Herbert Broome Private 18828 - 1st Bn. King's Shropshire Light Infantry Killed in action on Monday 25th September 1916, aged 18 No known grave, but is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France Herbert Broome was the eighth of eleven known children born to Charles and Annie Broome (née Gregory). His father’s family was from Blymhill and Gnosall; his mother’s from Derbyshire. Charles and Annie lived mostly in Church Eaton, however in 1911 they were living in Moreton at Dyke’s Bank. Herbert Broome enlisted with the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry (1 st  Bn.) and was killed in action on the 25 th  September 1916, in France, aged 18. By the time any records or memorials were publicized his father Charles had also died (in 1922, aged 60).

His name is also on the Memorial in Church Eaton

Thiepval Memorial, Somme Historical Information On 1 July 1916, supported by a French attack to the south, thirteen divisions of Commonwealth forces launched an offensive on a line from north of Gommecourt to Maricourt. Despite a preliminary bombardment lasting seven days, the German defences were barely touched and the attack met unexpectedly fierce resistance. Losses were catastrophic and with only minimal advances on the southern flank, the initial attack was a failure. In the following weeks, huge resources of manpower and equipment were deployed in an attempt to exploit the modest successes of the first day. However, the German Army resisted tenaciously and repeated attacks and counter attacks meant a major battle for every village, copse and farmhouse gained. At the end of September, Thiepval was finally captured. The village had been an original objective of 1 July. Attacks north and east continued throughout October and into November in increasingly difficult weather conditions. The Battle of the Somme finally ended on 18 November with the onset of winter. In the spring of 1917, the German forces fell back to their newly prepared defences, the Hindenburg Line, and there were no further significant engagements in the Somme sector until the Germans mounted their major offensive in March 1918.