Born: 3 June 1885, Thackley
Died: 31 January 1922, Melbourne, Australia
Buried:
Address: 8 Brackendale, Thackley
Parents: Alfred Walter and Sarah, nee Raistrick
Spouse:
Siblings: Robert George, Doris (Dorothy), Frances, Elsie (Elois)
Occupation: Farmer
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour:
Children:
Regiment: Army Service Remount Dept
John (Jack) Broomhead
On 22 November 1918, the Shipley
Times & Express reported:
Mr Broomhead, of Thackley, has
received word from the British Red
Cross Society that his son, Pte Jack
Broomhead, who had been missing
for some time, is a prisoner of war
in Germany.
Pte Robert Broomhead, another
son, was killed in 1916.
It is only later, on 10 February
1922, that we learn more of Jack’s
much travelled life, his war and his
death at the age of just 36.
The death has taken place in
Melbourne, Australia, of Mr Jack
Broomhead, second son of Mr
Alfred Broomhead of Thackley,
and nephew of Mr John Raistrick,
principal of Messres George
Raistrick and Sons, Brackendale
Mills, Thackley.
The news has been received by
cable.
Mr Broomhead, who was 36 years
of age, was educated at the Salt
Schools, Shipley.
Emigrated
He subsequently underwent a
course of agricultural training,
emigrating to Canada, and before
the outbreak of war had been
engaged in a number of out-door
occupations on the far West prairies
and in the fruit-growing districts of
Vancouver.
In 1914 he was wheat growing in
Saskatchewan and as soon as war
was declared he endeavoured to
enlist in the famous First Canadian
Contingent but was rejected on
account of his eyesight whenthe
contingent about to embark for
Europe.
Mr Broomhead protested that he
could ride and shoot well and was
as strong as most men but the
authorities refused to allow him to
embark.
He was offered the choice of
staying behind to assist in the
training of the men of the Second
Canadian Contingent or of taking
his discharge.
He preferred the latter, took the
next boat to England and attempted
to enlist in Bradford. On account of
his Canadian discharge the
recruiting authorities would hardly
consider him so he went to Leeds
and eventually succeeded in
interesting an officer of the
Remounts Department who put him
in khaki.
Prisoner of war
He finally – late in the war – got
into the firing line and was taken
prisoner by the enemy but escaped
just before the Armistice and made
his way to Holland from where he
came home. He afterwards went to
Australia and took up sheep
farming.
Much sympathy is felt in Idle,
Thackley and district with his
relatives.
