2nd Lieutenant Robert Charles Bragg was born on 25th November 1892 in Adelaide Australia where his father was professor of mathematics and physics at Adelaide University. He came to Dryden House in May 1909, already 16 years old and stayed until December 1911. He was Head of House in his last year, was a member of the Rugby XV and was Captain of Boating.
He went up to Trinity College Cambridge in 1911 but left the next year.
In November 1912, he joined a territorial regiment called King Edward’s Horse, which had seen service in the British Empire. When war broke out, he joined the Royal Field Artillery and was sent to Gallipoli in 1915. On 6th September, his parents received two telegrams. The first: “Regret to inform you that 2nd Lieutenant R C Bragg, Royal Field Artillery was dangerously wounded 1st September. Further news will be telegraphed as soon as received.” The second telegram confirmed his parents’ fears: “Deeply regret to inform you that 2nd Lieutenant R C Bragg died of wounds at sea on 2nd September.”
Apparently Bragg and a colleague were censoring letters home in their dugout when they were hit by a shell. As chance would have it, Bragg lost both legs, while his colleague, Ellison escaped with a slight wound on his elbow.
Robert Bragg was buried at sea and is now remembered on the Helles Memorial.
A few weeks after his death, his father and older brother Lawrence shared a Nobel Prize for Physics.
His Housemaster, Llewellyn Jones, who had retired from Oundle to North Wales by this date, wrote of Robert Bragg in glowing terms: “Bob was one of the most loveable boys I ever had in Dryden and I had the warmest regard for him. He had all the extra virility of the colonial combined with the refinement of the English gentleman.”
Headmaster Sanderson wrote to Robert Bragg’s parents in these terms on 12th September 1915:
“The blows are falling with terrific force. We in schools are losing all the best of our old boys. We are distressed to see in the papers today that your dear boy has passed away. I trust that he was spared much suffering. A fine boy he was, who would have done good work in the world.”
Robert Charles Bragg was 22 years old at the time of his death.
C Pendrill
Yarrow Fellow