Bradford, Herbert

No.1716 – Private Herbert Bradford – 11^th Battalion AIF

Herbert Bradford was born in Melbourne Victoria in 1890 to John and Sarah Bradford though while he was still a boy his family moved across to Western Australia and took up residence in Plympton. This suburb’s name soon changed to East Fremantle and Herbert completed his schooling at Plympton School. A sister, Hilda, was born in Fremantle in 1896.

After leaving school he took up work as a labourer and was living at 119 Hubble Street East Fremantle (now 59 Hubble St). Herbert enlisted on the 18^th January 1915 and the medical examiner found him to be 5 feet 8 ¼ inches; weight of 136 lbs; chest measurement of 34-36 inches; sallow complexion; blue eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. After spending a month in the training depot, Herbert was assigned to the 4^th Reinforcements to the 11^th Battalion. This group trained in WA until they departed Fremantle on the 19^th April 1915 aboard the H.M.A.T. “Argyllshire”. They did not spend long in Egypt and on the 4^th June 1915 the 4^th reinforcements were taken on strength of the 11^th Battalion at Anzac. Herbert was admitted to Hospital on the 31^st July 1915 suffering from diarrhea. He was evacuated back to Mudros and after recovering was sent back to the 11^th Battalion on the 27^th August. Herbert remained with the Battalion until the 30^th October when he was once again admitted to hospital, this time with pyrexia of unknown origin. It was serious enough for Herbert to be sent to Hospital in Gibraltar where he spent a month, and then on to England and the 3^rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth where he saw out the rest of 1915.

Herbert spent the first few months in hospital in London before recovering enough to be sent to the Australian Base Divisional Depot. While here in April, Herbert was charged with 48 hours detention and the loss of 2 days pay as a punishment for being absent without leave for 24 hours. A few days later he was awarded 2 days punishment of being confined to barracks when he missed a roll call. Herbert must not have like being confined as a week later he went absent again and was given a further 24 hours detention.

Herbert was destined to spend a few more months in England as he had been admitted to Hospital with venereal disease. By September 1916 he had recovered and was ordered to proceed to France. On the 1^st October 1916 he arrived at the 1^st Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples, he spent two weeks here before joining the 11^th Battalion on the 16^th October 1916. The cold weather of the Somme did not agree with Herbert and he was evacuated back to Hospital with influenza. It was serious enough for evacuation to England where he was admitted to 1^st Southern General Hospital on the 14^th December 1916. After recovering he was sent on a period of furlough and then to camp at Perham Downs. The first 6 months of 1917 saw Herbert continuously in trouble for increasingly long period of going Absent Without Leave. By June it seems the authorities had enough and he was held awaiting trial. After receiving his monetary punishment of the forfeiture of 60 days pay, he was finally sent back to France on the 26^th July 1917. After two weeks at the 1^st Australian Division Base Depot in Etaples he joined the 11^th Battalion on the 15^th August 1917. Herbert served with the 11^th through the Third Battle of Ypres and survived the 11^th’s initial actions there at Menin Road and Glencourse Wood.

On the 2^nd November 1917 while in an isolated post in front of the line near Decoy Wood a German shell exploded killing all the men there; Lt Willie Irving, Sgt Alex Holm MM, No.128 Pte John Lea, 5147 Pte James McLeod and Pte Herbert Bradford.

The post was soon re-established, and the men buried though after the war when the war graves parties came through it seems that only James McLeod was officially identified and has a grave in Tyne Cot Cemetery. He was recovered from map reference 28.D.17.C.40.80. Herbert and the others are commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.

Lt Irving, Sgt Holm MM, Pte Lea and Private Bradford may still be in the field near where Pte McLeod was retrieved or they may be buried as Unknown Australian Soldiers in Tyne Cot Cemetery.

In January 1917 when Herbert was in England he married an English girl Florence Robina Hicks. After his death she was given a pension of 40/- per fortnight. She later remarried a man named Alexander William Alfred Ferguson in West Ham in June 1918 and they went to live in Brisbane in January 1920. She died in Rockhampton Queensland on the 5^th November 1921.