Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Ballarat & District in the Great War

Just when you think you can’t unearth any more amazing life stories from Ballarat and district, along comes another giant of Australian history. The work of Bill Bridgeford on the world stage deserves to be remembered.

William Bridgeford was born at Smeaton on 28 July 1894. He was the eldest son of Scottish couple, George William Bridgeford (born Moneymusk, in Aberdeen) and Christina Gordon Calder (born Kincardine). The family had initially flourished in Smeaton with the birth of four children, however, the loss of the following four children in infancy must have proved difficult to bear.

George Bridgeford conducted a successful bakery and catering business in the township, and provided well for his family. The children attended the Smeaton State School, where young Bill showed no ‘signs of distinction whatever.’ Nevertheless, he was given the opportunity of further education by being enrolled in the Ballarat Agricultural High School.

After leaving BHS, with no clear idea of a future occupation, Bill took a job with the Taxation Department, ‘which he didn’t like.’ He then decided to pursue a service career in the Australian Army. ‘After a tussle’, Bill was accepted as one of 30 applicants from a field of several hundred to undertake studies at the Royal Military College, Duntroon. He joined his BHS classmate, Fred Coldwell-Smith (whose story I told last week), in the 1913 intake.

Visiting his parents during holidays from Duntroon in February 1914, Bill spoke very highly of the training he was receiving. It was noted that his ‘improved physique and bearing’ showed that he had benefited from the training.

With the outbreak of war, those young officers being groomed for service careers at Duntroon found themselves being rushed through to graduation. Bill Bridgeford passed out at Duntroon on 28 June 1915 and was immediately commissioned into the AIF and posted as a machine-gun officer.

By this time, Bill Bridgeford was already a powerfully built young man, standing just under 6-foot tall and weighing nearly 12½-stone. He was ‘…big, bony…ruddy-faced…with a ramrod back and china-blue eyes…’ – a real man of substance. He sailed from Melbourne on 10 November in command of the machine-gun section of the 29th Infantry Battalion and disembarked in Egypt as the exhausted Australian troops began arriving from Gallipoli.

Shortly ahead of embarking for France, Bill was promoted to the rank of captain on 12 March 1916.

Before the year was out, he had begun to make his mark as a young officer of promise. On 12 October, he was recommended for the Military Cross by Brigadier-General Edwin Tivey for the work he had carried out during the preceding months.

‘…Since the formation of the Company, Capt Bridgeford’s work has been of the very highest order. He is absolutely reliable and can always be depended on in an emergency. I cannot speak too highly of the service he has rendered, both in training and in the field.

During the action of 19/20 July, when section officers became casualties, Capt Bridgeford reorganised three sections, placed NCO’s in charge and was very largely responsible for the Company being able to keep so many guns in action. His coolness and courage under most trying circumstances was a splendid example to the men of the Company. There was no hitch in the ammunition supply – all arrangements in this connection being made by Captain Bridgeford…’

On 12 December, Bill paraded sick to hospital; he was admitted to the 2nd Red Cross Hospital in Rouen the following day where he was diagnosed as suffering from influenza. A week later he was invalided to England for treatment. He spent a month recuperating at Cobham Hall, convalescent home for officers, under the care of his countrywoman, Lady Florence Darnley. Whilst he was there, news was relayed that he had been decorated with the Military Cross.

Bill was out of the line for three months, and re-joined his unit at Camiers on 13 March 1917. The remainder of the year was occupied with staff duties and training; and several furloughs – to England and Paris.

In an eerie similarity to the previous December, Bill found himself once again in hospital. Initially established broadly as “debility”, he was later diagnosed as suffering from rheumatic fever. Less than two weeks later, however, Bill was back with his unit – the illness had failed to slow him down.

A more concerning episode occurred on 17 April 1918, when Bill was gassed as the German Army pushed through their Spring Offensive. After nearly a week of treatment at the 8th General Hospital in Rouen, Bill was transferred to England. He was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, on 27 April. He spent over two months recovering, before being discharged to the Australian Command Depot at Sutton Veny.

He returned to the Western Front on 14 August.

When Bill sailed home to Australia in March, 1919, he held the rank of major and had the ribbon of a Military Cross sewn to his tunic. It was said that he was then ‘grabbed by the brass-hat brigade for staff nurturing.’ He was appointed brigade-major of the 12th Brigade area, and also spent time delivering lectures on topics such as the use of machine-guns in the AIF.

A fortuitous life-changing moment occurred when a brother officer introduced Bill to the Frederico family. From that moment he was included in all the Frederico parties and he quickly formed a connection with the daughter of the house.

Phyllis Wallenia Frederico, born at Brighton in 1899, was the daughter of a businessman from Cape Verde. She had contracted a short-lived marriage to Robert Rimington in 1917, which ended in divorce five years later. Their daughter, Patricia, was born in 1918.

On 22 November 1922 Phyllis and Bill were married at Scots Church in Collins St, Melbourne. Theirs was to be a bond of constant excitement and opportunities.

