Christ College Remembers – Second Lt Cecil Hoyle Broadbent

REMEMBRANCE DISPATCH NO. 9 HAS BEEN POSTED IN HOUSES TO COMMEMORATE CECIL HOYLE BROADBENT (CLASSICAL VITH FORM MASTER 1903-1906) WHO DIED IN AN ACCIDENTAL EXPLOSION IN FRANCE ON 1ST MARCH 1916. ON THE CENTENARY OF SECOND LIEUTENANT BROADBENT’S DEATH

Cecil Hoyle Broadbent was born at Cannock, Staffordshire. He was educated at Oundle School from where went to Trinity College, Cambridge, gaining a First in the Classical Tripos.In September 1903 he began his teaching career at Christ College as ‘Classical VIth Form Master’ and very quickly he became a popular master who was actively involved in school life.

After only three years at Christ College, he moved to be second Classical master at Bradford Grammar School. Whilst there he was joint editor of two Latin readers for schools: excerpts from Camillus and Selections from Ovid’s Heroides, both of which have been republished in recent years.

In November 1914 he was gazetted Second Lieutenant and later joined 1/4th Battalion King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (TF), a territorial battalion based at Wakefield. After brief training at Beverley and Leeds, he entered the French theatre of war on 20th September 1915.

After some months in the trenches at Ypres, he was appointed Officer Commanding of the Brigade Bombing School near Albert. He died of wounds on 1st March 1916 following a premature explosion of a bomb whilst he was acting as instructor. His Commanding Officer wrote “He was an excellent officer and very popular alike with officers and men; his death is a great loss to the Battalion“. His Colonel wrote “We all regret the death of such an able officer and one of the best of comrades“.

Second Lieutenant Cecil Hoyle Broadbent is buried in Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery on the Somme. As well as on the Christ College War Memorial, he is also remembered on the War Memorial in the Chapel at Trinity College, Cambridge and on the Colwyn Bay War Memorial.