BROMWICH Leslie Frank

Enlisted in Birmingham.  His brother Edgar John (Eddie) also died on service and is buried in the same cemetery.

1911 Census
Grammar School, Hanley Castle
Leslie Frank Bromwich, boarder, age 14, born Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire

Leslie Bromwich was posted to France on 21st November 1915 and consequently was awarded the 1915 Star, as well as the British War and Victory medals.

Upton upon Severn News, 1st July 1916:
News has been received by Mr and Mrs Bromwich, of High Street, Sutton Coldfield of the deaths in action of their two sons, Lance Corporal Leslie F. Bromwich and Private Edgar J. Bromwich, who were killed, it is unofficially reported, as a result of a mine explosion. The latter was the elder of the two lads and the second of four sons. He was 26 years of age, and assisted his father in his business in Sutton. Lance Corporal Leslie was the youngest son, and was only 19 years of age. From the Sutton Grammar School he passed on to Hanley Castle Grammar School and did remarkably well, being no less successful in sport than in scholastic work. Twelve months before war broke out he was articled to a firm of chartered accountants and gave promise of a brilliant career. The deceased was for three years a boarder at Hanley Castle Grammar School with Mr Alban James MA and in 1913 was captain of both football and cricket teams. He passed the senior Cambridge Local Examination and the preliminary examination for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in the summer of 1913. His former Headmaster writes of him “Always a popular fellow and a good sport, he was well loved by many local boys who were school fellows of his”. Mr and Mrs Bromwich have received the following letter from the Sergeant of the deceased:

“The sympathy of what few boys are left in your dear boys’ old platoon go out to you in your awfully sad bereavement. I was their Platoon sergeant and knew them well ever since we commenced training at Sutton, so I ought to be able to judge the type of boys they were. I can honestly say they were two of the most willing boys in my platoon, whatever you asked them to do, always willing, never a grumble no matter how fatigued they were. They were two of the best soldiers in my platoon, always popular and cheery and, as I say, what few of us who are left, we miss their cheerfulness terribly. However they have died the most noble death one could wish to choose, and they died valiantly and doing their duty nobly. It is a great sacrifice for you to make, but the whole universe is in dire distress and trouble is everywhere in loads, so try to bear it nobly.”