BRADFORD, John William Archie
| Service Number: | 899 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 31 August 1914, Morphettville, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Terowie, South Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Journalist |
| Died: | South Coast of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, 25 April 1924, cause of death not yet discovered, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Ashbourne Old Scholars & Ashbourne Boys Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 31 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Morphettville, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 899, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 899, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Adelaide | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 10th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
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He was an original member of C Company 10th Battalion AIF
John and his younger brother Sidney enlisted at Morphettville where their attestation papers were signed by Lieutenant Kayser of the 10th Battalion who was later killed in action at Gallipoli.
No doubt John was deeply disappointed when Sidney after undergoing his initial training with the 10th Battalion was like a good many other South Australian and Broken Hill recruits transferred to the 12th Battalion.
As an original member of C Company 10th Battalion AIF John embarked aboard the HMAT Ascanius on 20 Oct 1914 and would not have met up with his brother until reaching Mena Camp in Egypt.
The 3rd Brigade "All Australia Brigade" 1st Division AIF comprised of the 9th,(Qld) 10th, (SA & Broken Hill NSW) 11th (WA) and 12th Battalions (Tas & SA) was chosen by the divisional commander Major-General Bridges to have the great honour of being the covering force for the ANZAC landing on 25 April 1915.
Both John and Sidney were wounded in action at Gallipoli, John so severely that on 31 October 1915 he was invalided back to Australia and there was discharged as unfit for further service.
On 12 March 1921 he was locally attested in New Guinea and enlisted as 2042 Corporal J W A Bradford in the Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force then on 9 May 1921 was transferred to Civil Administration in Rabaul.
39 year old John William Archie Bradford was reported to have died on 25 April 1924 (9 years after taking part in the ANZAC Landing). His body was discovered on the South Coast of New Britain; details surrounding his death are not known.
Note:
John's younger brothers Sidney and Clement (Clem) went through the remainder of the war as members of the 50th Battalion. Sidney was awarded a MM for bravery in the field and youngest brother Sergeant Clement Everly Bradford was awarded a MM & Bar for conspicuous gallantry during two separate battles.
On 12 October 1918, Sergeant Clement Bradford MM & Bar, died of "Heart Failure, secondary Influenza, Pneumonia" in the Australian Auxilliary Hospital at Harefield Park in England; he was 22 years of age.
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