There are many stories of heroism from the Great War; in a few instances a single family not only suffered multiple tragedies but provided more than their share of heroism. One such was the Bradford family, of Durham. The brothers, Thomas, George, James and Roland were awarded between them two Victoria Crosses, a DSO and two MCs. Three served in the Durham Light Infantry, and one in the Royal Navy. Sadly, only one of them survived the war. There is an excellent tribute site here: http://www.geocities.com/bradcrem/bradford_index.html To summarise: Colonel (later Sir) Thomas Bradford DSO was the oldest, born 1886. He alone survived the war, being wounded at the Second Battle of Ypres on 25th April 1915, while commanding D Company of 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. He finished the war commanding a training unit in Ireland, and died in 1966. Lt-Commander George Nicholson Bradford VC RN was posthumously awarded a Victoria Cross in the raid on Zeebrugge harbour on April 23rd 1918, his 31st birthday. The objective of this raid was to sink three old cruisers at the mouth of the Bruges Canal to stop German submarines putting to sea. To allow them to get into position a diversionary raid was planned, landing Marines and Naval troops onto the heavily defended jetty. The troops were to be landed from the cruiser Vindictive and the ex-Liverpool ferries, Iris and Daffodil. George Bradford was the second-in-command of Iris. As the ship arrived at the jetty, the decks were below the level of the wall and so sheltered from enemy fire: but the first men onto the wall faced certain death, and someone was going to have to tie the mooring rope to a bollard. A young man called Lt Hawkings went up a ladder onto the jetty and was instantly killed. Bradford, despite seeing this, went up a lifeboat davit, and succeeded in tying up the ship to a bollard before a burst of machine gun fire swept him into the sea. Eight Victoria Crosses were awarded on that day, the greatest number for a single action in the 20th century. Second Lieutenant James Barker Bradford MC served with the 18th Battn Durham Light Infantry. He died of wounds on 14th May 1917. Brigadier General Roland Boys Bradford VC MC was at the age of 26 the youngest General the British Army ever had. As a Lt-Colonel commanding the 9th DLI, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 25th September 1916, at Eaucourt L'Abbaye in the Somme area, when by his courage and leadership he turned around a desperate situation and saved his position from being over-run. He was very highly regarded by his troops. He was a truly Christian soldier, who ordered that the piper should play a verse of the hymn "Abide With Me" every evening. After his death, this continued, and a new soldier who sneered at this was knocked to the ground by a veteran who declared: "that hymn was taught us by a better bloody soldier than you will ever be!" He was promoted to Brigadier-General on November 10th 1917, but just eleven days later he was killed by a shell during the German counter-attack at Cambrai. The photo below, which I took myself, shows the scene of his death as it is today, by the Canal du Nord.
Before his death, Roland Bradford paid for three thousand copies of a drawing "Abide with Me", by the artist Pio Ximenes, to be distributed to his troops. This is the line-drawing attached below; the colour version was painted in 1919.
How awful it is Adrian ... to hear of brothers dying in the war ...... were the Bradford boys related to you ? or are you researching them ? I was reading about the Seabrook brothers the other day ..... my heart goes out to the parents ..... so proud of their boys but so grieved ! The Seabrook brothers: all three killed at Passchendaele
No, they weren't related to me. But when I first acquired the internet, the Bradford site was one of the first that I came across, even before I discovered the Great War Forum. So this gave a boost to my interest in WW1.
