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Summerland fallen soldier honoured in Alberta

Percy Broad called to the bar, more than a century after his death in battle
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Percy Broad was killed at the battle of Somme in 1916, but last week he was called to the bar in a special ceremony for law students who died in the First World War. Submitted photo

Last week, in Calgary, one of Summerland’s fallen soldiers from the First World War was honoured, one of 37 aspiring lawyers posthumously admitted to the bar.

In 1915, Percy Broad, son of William and Caroline Broad of Jones Flat Road attended law school at the University of Calgary. In October of that year, he enlisted and fought in Europe. Just a year later, on Sept. 15, 1916, at Courcelette France, the twenty-year-old was killed.

Early this year, in memory and recognition of these soldier’s sacrifices, the Law Society of Alberta’s board of directors passed a resolution to posthumously admit Broad and 36 other fallen law students to the bar in a ceremony that took place Nov. 9. The Ceremonial Court at the Calgary Court Centre was filled with members of the public and members of families of the fallen soldiers.

Related: Law students killed in WWI called to bar 100 years later

Toronto lawyer Patrick Shea provided the event with most of the biographical material on the fallen soldiers and the ceremony was conducted by provincial court Judge Catherine Skene, a great-niece to one of the fallen soldiers and law students.

The Broad family also lost two other sons in the Great War. ‘Ted’ Broad was killed at Vimy Ridge and Henry Broad died three weeks before the end of the war.

Related: Broad family lost three sons in war