Tragic story of Greyfriars boy

Alan has visited the site of the former school in Warwick Place but says it has been built over and there are flats there now. In the photograph, Alan believes the boy in the middle row to the right of the white bearded gentleman is William Browne.

William was the man who buried the poet Rupert Brooke on a Greek island after he died from septicaemia on the way to fight at Gallipoli during the First World War. William was later killed at Gallipoli and his body was never recovered.

Before the war Leamington-born William Charles Denis Browne (known as Billy to family and as Denis to his friends) was a composer, pianist, organist and music critic.

He was born in 1888, the youngest son of five children of William Denis Browne, a retired land agent and Louisa (nee Hackett), of Lynwood, 111 Lillington Avenue, Leamington. His grandfather was the Very Reverend Denis Browne, Dean of Emly, Ireland.

He was educated at Greyfriars Preparatory School and was awarded a mathematics scholarship at Harrow but declined in favour of Rugby School. He went there from 1903 as a classical scholar boarding at Collins House and became best friends with Rupert Brooke. They both studied at Cambridge and became comrades in arms before their tragic deaths in 1915.

If anyone can supply more information about the former Greyfriars School, please email [email protected]