Den Brotheridge
| Den Brotheridge | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
8 December 1915 Smethwick, Staffordshire England, United Kingdom |
| Died | 6 June 1944 (aged 28) Near Ranville, France |
| Buried at | Ranville Churchyard |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Years of service | 1942–1944 † |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Mentioned in dispatches |
Lieutenant Herbert Denham Brotheridge was a British Army officer who served with the 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (the 52nd) during the Second World War. He is often considered to be the first Allied soldier to be killed in action on D-Day, 6 June 1944.[5] He was killed during Operation Tonga: the British airborne landings which secured the left flank of the invasion area before the main assault on the Normandy beaches began.
Den Brotheridge was born in Smethwick, Staffordshire, the son of Herbert Charles and Lilian Brotheridge. He was educated at Smethwick Technical College and played football for the Aston Villa Colts and cricket for Mitchells and Butlers, Smethwick. He became an inspector of weights and measures with Aylesbury County Council. He married Margaret Plant on 30 August 1940 who was eight months pregnant when he left for Normandy. His daughter Margaret Brotheridge was born two weeks after he was killed.
Brotheridge was commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in July 1942. Brotheridge first met Major John Howard at Slade Barracks, Oxford and Howard was to recommend him, whilst he was a corporal, to join the OCTU. Later at a conference in Bournemouth he advised Howard, who was seeking to recruit him as a platoon commander, that he would join D Company, following completion of his OCTU training. They both had a similar social background and a keen interest in sports. It was expected that Brotheridge would pursue a career as a professional footballer following the war. They had both served in the ranks and Howard considered him to be a friend. Brotheridge did not initially enjoy an easy relationship with his fellow platoon leaders who all came from a different social background to himself. He was popular with the members of his platoon.
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