The first part of their married life was spent at Duntroon, where Bill had taken a staff appointment. When he was transferred for a two-year course at the Staff College in Quetta, India, Phyllis went with him. As she would later say,
‘…It was the beginning of our travelling days – and I don't think we've had breathing space since. I'm not complaining though. I've loved every moment…’

The sadness of the death of his father, George, on 28 August 1928, was alleviated somewhat for Bill by the birth of his only son, Donald, the following year.

As the years passed, Bill’s assessments as an officer continued to be glowing – attesting to his outstanding character, both as an officer and as a man. ‘…He is of excellent personal characteristics, is strong in character, of undoubted integrity, temperate habits, sound judgement, tactful, self-reliant, and the commands the highest respect of all ranks…’

The Bridgefords returned to Australia for Bill to take up a staff appointment in Adelaide. Then, in 1938, he was then sent to undertake a course at the Imperial Defence College in London.

At the outbreak of the Second World War the Bridgefords were still in London. Phyllis sailed back to Australia, whilst Bill undertook special duties in England. He was appointed as a temporary lieutenant colonel, acting as military liaison officer in the Australian high commissioner's office in London – Australia House.

As would later be noted, “Big Bill” Bridgeford’s war was ‘packed with adventure and danger.’

A temporary promotion to brigadier in June 1940 enabled Bill to take command of the 2nd AIF’s 25th Brigade that was being formed in England. In November he became deputy-adjutant and quartermaster-general on the headquarters of I Corps in the Middle East.

As DM&QMG, Bill performed extraordinarily during the Greek Campaign, administering the ANZAC Corps ‘under the most trying conditions.’ His logistical ability and ‘untiring energy’ ensured that not only were the Corps’ units continuously supplied, they were able to make a successful withdrawal whilst enduring unceasing enemy bombing raids. Bill was one of the last to leave from Kalamata Beach in the British destroyer Phoebe. For his work he was appointed Commander of the British Empire (1941) and awarded the Greek Military Cross.

Bill returned to Australia in early 1942.

‘…He was promoted temporary major general and made D.A. and Q.M.G., of the First Army, on 6 April. He commanded the 3rd Armoured Division from April 1943. As D.A. and Q.M.G., New Guinea Force, between August 1943 and April 1944 he contributed to the successful operations which culminated in the occupation of Madang; he was appointed C.B. (1945). On 1 July 1944 he assumed command of the 3rd Infantry Division and led it during the fighting on Bougainville in 1944-45…’ The men. who fought through Bougainville with Bill Bridgeford, came to know him as a stern disciplinarian who did not suffer fools gladly, but who was ‘quickly appreciative of efficiency and initiative.’

During the course of the war, he was four times mentioned in dispatches for his service.

Returning to Australia, in January 1946 he was appointed quartermaster-general and third member of the Military Board at Army Headquarters in Melbourne.

As with all good officers, Bill cared little for appearances; he was not particularly impressed by parade-ground perfection, believing instead in the fundamentals — and to him fundamentals meant training in the arts of warfare. This he continued to do, even as the world returned to a slightly turbulent peace.

On 1 October 1948 his promotion to substantive major general was gazetted. In July-August 1950 he took a team of officers from the three services to Malaya to obtain information on the campaign against communist insurgents and to advise on jungle-fighting techniques. Bridgeford's report convinced the Australian government that it could offer little support to the British, especially given the decision (made in July) to send servicemen to Korea.

Bill also maintained his own personal physical and mental preparation – he was noted as a crack shot. In 1950, he finished third in the Champion of Champions meeting, held to decide which of Australia's best shots should compete abroad.

Promoted temporary lieutenant general in February 1951, he had charge of Eastern Command until November when he departed for Tokyo to become commander-in-chief of the British Commonwealth Occupying Forces in Japan and Korea. As always, where was practicably possible, Phyllis was by his side.

Bill was appointed to the Legion of Merit (U.S.A.) on his return to Australia in February 1953. He retired from the Australian Army as honorary lieutenant-general on 14 March.

There was great excitement for all who knew Bill Bridgeford, when it was announced in May 1953 that he been named as chief executive-officer for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.

‘…As he had done during the wars, he whipped up the efficiency and morale of his Games brigade, month after month he plugged the gaping holes between realistic planning and dreaming, night and day he slaved at the minute details, corrected the blunders, made the decisions others poured on to his back…’
The success of the Melbourne Games prompted praise from all around the world.

‘…”This is the greatest show on earth . . ." "Melbourne's Games are the best of all time . . ."

Bill was knighted the same year for "outstanding service to Australia". He was also promoted as Australian Man of the Year for 1956.

In later years Bill continued to enjoy shooting and playing golf; he was active with the RSL and served as the honorary federal treasurer. Music, however, was not something that he enjoyed and when Phyllis played her piano, he usually left the house!

Retirement for Bill was never going to be quiet – he ensured continued activity by undertaking directorship of several companies, including the Goulburn-Murray Television Limited.

The death of Lady Phyllis on 18 March 1971 in a Brisbane nursing home, was a sad occasion. Sir William survived his beloved wife by only six months; he died at the Brisbane suburb of Kenmore on 21 September 1971. He was honoured with a full military funeral.