Joseph Brome (British Army officer, died 1825) facts for kids

Joseph Brome was a British Army officer who lived a long time ago. He was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Artillery, which is a special part of the army that uses big guns. He fought during the Napoleonic Wars.

Early Life and Military Start

Joseph Brome was the adopted son of another famous Royal Artillery officer, also named Joseph Brome.

Joseph Brome finished his training at the Royal Military Academy on August 14, 1794. He became a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery. This was the same day a new army group, the 5th battalion, was formed. He was sent to Woolwich. Just a few weeks later, on September 22, he was promoted to First Lieutenant. He was then sent to Erith to help lead a group of Royal Artillery soldiers going to the East Indies.

Serving on Bomb Ships

In June 1797, Brome came back to England. He was put in charge of a special ship called the Judith. This was a bomb tender, which means it carried bombs and helped bigger ships. The Judith was stationed in the Downs, a safe place for ships to anchor.

Expeditions and Battles

From May to June 1798, the Judith took part in an important mission. This mission was to destroy the locks of the Bruges Canal in Ostend. This was done to stop the French army. Later that year, Brome's ship was involved in other actions along the coast of France. In November, he joined the army's mission to capture Minorca. The next year, in August 1799, he helped with the invasion of Holland on the island of Walcheren.

In April 1801, Brome was promoted to Captain-Lieutenant. He was put in charge of another bomb ship called the Thunder. In August of that year, the Thunder was part of a fleet that went to Boulogne. Their goal was to destroy the French ships that were being built to invade England. Brome showed great bravery during this mission, especially when the British forces were leaving. He was even mentioned in a special message to Admiral Lord Nelson for his actions.

Back to Land Service

In January 1802, Brome went to the West Indies. There, he commanded bomb ships near Port Royal, Jamaica. In July of the same year, he returned to England. He was then sent to Woolwich to work with the Royal Artillery on land. He joined the 3rd battalion.

On January 1, 1803, he became the acting Adjutant of the 3rd battalion. His promotion was officially confirmed in August. In July 1804, his navy rank was changed to Second Captain in the artillery. He was then promoted to Captain in the Royal Artillery. He took command of a company of soldiers in Canterbury and later moved to Exeter. He returned to Woolwich in 1805.

Later Campaigns

From December 1805 to February 1806, Brome commanded a group of field artillery guns. This group was part of an expedition to defend Hanover, led by Sir Arthur Wellesley.

The next year, in 1807, he commanded his artillery group on the Expedition to Copenhagen. This mission was also led by Sir Arthur Wellesley. Brome and his soldiers helped surround and attack Copenhagen.

In 1809, he commanded the Royal Artillery's light brigade during the Walcheren Campaign. He was involved in two major operations in the Scheldt area, including actions on Walcheren and South Beleland.

Waterloo and Final Years

On July 4, 1813, Joseph Brome was promoted to Brevet Major. He was part of the Waterloo Campaign. He commanded a group of artillery guns. However, he did not fight in the main Battle of Waterloo. Instead, he was stationed at Hal. His job there was to stop any possible French attacks towards Mons and to protect the British army's escape route to the coast. He did take part in the attack on Cambray and other actions as the army moved towards Paris.

Brome returned to Woolwich in 1816. In 1819, he was sent to Gibraltar. On August 8, 1821, he was promoted to Regimental Major in the Royal Artillery. He became the commander of the Royal Artillery in the West Indies. In 1823, he was promoted again to Regimental Lieutenant-Colonel. He sadly passed away on January 4, 1825, in Jamaica.