Walter Lorrain Brodie

Walter Lorrain Brodie
Brodie on a cigarette card
Born	28 July 1884 Edinburgh, Scotland
Died	23 August 1918 (aged 34) Behagnies, France  †
Buried	Bienvillers Military Cemetery, France
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1904–1918
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	The Highland Light Infantry
Battles / wars	World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross Military Cross

Memorial to Walter Lorrain Brodie, Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh

Lieutenant Colonel Walter Lorrain Brodie VC MC (28 July 1884 – 23 August 1918) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Life

He was born on 28 July 1884 the son of John Wilson Brodie,^[1] an Edinburgh chartered accountant, and his wife Grace Mary Lorrain. The family lived at 13 Belgrave Place in Edinburgh's fashionable West End.^[2] At the time of Walter's death they had moved to a nearby house at 23 Belgrave Crescent. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy then at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

A career soldier, he was commissioned second lieutenant in the Highland Light Infantry in March 1904^[3] and became a lieutenant in 1906.^[4] He was an expert in the use of machine-guns.

Brodie was 29 years old, and a lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place on 11 November 1914 near Becelaere, Belgium, for which he was awarded the VC:

For conspicuous gallantry near Becelaere on the 11th November, in clearing the enemy out of a portion of our trenches which they had succeeded in occupying. Heading the charge, he bayonetted several of the enemy, and thereby relieved a dangerous situation. As a result of Lieutenant Brodie's promptitude, 80 of the enemy were killed, and 51 taken prisoners.^[5]

Brodie personally killed nine men in the attack. In a letter to his parents the following day he described the event as "a bit of a scrape".

He received the Victoria Cross from King George V at Windsor Castle on 17 July 1915.^[6] In January 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross.^[7]

He was promoted captain in October 1914^[8] and Brevet Major in January 1918.^[9] He later achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Brodie was killed in action near Behagnies, France, on 23 August 1918. He is buried in Bienvillers Military Cemetery in grave XVIII F15.^[10]

Freemasonry

He was a Scottish Freemason having been Initiated in Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, No. 2, (Edinburgh) on 7 February, was Passed a Fellow of Craft on 28 February and Raised a Master Mason on 28 March 1906.^[11]

Memorials

He is memorialised on his parents' grave in the modern north extension to Dean Cemetery in western Edinburgh. A memorial to Brodie also exists in the New Club on Princes Street of which he was a member.^[4] A pavement memorial was installed at Brodie's home in Belgrave Place, Edinburgh, around 2020.

Brodie's medals are on loan to the National War Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.^[12]

References

1. "Lt.Col. Walter Lorrain Brodie VC, MC. British Army 2nd Btn. Highland Light Infantry The Wartime Memories Project". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
2. Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1890–91
3. "No. 27652". The London Gazette. 1 March 1904. p. 1364.
4. "Pro Patria". Lodge Canongate Kilwinning. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
5. "No. 29005". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 December 1914. p. 10661.
6. VCs of the First World War: Gerald Giddon
7. "No. 29886". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1916. p. 31.
8. "No. 28972". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 November 1914. p. 9242.
9. "No. 30450". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1917. p. 12.
10. "Casualty". cwgc.org. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
11. The Great War 1914-1918 Victoria Cross Freemasons. Granville Angell. 2014. Pp.83-86. ISBN 978-0-9563661-7-7
12. "VC locations: National War Museum of Scotland".

Further reading

• Monuments to Courage
• The Register of the Victoria Cross
• Scotland's Forgotten Valour
• VCs of the First World War - 1914