Bradford, William
3066 Private William Bradford - 12th Battalion AIF & W243644 10th Garrison Battalion
William Bradford was born in Fremantle WA in 1893 to John and Sarah Bradford. He was one of several children with John (1882), George (1885), Ada (1888), Herbert (1890) and Hilda (1896).
After George's birth the family moved from Jarrahdale to Fremantle and set up residence at 119 Hubble Street East Fremantle (now called 59 Hubble).
William was educated locally at Plympton Primary school/East Fremantle Primary school. After leaving school he took up employment as a wood cutter and horse driver.
On the 5th July 1915 William enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment with the medical examiner recording William's physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 7 inches;
Weight - 129lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Black.
Upon his successful enlistment George was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and was assigned to No.15 Depot Company. He only had four days with this training company as he was then transferred to the 10th Reinforcements to the 12th Battalion AIF. William trained with this reinforcement group in WA for the next three months.
On the 13th October 1915 William and his reinforcement group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Themistocles. The ship then set sail for Egypt, reaching there in early November 1915.
William and his group would have been expecting to be sent on to Gallipoli, but with plans now underway to evacuate that battlefield, William and his group were retained in Egypt.
When Gallipoli was evacuated the 12th Battalion returned to Egypt in early January 1916. William was taken on strength of the 12th Battalion on the 7th January 1916 at Tel-el-Kebir camp.
William then began training with the 12th Battalion in the Egyptian desert. On the 12th February 1916 he got into trouble for not obeying an order from a NCO and as a punishment had to undergo five days of Field Punishment No.2.
On the 29th March 1916 The 12th Battalion embarked from Egypt bound for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 5th April 1916. After being disembarked the men were entrained for northern France. The Australians were sent to the Armentieres sector to have their first experience of Western Front conditions.
William and the 12th Battalion remained in this sector from April to Hune 1916. They were then transferred to the Somme battlefield. In July 1916 the 12th Battalion took part of the capture of Pozieres village and in August 1916 they were in action at Mouquet Farm. Both actions caused high casualties in the 12th Battalion but William came through both safely.
In September 1916 the 12th Battalion was sent to Ypres to hold the frontline. While on guard duty, William allowed a prisoner to escape and was then confined to camp for 14 days as a punishment.
By late October 1916 the 12th Battalion were back on the Somme battlefield. The conditions were horrendous with most trenches knee deep in water and mud and many communication tracks impassable. It became worse as the conditions grew colder and seriously affected the soldiers health. On the 27th November 1916 William was evacuated with trench feet. According to the Western Front Association, trench foot was caused by;
The virtual immobility of the soldiers in the trenches meant they were forced to spend long hours with their feet exposed to the wet and cold: the British Army ammunition boot was made of leather and not effectively waterproof. In the early days of trench warfare there was often little possibility of drying out, or even changing socks. After some hours, or days, of continuous exposure to the wet and cold, the skin of the soldier's feet became both waterlogged and chilled. The circulation of the blood became restricted and the affected feet became very painful. If these conditions of immersion and chilling continued, the skin began to break down. The feet became swollen, blisters formed and eventually they became numb from nerve damage. Over time, the skin could become infected by fungus. If this situation wasn't quickly resolved by drying out of the skin and the circulation re-established, gangrene could ensue. In the worst cases, amputation became necessary.
William was initially treated at the 2nd Field Ambulance and then sent to the New Zealand Stationary Hospital in Amiens. He had a few days here and was then transferred by hospital train to Camiers where he was then admitted to the 18th General Hospital. William had a week in Camiers and was then transferred to England on the hospital ship Brighton.
William was admitted to the 3rd Australian General Hospital. He stayed here for the next month and on the 11th January 1917 was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital. He had four more days here and was then well enough to be released from hospital and had a two week furlough. He then reported in for duty at No.1 Command Depot Camp.
After a few days in camp William fell ill and was diagnosed with venereal disease. He was sent to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford. He remained here till the 21st March 1917 and was then transferred to No.1 Command Depot Camp. On the 21st May 1917 William was transferred to the 3rd Training Battalion at Durrington Camp.
William would be in camp in England for the next few months. On the 9th October 1917 he returned to France and was sent to the 1st Australian Division Base Depot at Le Havre. He rejoined the 12th Battalion in Belgium on the 16th October 1917.
When he rejoined them the 12th Battalion were holding the front line at Broodseinde Ridge near Passchendaele. When the Battalion were out of the line in November 1917 William got into trouble by absenting himself for one day and was charged with being AWOL. As a punishment he was given 72 hours of Field Punishment No.2 and was fined 5 days pay. He may have just been told of his brother Herbert's death while serving nearby with the 11th Battalion.
From December 1917 to March 1918 the 12th Battalion were helping to hold the front line in Belgium south east of Ypres.
On the 21st March 1918 the Germans launched their large breakthrough on the British front further south in France. As a result the Australian Divisions in Belgium were sent south to the Somme to help stop this German advance. The 1st Australian Division was the last of the Australian divisions to leave Belgium and had trained down to Amiens when they received orders to return north immediately as the Germans had just launched another attack which had broken through the front that had just come from.
By the time the Australians had returned north the Germans had made large gains and the 1st Australian Division along with British units helped stop their advance around Nieppe Forrest and Hazebrouck. On the 22nd April 1918 William was wounded in action when shrapnel struck him in the arm. He was evacuated to the 3rd Field Ambulance and then the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station.
William was then admitted to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Etaples though he only spent a few days there and was then transferred to England. He was then admitted to Graylingwell Hospital in Chichester. On the 8th May 1918 William was then transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford.
On the 20th May 1918 William was then sent to No.3 Command Depot Camp and on the 1st June 1918 to No.4 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott. While at this camp William went absent without leave from the 21st to 25th June 1918. He was fined five days pay.
On the 15th August 1918 William returned to France and was taken back on strength of the 12th Battalion on the 20th August 1918.
The 12th battalion were then in action on the Somme front nearing Peronne. On the 18th September 1918 the 12th Battalion would fight their last action of the war and William was wounded in the wrist, side and face. He was evacuated back for medical care and was sent to the 1st Australian general Hospital at Rouen. He had two days there and was then shipped to England, being sent to the 5th Southern General Hospital in Portsmouth. He remained a patient here till the 8th November 1918.
William was then granted a two week furlough which coincided with the Armistice. After his furlough was over William reported back to No.1 Command Depot and would await being assigned a berth on a troopship home.
On the 21st December 1918 William boarded the troopship Mamari and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 27th January 1919.William was discharged from the AIF on the 23rd March 1919.
In October 1920 William was married to Myrtle Annie Barry. The West Australian newspaper of 13th December 1920 reported that;
They would have several children over the next few years, William, Francis, Roma Mary, John, Basil, Margaret, Dennis, Rose, Isabel and Thomas.
In the 1920's the family were living at 52 King Street in East Fremantle before moving to 138 Duke Street. In the 1930's they moved to 64 Irwin Street East Fremantle.
In World War Two William again offered his services, enlisting on the 26th July 1940. He was accepted for service and given the regimental number W243644. He was assigned to the 10th Garrison Battalion and later was transferred to the 29th Garrison Battalion. He served at the Marrinup POW Camp during this period. His service was within WA and he remained with the Army through to 1950 when he was discharged.
William Bradford died on the 13th September 1961 aged 67. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery plot Roman Catholic MON C4 0265.