Bromet Crash (2)

Geoffrey Bromet was born on 28th August 1891. He qualified as Royal Navy pilot at the Bristol School of Flying at Brooklands under the tuition of Mr F Warren Merriam in early January 1914. His training had begun in April 1913 at the Bristol School where he flew at Salisbury Plain and other locations. Lt Bromet gained his brevet in early October 1913 and gained his Royal Aero Club Certificate (No.714) on 22nd December 1913. He was made a Flight Lieutenant from an Acting Flight Lieutenant on 1st August 1914 and on the same date he was posted to HMS Pembroke, but attended Eastchurch Naval Fying School prior to actually going there. On 5th March 1915 Flight Lieutenant Bromet was piloting seaplane no.172 (with Lieutenant Brown flying with him). Owing to the importance of locating concealed guns the aircraft had to be flown very low. Bromet's aircraft was struck in the region of twenty eight times by enemy fire. Almost certainly flying from the "Ark Royal" he was able to return where repairs were later carried out. In August 1915 he was commended for service at Gallipoli. He became the commander of "Naval 8" squadron in October 1916: the Unit’s first Commanding Officer; the second being Christopher Draper DSO (who was involved in a number of training accidents in the Marske area in WW1). His DSO was Gazetted on 12th May 1917 and the citation reads: "This officer commanded a squadron of the RNAS, attached to the Flying Corps, with conspicuous ability and success. Under his command the Squadron developed into a most efficient and formidable fighting force, which has brought great credit to the Royal Naval Air Service."

He was engaged to Margaret Ratcliffe in September 1916 and on 26th February 1917 it was announced that Squadron Commander G R Bromet RN, the son of Mr and Mrs G Bromet of Tadcaster, Yorkshire was married to Margaret Ratcliffe, daughter of Lt Col and Mrs Ratcliffe of Lillington, Leamington Spa. He served throughout the First World War. On 1st January 1919 he was awarded the OBE and on 1st August 1919 he was awarded a permanent commission as a Major. By 1931 he was a Group Captain and was on the Staff of the Coastal Area. Bromet wrote the first history of "Naval 8" around this time. Rising to Air Commodore on an unknown date he was promoted in August 1940 to Air Vice-Marshal Bromet and was one of the main officers in charge of Coastal Command. Following the War he retired at his own request and he was made Air Vice-Marshal Sir Geoffrey Bromet DSO, KBE and Lieut Governor of the Isle of Man: a role he gave up in 1952. His first wife died in 1961 and he later married Jean Conan Doyle. He was Mentioned in Dispatches on 1st January 1941 and also awarded the CBE on 17th March 1941, and the KBE on 14th June 1945. He died on 16th November 1983 as AVM Sir Geoffrey Bromet. KBE, CB, DSO, DL. His medals and decorations are held by the RAF Museum. He is almost certainly the highest ranked airman ever to have had a flying accident in Yorkshire and one of the most decorated Yorkshiremen.

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