Bernard Maynard Lucas BRODHURST (1873-1915)

Bernard Maynard Lucas Brodhurst (1873-1915) was a friend of Mela Brown Constable (fiancée of Cyril Sladden) and her family from the days when they all lived in Allahabad, Bengal, India.  In a letter to Cyril of 5th May 1915, Mela told of reading in the papers of the death of an old family friend, killed in action.  This was Bernard Maynard Lucas Brodhurst, whose sister, Mary Caroline Deedes, was the wife of Mela’s godfather, Brook Deedes.

Bernard Brodhurst was born on 6th August 1873 at Highfield Hall near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, the ninth of ten children of Mr Justice Maynard Brodhurst of the High Court, United Provinces, India and his wife, Mary Dent Brodhurst (née Sandys).

Bernard was educated at Clifton College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.  A talented cricketer, he played for the MCC, the Old Cliftonians and for the Gurkha Brigade in India.

On passing for the Indian Army he was gazetted to the unattached list in September, 1892, and served for a year in India with the 2nd Battalion, The Border Regiment. In January, 1894, he was appointed to the 1/4th Gurkhas, becoming Lieutenant in December of the same year. In 1900 he was made Adjutant of his battalion, and was promoted Captain in September, 1901. He took part in the Waziristan Expedition, 1894-95, for which he received the medal with clasp, and was on service in China in 1900, receiving the medal. From 1903-06 he was Inspector of Signalling to the Imperial Service troops, having been the first officer to hold the appointment, and he obtained his Majority in September, 1910.

Major Bernard Brodhurst of the 1/4th Gurkha Rifles was killed in action near Ypres on 27th April, 1915, while advancing against the German trenches, being at the time in, temporary command of his battalion.  He was buried at La Brique Military Cemetery No 2 near Ypres.