This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who served in, and survived, The Great War. If anyone has further information on the men concerned, I’d be most grateful if it could be added to the thread. Gareth Brougham, Henry played for England Internationals: 4: 1912 W+ (1t) I+ (1t) S- F+ (1t) Henry Brougham was born on 8 July 1888, in Wellington College Played as a Wing for: Wellington College, Oxford University, Harlequins Profession: The Army War service: Major, Royal Field Artillery. Severely gassed Remarks: Represented Great Britain in singles rackets at the 1908 London Olympics. Rackets and cricket blue 1911 (scored 84 runs v Cambridge). Also played for Berkshire County Cricket Club in the period 1905-1914 and for Minor Counties v South Africa in 1912. All comers’ singles rackets champion; won doubles championship with B S Foster. He died on 18 February 1923, at La Croix, from phthisis contracted while serving in Ireland in 1918
Henry Brougham was one of the great sportsmen of the period immediately before the Great War. He won a Blue at Oxford for cricket in 1911 he scored 84 in the Varsity match - and in 1912 he was capped four times for England at rugby union. Remarkably, although he was good enough to play as a three-quarter internationally, he did not get in the Wellington XV nor did he win a Blue at Oxford. His best sport was rackets, winning the Public Schools Championship in 1907 and a bronze medal at the 1908 Olympics. He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery at the outbreak of war but was invalided out in 1917 and had been in ill health ever since. Henry Brougham, born at Wellington College on July 8, 1888, died at La Croix, after an illness of five years, on February 18. He was in the Wellington XI three seasons, being captain in 1907, and in 1911, when he obtained his Blue for Oxford, played a free and attractive innings of 84 against Cambridge. Commencing in 1905, he did many good things for Berkshire, among his best scores being 150 v Carmarthen at Reading in 1911, 138 v Devon at Exeter in 1910, and 122 v Buckinghamshire at Reading in 1911. At Rugby Football he played for the Harlequins and also represented England against Wales, Irelend, Scotland, and France. At rackets, too, he was well above the average, being second string for Oxford in 1908 and first in 1909. During the War he served in France 1915-17 with the Royal Field Artillery, and was then invalided out with the rank of Major.
Andy Thanks for the photos. It's interesting (to some people, at least) that there are two Rugby internationals in the inter-University squash photo; R O Lagden (England) was killed in action in March 1915. Gareth
Gareth, Our man Lagden keeps popping up here and there, he also partnered a Rifle Brigade officer in rackets. This RB officer's memorial book is about to be re-published so we have been digging up everything we can on the man and Lagden pops up a few times, the RB officer was also killed in 1915. Andy
Brougham and Lagden also played together for Oxford in the 1911 cricket Varsity match at Lord's and for Oxford and Cambridge Universities against the Army and Navy in Portsmouth. His brother in law was John Bruce-Lockhart, who played rugby and cricket for Scotland. His nephew, Rab Bruce-Lockhart, also played cricket for Cambridge.
He has a thread too Robco !! http://ww1talk.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1779&highlight=John Bruce-Lockhart Annie
