The AIF Project

Leonard BROADHURST

Regimental number3013
Place of birthAston, Birmingham, England
Place of birthBirmingham, England
SchoolBoard School, Birmigham, England
Age on arrival in Australia17
ReligionMethodist
OccupationSalesman
Address73 Garnett Street, Dulwich Hill, New South Wales
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation23
Next of kinMother, Mrs A E Broadhurst, 73 Garnett Street, Dulwich Hill, New South Wales
Enlistment date24 August 1915
Place of enlistmentSydney, New South Wales
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name17th Battalion, 7th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/34/2
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A29 Suevic on 20 December 1915
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll55th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 20 July 1916
Place of death or woundingFleurbaix, France (Battle of Fromelles)
Age at death24
Age at death from cemetery records24
Place of burialFromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
160
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Frederick and Ada BROADHURST, 73 Garnet Street, Dulwich Hill, New South Wales. Native of England
Family/military connectionsFather served in France as a munitions worker. Brothers: 3011 Driver Bert BROADHURST, 55th Bn, returned to Australia, 2 March 1919; 3012 Pte Frederick Cornelius BROADHURST, 55th Bn, returned to Australia, 24 June 1916.
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Allotted to and proceeded to 55th Bn from 5th Training Bn, Zeitoun, 16 February 1916; taken on strength 55th Bn, Tel el Kebir, 16 February 1916.

Admitted to No 3 Field Ambulance Tel el Kebir, 20 February 1916 (injury to knee); discharged to duty and rejoined 55th Bn, 23 February 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force 19 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 29 June 1916.

Reported missing, 20 July 1916.

Identity disc and pay book forwarded through Berne to Foreign Office, 27 September 1916. Previously reported missing, now reported killed in action, 20 July 1916, on the authority of the Assistant Adjutant General, ANZAC Section, 3rd Echelon, General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force, 24 November 1916.

Extract for A.G.S. London,'killed 20.7.1916 first German line of trenches at Fromelles, Fleurbaix.'

Translation of undated German report, 'Identity disc handed over by Intelligence Officer of 6th Army Hd. Qrs. 17/8/16. Hereby is confirmed Death Card, Ref 111, according to which the Australian Prisoner of War L. Broadhurst, Pte, Iden: disc 3013, 55th Btn., has died.'

Red Cross File No 540405 has statement from 3042 Corporal J.S. CARROLL, 55th Bn (patient, Westminster Road Hospital, Liverpool, England), 5 September 1916: 'Informant states that on July 20th at Fleurbaix (?) Broadhurst was badly wounded in the head or chest whilst capturing a German trench. He was left lying in the trench and the rest of the Coy continued the advance. The trench was afterwards retaken by the Germans so that Broadhurst must have been taken prisoner, but informant does not think he could have lived long after he was wounded.'

Second statement by 3081 Pte O.G. HANNAN, 55th Bn (patient, 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, England), 12 September 1916: 'Seen shot through the head in German second line. Carried by informant to a shell hole and left there, later men retired, Broadhurst was not brought back.'

Third statement, 3264 Lance Corporal J. CHARTERS, 55th Bn (patient, 3rd Southern General Hospital, Town Hall, Oxford, England), 9 November 1916: ''I heard about a month ago from Broadhurst's brother that news had been received at his home that he was a prisoner.'

Fourth statement, 569 Pte C. HARDY, 55th Bn (patient, 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, England), 14 September 1916: 'I saw him shot through the head at Armentieres lying in a shell hole near German Trenches. We could not get him away, and he either died or was taken prisoner.'

Fifth statement, 3347 Pte LUXFORD, 55th Bn (patient, No 6 General Hospital, Rouen), 22 January 1917: 'He was killed on the 19th July and we found his body nearly a fortnight afterwards. He was buried on the field at Fromelles near Fleurbaix.'

Note on file: 'Disc received from Germany and forwarded to next of kin 24.1.17.'

Originally listed as 'No Known Grave' and commemorated at V.C. Corner (Panel No 11), Australian Cemetery, Fromelles; subsequently (2012) identified, and interred in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France.
SourcesNAA: B2455, BROADHURST Leonard
Red Cross File No 540405

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