Harry Skeet Broom
Harry Skeet Broom (c1875-1959) of Broom and Wade
1958 Obituary [1]
WE record with regret the death of Mr. Harry Skeet Broom, which occurred at High Wycombe on September 12. Mr. Broom, who was in his eighty-fourth year, was the founder, chairman and joint managing director of Broom and Wade, Ltd.; he continued to take an active part in the affairs of his company until a few weeks ago.
Mr. Broom came of a Norfolk farming family. As a young man he turned to an engineering career and founded his business in 1898. At that time he devoted himself principally to the manufacture of woodworking machinery for the furniture industry. But as the firm progressed, there were developments in other directions and, for many years past, the work of Broom and Wade, Ltd., has been concentrated upon the production of air compressors and, pneumatic equipment.
Under Mr. Broom's inspiring leadership, a family business with quite small beginnings has been extended to many countries overseas. Furthermore, during the lifetime of its founder it has had to meet the demands of two world wars. In the first world war howitzer shells were turned out in large quantities under the direction of H. S. Broom, while in the second world war the firm was called upon for a great deal of work concerned with the production of Churchill tanks.
Mr. Broom was a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a past-president of the British Compressed Air Society. He was a keen sportsman, particularly as a yachtsman and in the hunting field.
1958 Obituary [2]