No.S/133970, Private, Edward Christopher BROUGHTON
Aged 24
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Edward (Ted) Christopher BROUGHTON was born in Kent (Medway Q3-1916 2A:1371) son of Alfred Edward and Margaret Edith BROUGHTON, (née DEERING).
The 1939 register has at 18 Duddery Road, his mother Margaret E [9-10-1878, widow and Edward's sister Margaret L [19-3-1913] laundry packer, later Mrs FINCH. His father died in Haverhill in 1934.
According to a news report published in the Echo on 12 September 1941, Ted's best friend was Horace James (Jim) Willis. They had attended school together and worked
together at the International Stores in the town. They both later worked for the company in a store in London. The extract from the 1939 Register shows both Ted and
Jim living at an address in Tokyngton Avenue, Wembley and their occupations were recorded as shop assistant (provisions). In January 1940 they enlisted together in
the RASC and being on the continent at the time of the collapse of France, they were amongst those evacuated from Le Havre as part of Operation Cycle. The evacuation
of Allied troops from Le Havre, in Upper Normandy, took place from 10–13 June 1940, just after Dunkirk. The friends were sent to the Middle East in November 1940 and
were working with troops in Northern Greece.
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| Edward served with, and died with, his best friend Horace WILLIS. see here In April 1941 Allied soldiers were evacuated from Greece in order to escape from German troops. At 4am on 27th April 1941, the Dutch liner SS Slamat, with 211 crew and 500 Allied troops, which included Horace, Edward and other soldiers of the Royal Army Service Corps, left Nauplia Harbour. They were too late to escape an attack by German Stukas of Jagdgeschwader 77. The Slamat sank with the loss of 193 men. Of the troops on board, around 700 were rescued by the destroyers HMS Diamond and HMS Wryneck, both of which were later bombed and sunk, drowning most of the survivors of the Slamat. In all, there was just one officer, 41 seamen and 8 soldiers saved from this triple disaster, leaving a total death toll of 843 men. Both Edward Christopher Broughton and his best friend Horace James Willis were reported as being lost at sea. They are commemorated on the Athens Memorial. On 12th September 1942, over a year after the sinking of SS Slamat, the Echo reported that:- 'Official intimation has been received this week that Edward (Ted) Christopher Broughton, only son of the late Mr Alfred Broughton of 25 Duddery Road, Haverhill, and Horace James (Jim), second son of Mr and Mrs W E Willis of 49 Recreation Road, Haverhill, must be "presumed killed in action at sea between 26th and 27th April 1941." They had previously been reported missing. In a letter to Mr Willis, the Commanding Officer wrote that the two vessels assisting in the evacuation of Allied Troops were sunk by enemy bombing and added "The unit had come safely through some very exciting experiences on its journey down from the North of Greece, and it was only that part of the unit aboard the Wryneck (36 Officers and men) which was lost." |
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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