The AIF Project

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Embarked Melbourne, 5 November 1915; disembarked Suez, 7 December 1915.

Taken on strength of 31st Bn, Serapeum, 12 December 1915.

Found guilty, 21 January 1916, of conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline in that on 21 January 1916 he was absent from parade: admonished.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916.

Killed in action, 19 July 1916.

German report, 2 August 1916, 'austr. Sold. Broom, S, Erk.Mrk. 1522, 31. Bn. A.I.F. am 19.7 in Gegend Fromelles gefellen.'

German list received by Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau, Australian Branch, British Red Cross Society, 4 November 1916, show that 'identification marks found on the Prisoner of War are inspected by the General War Bureau and shown in the lists as under:- DEAD.'

Identification Disc received from Germany, 21 Febuary 1917.

On 23 January 1917 the Officer in charge of Base Records wrote to the Mr J Broom, the father of Private Broom, and stated, 'with reference to the report of the regrettable loss of your son, the late No. 1522 Private S. Broom, 31st Battalion, I am now in receipt of advice which shows that he was killed in action, In [sic] the field, France, on 19th July 1916.'

Note on Red Cross File No 550905: 'The above name appeared on German death list dated 4-11-16.'

Originally listed as 'No known grave'; remains identified following discovery of a mass grave in 2009.