September 3, 1923 - November 19, 1944
Frederick Heath Broad was born on September 3, 1923 in Hampstead, London, England. He had two sisters, Dorothy Eleanor and Joan Alfreda, both younger. Their parents were Frederick Thomas (WWI veteran) and Doris Minnie (nee Heath) Broad of 100 Dupont Street, Toronto. The family moved to Toronto in 1927. They were Anglican.
Broad was a food grinder and a tool maker's apprentice previous to enlistment and enjoyed model airplanes as a hobby, plus football and baseball as sports. When he first enlisted, in September 1941, he was considered temporarily unfit and below average stability. He had an infected finger. When he first applied to the RCAF, he was only 17 years of age -- in 1940. He stood 2' 5 1/2" tall, weighing 135 pounds. He had hazel eyes and brown eyes. By January 28, 1942, he was reconsidered. "Average type, short medium build, confident, quiet, sincere, keen to be pilot. Will take Can. Legion Education Course. When education satisfactory, should improve with training." Broad had indicated that after the war, he would like to have stayed in the RCAF. /p>
No. 5 ITS: Average type. Takes his work seriously. Conscientious and applies himself well. No. 13 EFTS: Should be above average pilot. Good instructing type. Average. Quiet type of lad. Conduct good. Link: Good student. Interested. No. 2 SFTS: High average flying ability. A very enthusiastic and cheerful disposition. Mentally alert and an intelligent and quick thinker. Reliable leader. Recommended for commission." He was awarded his Pilots Flying Badge, Course 67, Uplands, February 19, 1943.
He was at 1 OTU, Bagotville on February 19, 1943, then in Halifax by the end of May. On June 15, 1943, he was at RAF Trainees Pool.
Broad married Alice (nee Carney), aged 21 of 139 Brookside, Newtown, Carlisle, Cumberland on June 20, 1944. They had a daughter, Avril, born April 1944 and a new baby son, July 30, 1945, name unknown at the time of Broad's death. By December 1951, Alice remarried, taking the last name Kendall, moving to 78 Warnell Drive, Harraby, Carlisle, England.
On November 19, 1944, Broad was involved in a fatal crash in Typhoon 1B PD526 approximately ten miles north of Deventer, Holland at 0900 hours. The details and conclusions from the Court of Inquiry were: "257 Squadron was detailed to carry out a dive bombing sortie, cutting the railway at the ROAD RAIL CROSSING marked on the map. F/O Broad, No. 4 to dive on the target caught fire in the air, in the dive, at a time when the following pilot estimates he would have released his bombs. His cannons were seen to fire and there seems no doubt that an explosion occurred in the wings in the region of the gun bay. No attempt was made to pull out of the dive or to bale out, the aircraft aileron-turned to starboard and crashed. [Witness P/O A. B. Campbell said, "He half rolled to starboard and blew up on hitting the ground."] No flak was seen by the other pilots in the formation. Since the aircraft crashed in enemy occupied territory, it is impossible to obtain any evidence from witnesses on the ground...the pilot had not been over-worked, was quite fit and well, and fully conversant with the type of aircraft and its armament. In addition, he was fairly experienced on operations, having carried out seeral similar such sorties before." It was suggested that upon the area being cleared of enemy occupation, if the plane was located, to investigate further. "No adequate explanation can be given for this crash. The most probable one is that the aircraft was hit by traceless and flashless types of flak. However, the case strongly resembles certain other crashes which have never been completely explained."
A Dutch civilian, A. Dijkman, Zuidberg Wijhe, indicated that F/O Broad was buried outside Wijhe, fifteen miles NNE Apeldoorn. They were able to recover Broad's identity card.
LINKS: