The Haileybury Society is saddened to learn of the death aged 82 of Sir Nigel Broomfield, a talented OH who served in the British Army before joining the Diplomatic Service.

Nigel Broomfield – an “incredible all-rounder”

As Nigel Broomfield, he was described by his near contemporary Donald Macleod as “an incredible all-rounder at Haileybury”. Indeed, he was schoolboy national squash champion for four or five years, Head Boy at Haileybury, in addition to playing in 1st XV and 1St XI. He excelled in many sports including tennis, cricket, golf, rugby and his favourite sport, squash, winning the British Amateur Open Squash Championship 1958/9, amongst a number of other achievements in the sport.

His intelligence and many talents were to serve him well throughout his career. After Haileybury, he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge before taking up a university commission with the British Army, serving in the 17/21st Lancers from 1959 to 1968, during which time he rose to the rank of Major.

Overseas service

In 1969, he joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and served in Bonn (1st Sec HM Embassy), Moscow (1st Sec Moscow 1973-75), and in Berlin as Councillor & Political Adviser to the British Military Government, 1979-81 before being posted to New Delhi as Deputy High Commissioner (1985-88). He was Ambassador to the German Democratic Republic 1988-90, seeing for himself the end of communism and the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Between 1990 and 1992 he served as Under Secretary of State (defence) at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, returning to Germany as Ambassador in 1993, three years prior to his retirement from the Diplomatic Service.

Later career

After retiring from the Service, Sir Nigel was director of the Ditchley Foundation 1999-2004 and non-executive director of TI Group 1998-2000 and Smiths Group 2000-2007 and founding non-executive Chairman of Quantum Computing in Cambridge. Amongst other positions, he was also served as a director at the Leonard Cheshire Foundation from 2004-9, becoming Chairman in 2005.

Nigel Broomfield was appointed CMG in 1986 and knighted KCMG in 1993. A Service of Thanksgiving was held for him at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks in London on March 26th 2019. All who knew him and worked with him, speak of him with great affection and warmth; he will be sorely missed.

(Image: a family photograph supplied to the press)

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