Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Captain

Army Number : 23710799 and 509079

Unit : Royal 1st Bn, 4th R Anglian

Biography :

Charles Bromfield enlisted in Glasgow in Jun 1959 and served as a Junior Leader, first at IJLB Plymouth and, on its closure, at IJLB Oswestry, where he reached the highest achievable rank of Junior RSM and commanded a Passing Out Parade. Entering Men’s Service in Dec 1961, he served for 3 months at Depot The Forester Brigade at Glen Parva Barracks as a Local LCpl training instructor. He joined 1st Bn The Royal Leicestershire Regiment in Münster, West Germany on 28.3.1962, being promoted LCpl, and moved with the Bn to Watchet in Jul that year, and subsequently serving in Hong Kong and Borneo 1963-64. While the Bn was in Hong Kong, he was a member of the Battalion’s 7-man group which was part of the 8th United States Army's Honour Guard at United Nations HQ in South Korea for 3 months. 1st R Leicesters became 4th R Anglian in 1964, in which Charles then served in Watchet. In Jan 1965 he went on the All Arms Platoon Weapons Course and rejoined 4th R Anglian in Jan 1966, serving in Malta and Libya, and Gillingham 1966-68, as Pl Sgt of the Anti-Tank Platoon. In the rank of CSgt he was a SNCO Instructor at RMA Sandhurst 1969-71, whereafter he moved to The Queen’s Regiment in 1972 and became a WO2, CSM of B Coy 1st Bn The Queen's Regiment in Werl (West Germany) and then Bulford. He was awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct Medal in 1976. He undertook six tours of Northern Ireland. After the fifth, in Londonderry, he was awarded a Mention in Despatches (L.G. 28.6.1977), on which tour on 28.8.1976 he was wounded in the neck by a sniper, a 5.56mm Armalite bullet passing clean through his neck without touching any vital parts; he returned to active soldiering three weeks later (his would-be murderer was caught and sentenced to 15 years). The mental effect of that wounding stayed with him throughout the rest of his life, and materially affected his working career. At some stage he formally transferred from The Royal Anglian Regiment to The Queen's Regiment. From RQMS of 1st Queens in Werl (West Germany), he was commissioned 2Lt into The Queen's Regiment on 8.1.1980, with seniority 8.7.1975 and to be Lt the same day with seniority 8.7.1977. He was promoted Captain on 8.1.1982. On commissioning, Charles was Families Officer of 3rd Queens in Dover and then spent 5 years in that Bn in Fallingbostel, of which he was MTO from 1983 until 1985. Upon returning to UK in December 1985, he attended the QMs’ Course, where he obtained an 'A' grade. He spent part of 1986 in Woolwich Military Hospital, and after rehabilitation he was Families Officer at Depot The Queen's Division at Bassingbourn 1987-93, being granted a Short Service (Late Entry) Commission on 1.4.1988. Later, on its formation on amalgamation in 1992, he joined The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (PWRR). He retired from the Army on 1.1.1993, and became an RO employed as Families Officer at Waterbeach Barracks, Cambs, from which he retired early due to ill-health.
Charles’ keenness and ability as a golfer, which took off when serving in The Queen’s Regiment, never left him, and he played off a single-figure handicap. He was a member of the 1st Queens team which won the BAOR inter-unit Golf Championships in 1981; after the cup had been presented, from the engraving it was noticed that Col W T Bromfield, Charles’ grandfather, had captained 2nd Bn The Leicestershire Regiment to similar victory in 1930 and 1931, 50 years before (As a Lt Col, W T Bromfield had commanded 2nd Leicesters 1925-29.). Charles remained a committed member of The Queen’s (and later The PWRR) Golf Societies, and was Captain of the former in 1991 and 1992. He was a member of the Queen’s/PWRR regimental golf team which won the knockout competition for Infantry regiments, The Argyll & Sutherland Challenge Bowl, in 1988, 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999. He was awarded Infantry colours for golf. He died during the afternoon round of the PWWR golf meeting at Canterbury in 2002, aged 58 years.

Married Gillian Brillard registered 3rd quarter 1968 at Battle, Sussex.

Image: Cpl Bromfield c 1963 (wearing the capbadge of The East Anglian Brigade, of which 1st R Leicesters was a part)

Date of Birth : 7.5.1944

Place of Birth : Newton Mearns, Ayrshire

Date of Death : 7.6.2002

Place of Death : Canterbury, Kent

Civil Occupation : Retired Officer

Period of Service : 1959-93

Conflicts : Borneo Confrontation, Northern Ireland

Places Served : England, Germany, Hong Kong, South Korea, Borneo, Malta and Libya, Northern Ireland