Second Lieutenant Thomas Clifford Broadhurst, Royal Flying Corps (Thanks to Judith and Quentin for images and background information)
Thomas Clifford Broadhurst (more commonly known by his middle name, Clifford) was born on 4th August 1898 at his grandmother’s house, 18 Cavendish Street, Pendlebury. He was the only son of Charles Henry and Annie Broadhurst (nee Atkinson). In 1901, the family was living at 17 Cavendish Street and his father was self-employed as a ‘dealer in yeast’.
The 1911 census finds the Broadhurst family living as tenants at the Red Lion Public House in Irlams o’ th’ Height, residing with Annie’s elder brother, Robert Atkinson, and his family. Robert was the licensee of the Red Lion, which was owned by Holts Brewery. By 1917, the Broadhurst family had moved to an address in Bolton Road, Irlams O’ Th’ Height.
Clifford was educated at Salford Technical School. After leaving school, he was employed as an articled clerk at the accountancy firm of Stockwell, Williamson and Co. Ltd, chartered accountants, of 52 Brown Street, Manchester (the accountants for Holts Brewery). He passed the first part of his accountancy examinations and his listing in the Chartered Accountants records states that he was privately educated; presumably because a state school education would have counted against him. Clifford was clearly an intelligent young man with a drive to succeed in life. However, fate decreed that he reached adulthood in the midst of the Great War and as a result his conscience led him away from his chosen career path.
The 1911 census finds the Broadhurst family living as tenants at the Red Lion Public House in Irlams o’ th’ Height, residing with Annie’s elder brother, Robert Atkinson, and his family. Robert was the licensee of the Red Lion, which was owned by Holts Brewery. By 1917, the Broadhurst family had moved to an address in Bolton Road, Irlams O’ Th’ Height.
Clifford was educated at Salford Technical School. After leaving school, he was employed as an articled clerk at the accountancy firm of Stockwell, Williamson and Co. Ltd, chartered accountants, of 52 Brown Street, Manchester (the accountants for Holts Brewery). He passed the first part of his accountancy examinations and his listing in the Chartered Accountants records states that he was privately educated; presumably because a state school education would have counted against him. Clifford was clearly an intelligent young man with a drive to succeed in life. However, fate decreed that he reached adulthood in the midst of the Great War and as a result his conscience led him away from his chosen career path.
Clifford in civilian life (probably
taken in the back yard of the Red Lion) |
In August 1916, on reaching the age of 18, he volunteered to join the Artists Rifles. Whether he had intended to join the Royal Flying Corps and the Artists’ Rifles was a means of achieving this, will never be known. He was enrolled in the Officer Training Corps of the 2nd Battalion of the Artists’ Rifles [28th (County of London) Battalion]. In 1917 (London Gazette, 7th June 1917), he was promoted to temporary Second Lieutenant (on probation).
At some point Clifford transferred from the Artists’ Rifles to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), joining 46 Reserve Squadron, 19th Wing. At this point in time, the RFC was part of the Army and its officers were commissioned into one of the Army’s regiments. Prior to his accident, Clifford had accumulated seven hours flying time with the De Havilland DH6 aircraft and a further seven hours with the Royal Aircraft Factory BE2E aircraft, including seven hours 40 minutes solo flight. At this period of time aeronautical science was in its infancy; the first powered flight by the Wright Brothers was in 1903, only 14 years before Clifford’s first encounter with aviation. The war, through necessity, brought about massive technological advances but it also brought great risk to those at the forefront of this new technology. |
Clifford (second from the left) in the
Artists’ Rifles Barracks, Christmas 1916 |
Clifford (centre of photograph) in the Artists’ Rifles
Barracks, Christmas 1916 |
On 28th September 1917, Clifford took off from Catterick aerodrome on a solo flight in a BE2E aircraft (serial number A3145). At 3.20pm the aircraft crashed and exploded, killing Clifford. The following is the account from the official court of inquiry:
The court having considered the evidence [the court is] of [the] opinion that the pilot opened his engine too late to clear some trees and that in trying to do so stalled the machine causing it to side slip and nose dive into the ground in such a way that it was impossible for the pilot to get out, and that, owing to the machine catching fire it was impossible to render any effective outside assistance. They are confident that every possible effort was made to extricate the pilot and put out the fire. Investigation by a/c not necessary
Thomas Clifford Broadhurst was an intelligent young man who chose service to our nation over a lucrative career. Although he never had the opportunity to serve in a theatre of war, he deserves our recognition as a local hero who was willing to and made the ultimate sacrifice.
Clifford is buried in the cemetery of St Augustine of Canterbury Churchyard, Pendlebury. He was only 19 years of age and the inscription on his grave has the poignant tribute “It’s not the length of a man’s life that counts but what is achieved in that time.” He is commemorated on four War Memorials: St Augustine Church, Salford Technical School, Chartered Accountants' Hall (City of London) and the Artists' Rifles memorial.
