Edric Broadberry

{{Short description|British flying ace}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}  {{Infobox military person | name = Edric William Broadberry | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1894|12|14|df=yes}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|1967|12|26|1894|12|14|df=yes}} | burial_label = | burial_place = | birth_place = Middlesex, England | death_place = | burial_coordinates =  | nickname = | allegiance = United Kingdom | branch = British Army<br/>Royal Air Force | service_years = 1914–1947 | rank = Group Captain | unit = Essex Regiment<br>Royal Flying Corps | commands = No. 56 Squadron RFC | battles = World War I<br>World War II | awards = Military Cross | relations = | other_work = Technical Branch of Royal Air Force }} Group Captain '''Edric William Broadberry''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MC}} (14 December 1894 – 26 December 1967) was a British pilot. He began his military career during World War I. During that conflict, he would become a flying ace credited with eight confirmed aerial victories. He remained in service throughout World War II, and served his nation for 33 years, not retiring until 1947.

==Early life== Broadberry was born on 14 December 1894<ref name="ABT86">Shores ''et.al.'' (1997), p.86.</ref> in Middlesex, England.<ref name="SE5">Franks (2007), p.12.</ref> He was the son of Arthur Edward Broadbery, gas works manager of Southend and later Tottenham and Amy Lucy Dubois, and the grandson of William Henry Hague Broadberry, a gas engineer, originally of North Collingham, Nottinghamshire.

==World War I== Broadberry's initial military service was with the Essex Regiment in the Gallipoli campaign.<ref name="ABT86"/> He had been raised to a temporary captaincy on 27 May 1914; on 16 March 1916, he surrendered his temporary captaincy upon leaving his posting within the regiment.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=17 May 1916 |issue=29585 |supp=y |page=4950 }}</ref> On 30 May 1916, he was promoted to captain.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=28 August 1916 |issue=29726 |supp=y |page=8491 |nolink=yes}}</ref> He learned to fly at Aboukir, Egypt.<ref name="ABT86"/>

On 8 November 1916, Broadberry was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps<ref>{{London Gazette |date=18 December 1916 |issue=29869 |supp=y |page=12334 |nolink=yes}}</ref> as a Flying Officer.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=19 December 1916 |issue=29870 |page=12344 |nolink=yes}}</ref> He returned to England, and was posted to combat duty in France with 56 Squadron on 20 April 1917 as a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a pilot. He scored his first aerial victory on 12 May 1917; he ran his tally to eight by 11 July. The following day, he was removed from action by being hit in the leg while being shot down.<ref name="ABT86"/>

As a reward for his exploits, he was awarded the Military Cross on 1 January 1918.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=1 January 1918 |issue=30450 |supp=y |pages=30–32 |nolink=yes}}</ref>

==List of aerial victories== {{See also|Aerial victory standards of World War I}}

Confirmed victories are numbered and listed chronologically. Unconfirmed victories are denoted by "u/c". {| class="wikitable" |- !No. !Date/time !Aircraft !Foe !Result !Location !Notes |- | align="center"| 1 | align="center"| 12 May 1917 @ 0845 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a serial number A8903 | Albatros D.III | Destroyed | East of Lens | Victory shared with Gerald J. C. Maxwell |- | align="center"| 2 | align="center"| 20 May 1917 @ 1410 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8903 | Albatros D.III | Driven down out of control | Guesnain, France | |- | align="center"| 3 | align="center"| 23 May 1917 between 1900 and 1015 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8903 | Albatros D.III | Driven down out of control | Aubigny, France | Victory shared with Philip B. Prothero |- | align="center"| 4 | align="center"| 26 May 1917 @ 1930 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8903 | German two-seater | Driven down out of control | Gouy-sous-Bellonne, France | |- | align="center"| 5 | align="center"| 27 May 1917 between 1900 and 2000 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8903 | Albatros D.III | Driven down out of control | East of Bugnicourt | |- | align="center"| 6 | align="center"| 7 June 1917 between 0850 and 0940 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8918 | German two-seater | Destroyed | Poelcappelle, France | |- | align="center"| 7 | align="center"| 7 June 1917 between 0850 and 0940 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8918 | German two-seater | Driven down out of control | Ledegem, Belgium | |- | align="center"| 8 | align="center"| 11 July 1917 @ 1930 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n A8918 | German two-seater | Driven down out of control | Houthulst Wood, Belgium | |- | align="center"| u/c | align="center"| 11 July 1917<ref name="ABT86"/> | | | | | |- |}

==Post World War I== Broadberry remained in the newly formed Royal Air Force after the First World War and made a career of it. On 1 August 1919, he granted a permanent commission in the reorganized Royal Air Force as a flying officer.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=28 October 1919 |issue=31620 |pages=13138–13139 |nolink=yes}}</ref>

Quite some years of his career passed unnoticed; however, in 1936, he was a squadron leader at the Air Observers School at North Coates.<ref name="ABT86"/> On 1 April 1937, he was promoted from squadron leader to wing commander.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=2 April 1937 |issue=34385 |page=2126 |nolink=yes}}</ref>

On 24 April 1940, in the early stages of World War II, Wing Commander Broadberry transferred duty to the Technical Branch of the RAF.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=14 February 1941 |issue=35076 |page=902 |nolink=yes}}</ref> On 1 December 1941, he was promoted to temporary group captain.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=16 December 1941 |issue=35383 |supp=y |pages=7110–7112 |nolink=yes}}</ref> His temporary appointment as group captain did not cease until well after war's end, on 1 November 1947.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=25 November 1947 |issue=38131 |supp=y |page=5588 |nolink=yes}}</ref> On 21 December 1947, Broadberry retired, keeping the rank of group captain in his retirement.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=23 December 1947 |issue=38153 |supp=y |page=6086 |nolink=yes}}</ref>

Broadberry died early on 26 December 1967.<ref name="ABT86"/>

==References== ;Notes {{reflist}} ;Bibliography * {{cite book |first1=Christopher F. |last1=Shores |first2=Norman |last2=Franks |authorlink2=Norman Franks |first3=Russell |last3=Guest |title=Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920 |location=London, UK |publisher=Grub Street |year=1990 |isbn=0-948817-19-4 }} * {{cite book |first=Norman |last=Franks |authorlink=Norman Franks |title=SE 5/5a Aces of World War I: Volume 78 of Aircraft of the Aces |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=9781846031809 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Broadberry, Edric}} Category:1894 births Category:1967 deaths Category:People from Tottenham Category:English aviators Category:British World War I flying aces Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Category:Essex Regiment officers Category:Royal Flying Corps officers Category:Recipients of the Military Cross Category:Military personnel from London Category:Royal Air Force group captains