Victoria Cross: G. N. and R. B. Bradford GEORGE NICHOLSON BRADFORD Lieutenant Commander, Royal Navy Born: 23 April 1887, Darlington, County Durham Died: 23 April 1918, Zeebrugge, Belgium Citation: For most conspicuous gallantry at Zeebrugge on the night of the 22nd-23rd April, 1918. This officer was in command of the Naval Storming Parties embarked in "Iris II." When "Iris II." proceeded alongside the Mole great difficulty was experienced in placing the parapet anchors owing to the motion of the ship. An attempt was made to land by the scaling ladders before the ship was secured. Lieutenant Claude E. K. Hawkings (late "Erin") managed to get one ladder in position and actually reached the parapet, the ladder being crashed to pieces just as he stepped off it. This very gallant young officer was last seen defending himself with his revolver. He was killed on the parapet. Though securing the ship was not part of his duties, Lieut.-Commander Bradford climbed up the derrick, which carried a large parapet anchor and was rigged out over the port side; during this climb the ship was surging up and down and the derrick crashing on the Mole; waiting his opportunity he jumped with the parapet anchor on to the Mole and placed it in position. Immediately after hooking on the parapet anchor Lieut.-Commander Bradford was riddled with bullets from machine guns and fell into the sea between the Mole and the ship. Attempts to recover his body failed. Lieut.-Commander Bradford's action was one of absolute self-sacrifice; without a moment's hesitation he went to certain death, recognising that in such action lay the only possible chance of securing "Iris II" and enabling her storming parties to land. (London Gazette Issue 31236 dated 17 Mar 1919, published 14 Mar 1919.) ROLAND BOYS BRADFORD, MC Lieutenant (Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel), 9th Battalion the Durham Light Infantry Born: 22 February 1892, Etherly, County Durham Died: 30 November 1917, Graincourt, France Citation: For most conspicuous bravery and good leadership in attack [on 1 October 1916, at Eaucourt L'Abbaye, France], whereby he saved the situation on the right flank of his Brigade and of the Division. Lieutenant-Colonel Bradford's Battalion was in support. A leading Battalion having suffered very severe casualties, and the Commander wounded, its flank became dangerously exposed at close quarters to the enemy. Raked by machine-gun fire, the situation of the Battalion was critical. At the request of the wounded Commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Bradford asked permission to command the exposed Battalion in addition to his own. Permission granted, he at once proceeded to the foremost lines. By his fearless energy under fire of all description, and his skilful leadership of the two Battalions, regardless of all danger, he succeeded in rallying the attack, captured and defended the objective, and so secured the flank. (London Gazette Issue 29836 dated 25 Nov 1916, published 24 Nov 1916.) Note: One of four pairs of brothers who were awarded the Victoria Cross. http://theoldcoot.blogspot.com/2008/12/victoria-cross-g-n-and-r-b-bradford.html
Three of their Anniversaries are coming up Adrian ...... http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9746377 George Nicholson Bradford Birth: Apr. 23, 1887 Death: Apr. 23, 1918 WWI recipient of the Victoria Cross, the United Kingdom’s highest award for valor. Commander, Royal Navy, H.M.S. “Iris II.” Native of Darlington, County Durham, England. Key participant in the Zeebrugge Raid. On the night of 22-23 April 1918, an armada of British sailors and marines in a motley collection of destroyers, launches, old submarines and Mersey ferry-boats attacked the mole [breakwater] at Zeebrugge, Belgium, at the head of the canal leading to the German submarine pens at Brugge. Higher-ups in the Royal Navy realized there was no way they could actually capture the canal or the submarine pens, but they could block access by sinking three obsolescent, coal-burning cruisers, filled with concrete, across the canal. From Bradford’s citation: "For most conspicuous gallantry at Zeebrugge on the night of the 22nd-23rd April, 1918. This Officer was in command of the Naval Storming Parties embarked in “Iris II.” When “Iris II” proceeded alongside the Mole great difficulty was experienced in placing the parapet anchors owing to the motion of the ship. An attempt was made to land by the scaling ladders before the ship was secured. Lieutenant Claude E. K. Hawkings (late [of the] “Erin”) managed to get one ladder in position and actually reached the parapet, the ladder being crushed to pieces just as he stepped off it. This very gallant young officer was last seen defending himself with his revolver. He was killed on the parapet. Though securing the ship was not part of his duties, Lieut.-Commander Bradford climbed up the derrick, which carried a large parapet anchor and was rigged out over the port side; during this climb the ship was surging up and down and the derrick crashing on the Mole. Waiting his opportunity he jumped with the parapet anchor on to the Mole and placed it in position. Immediately after hooking on the parapet anchor Lieut.-Commander Bradford was riddled with bullets from machine guns and fell into the sea between the Mole and the ship. Attempts to recover his body failed [at the time—it was recovered later and interred nearby]. Lieut. Commander Bradford's action was one of absolute self-sacrifice; without a moment's hesitation he went to certain death, recognising that in such action lay the only possible chance of securing “Iris II” and enabling her storming parties to land." His brother Lt. Col. Roland Boys Bradford also won the V.C., for actions at Eaucourt l’Abbaye, France.
