted on 10th September, 1894 to Aylesbury Grammar School (Upper). They both left the school on 7th May, 1895 for a school in Eastbourne. The 1901 England Census recorded Dennis G. Broad as a 17 year old Clerk to his father’s business, Importer & Agent of Lace Goods living with his family at Rothamsted Avenue (Trengrove), Harpenden.
Dennis Gurney Broad joined the Royal Naval Reserve & attended a Course of Instruction in 1904. He was serving on H.M.S. Exmouth from 1st July, 1905 until 21st July, 1905. Dennis was listed as Acting Assistant Paymaster in the UK Navy Lists for November 1905 & June 1906, he resigned on 8th June, 1906.
Dennis was listed on the Australian Electoral Rolls in 1912 as a labourer in Queensland, and in 1913 as a Traveller in Brisbane.
Wartime Service
Dennis enlisted on 11th August, 1914 as Private 190 with Australian Naval & Military Expedition giving his occupation as a Commercial Traveller living in Sydney, NSW. Dennis stated on his Attestation Papers that he had previously served with the London Rifle Brigade (not yet confirmed).
He served on the expedition to take possession of the German colony of Rabaul and New Guinea. He resigned at his own request on 30 Dec 1914, after returning to Australia as a prisoner escort on board SS Morinda.
By April 1915 he had returned to UK and been reinstated to Royal Naval Reserve being seconded to Royal Naval Air Service 9 Jul 1915 Probationary Flight Sub-Lieutenant for Temporary Service at Eastbourne. He gained his Royal Aero Club Aviator’s Certificate on 30th July, 1915 while at Royal Naval Air Station, Eastbourne on a Maurice Farman Biplane.
As a Flight Sub-Lieutenant Dennis transferred to H.M.S. Killingholme, a seaplane base on the Humber on 6th November, 1915. He trained at RAF Felixstowe from 17th Nov 1915 to 4 Jan 1916 on American Seaplanes. Returning to Killinghome on 4th January, 1916, he continued his service before flying a Sopwith Baby type 8200 seaplane on 27 Apr 1916 when he was posted Missing together with Flight Sub- Lieutenant A J Boddy.
Dennis is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Mary Skinner, Harpenden & District Local History
Society (www.harpenden-history.org.uk)
