Captain Alan Brodie HOARE
A Company, 2/5th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

Date of birth: 9th May 1882
Date of death: 26th October 1917

Killed in action aged 35
Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial Panels 102 to 104
Alan Brodie Hoare was born at St Bernards House in Caterham on the 9th of May 1882 the youngest son of Edward Brodie Hoare MP, a banker, and Katherine (nee Parry) Brodie Hoare of Tenchley's Manor, Limpsfield in Surrey. He was one of six children.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until December 1895 where he was a member of the Cricket XI in 1894 and 1895 and a member of the Football XI in 1895. The school magazine wrote of the following of his 1895 cricket season: - "Never came up to his last year's form as a bowler; played one astonishing innings; an unsafe field. Will have left by next summer."

They wrote the following on his football season that year: - "Played in the last two matches inside right and bustled about energetically."

When he left, the school magazine wrote: - ".... goes to Harrow with the sincere regrets and the good wishes of all. He was in both Elevens, a useful Alto, and an expert fiddler."

He went on to Harrow School where he was in Church Hill House, under Mr. Moss, from January 1896 to July 1901. He matriculated for Pembroke College Cambridge in 1901 and, on leaving university, he worked for the Bleacher's Association at Firwood near Bolton. He lived at 99 Thicketford Road, Bolton. He was a member of Limpsfield Chart Golf Club.

Following the outbreak of war applied for a commission in the 2/5th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment on the 21st of October 1914 and was passed as being fit for general service at a medical examination, which took place the following day, where it was recorded that he was five feet ten inches tall. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Battalion on the 19th of October 1914 and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 19th of December 1914. He was promoted to temporary Captain on the 16th of April 1915 and to Captain on the 12th of June 1917 but with precedence from the 1st of June 1916.

He was married to Audrey Lois (nee Collier) on the 3rd of January 1916; they lived at 64 Napier Court, Hurlingham in London.

He landed in France with the 2/5th battalion of his regiment on the 9th of February 1917 and was wounded (Times 28th of August 1917) whilst in the Armentieres sector of the line.

The 2/5th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment formed up at about 5am on the morning of the 26th of October 1917 to attack an objective 1,000 yards away as part of the Battle of Polecappelle. At 5.40am they moved off in “impossible” conditions due to the rain and clinging mud which rendered many of the rifles and Lewis Guns unusable. Despite this the advance continued at a slow pace and, when the German positions were gained, much use was made of the bayonet. The battalion accounted for an estimated five hundred Germans and captured or destroyed eight machine guns but sustained casualties of six officers killed with nine wounded and forty two other ranks killed and one hundred and forty four other ranks wounded and eighty seven missing. Alan Brodie-Hoare was among the dead.

After the war Audrey was remarried to Charles Gardiner and lived at Westcott in Surrey.

He is commemorated on the war memorial at Limpsfield, on the memorial at Harrow School and on the memorial at Pembroke College Cambridge. He is also commemorated on the memorial at Limpsfield Chart Golf Club.
Went on to Harrow School

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