Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Fred Gladstone BRADY was born in Singleton, New South Wales in 1888

His parents were Thomas Edward BRADY & Margaret Ann GLASS

He had previously served as a Sergeant in the School Cadets in Singleton before he enlisted in Holdsworthy, NSW on 11th October, 1915 and embarked with the 20th Infantry Battalion, 9th reinforcements from Sydney on the HMAT Runic on 20th January, 1916

Fred was Killed in Action in France on 15th November, 1916 and is buried in the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval, France

Medals:  British War Medal & Victory Medal

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His brother Grantly Andrew Pringle BRADY (SN 3919) also served in WW1 and returned to Australia in 1919

Another brother Stanley Harold BRADY (SN 32840) also returned to Australia in 1919

From François Berthout

Pte 3920 Fred Gladstone Brady
20th Australian Infantry Battalion,
5th Brigade, 2nd Australian Division
 
The Somme, more than a hundred years ago, fought here, in the trenches and in the poppy fields, millions of men who came from the other side of the world to join their French brothers in arms and who together fought and fell to save our country and who, for their country, for their comrades and for us, in blood and in mud, sacrificed their youth in the battles which were among the deadliest of the great war and which, in Amiens, in Pozieres, in Flers and Villers-Bretonneux, in the fields of the Somme gave their today and their lives which we honor by walking with respect and gratitude in front of the rows of their white graves which tell us the story of a whole generation of brave young men who gave all they had for a better world and over whom we will always watch with respect so that their courage and their sacrifices, their lives are never forgotten and their names live forever.

Today, it is with the highest respect and eternal gratitude that I would like to honor the memory of one of these young men, one of my boys of the Somme who paid the supreme sacrifice for our tomorrow.I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Private number 3920 Fred Gladstone Brady who fought in the 20th Australian Infantry Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd Australian Division, and who was killed in action 105 years ago, on November 15, 1916 at the age of 28 on the Somme front.

Fred Gladstone Brady was born in 1888 in Patrick's Plains, Singleton, New South Wales, and was the son of Thomas Edward Brady and Margaret Ann Brady (née Glass), of Middle Head Road, Mosman, New South Wales. Fred was educated at Singleton Superior Public School and Singleton Grammar School then after graduation, served for three years in the School Cadets at Singleton with the rank of Sergeant.Before the outbreak of the war, he lived at "Actonholme", 121 Middle Head, Mosman, Sydney, where he worked as a relief railway clerk.

Fred enlisted on October 11, 1915 at Holsworthy, New South Wales, in the 20th Australian Infantry Battalion, 9th Reinforcement, and after a period of just over two months of training, he embarked with his unit from Sydney, New South Wales , on board HMAT A54 Runic on January 20, 1916 and sailed for Egypt.

On February 26, 1916, Fred arrived in Egypt and was disembarked in Alexandria then marched to Zeitoun and a month later, on March 27, with the 20th Australian Infantry Battalion, joined the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) in Alexandria and embarked on board HMT Saxonia then proceeded overseas for France.

On April 3, 1916, after a short trip on the Mediterranean Sea, Fred arrived in France and was disembarked in Marseilles, was sent to Etaples on April 5 where he joined the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot and was taken on strength on May 2 at Armentieres then on May 4, were sent to the trenches of Bois-Grenier where they fought until July 1 then after a period of rest in the area of ​​"Jesus Farm", the 20th Australian Infantry Battalion was sent to the Somme and arrived at Longueau at 12:15 am on July 12 then marched through Picquigny, Croisy, Herissart, Warloy-Baillon, Albert and on July 24 at 10:10 pm, entered the trenches of the "Sausage Valley" and the next day joined the battlefield of Pozieres and launched an attack against the German trenches known as "OG1" between Albert and Bapaume Road and Pozieres Tram Line, unfortunately the attack was disastrous and the 20th Battalion lost 200 men killed in action, wounded and missing.On July 26, after this attack, Fred and the 20th Battalion withdrew to reorganized on the "Sausage valley" at "Gordon Dump" and were placed in support of the 17th Australian Infantry Battalion which, alongside the British, attacked the German lines near the "Munster Alley".

On August 3, 1916, the 20th Battalion returned to Pozieres and dug new communication trenches and the next day attacked the "Windmill" which they captured and held successfully and on August 6, were relieved then marched for Warloy-Baillon and Pernois August 9 where they followed a period of training until August 15 then marched through La Vicogne, Harponville, Albert and August 22, returned to the front lines in Pozieres where they fought until August 31, when they left the trenches and marched for Beauval where they were billeted until September 5 before being sent to Ypres on September 9 and a month later,on October 7, were sent to Steenvoorde (Hauts-De-France) for a period of rest then on October 12, marched for Poperinghe and Reninghelst on October 15 then on October 24, the 20th Battalion received the order to march again for the Somme and arrived at Pont-Remy on October 25.

After arriving at Pont-Remy, Fred and the 20th Battalion marched for Ailly on October 26th and Ribemont on October 27th where they were billeted until November 4th then joined the "Mametz Camp Road" on November 5th and two days later, on October 7, 1916, joined the battlefields of Flers and occupied the "Switch Trench", relieved the 18th Australian Infantry Battalion on November 9 and moved to occupy the "Carlton Trench" on November 13 where unfortunately, two days later, on November 15, Fred met his fate and was killed in action, he was 28 years old.

Today, Fred Gladstone Brady rests in peace alongside his friends, comrades and brothers in arms at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval, Somme, and his grave bears the following inscription: "Not dead to us who loved him dearly."

Fred Gladstone Brady had two brothers who fought courageously in the first world war, the first of them was Private number 3919 Grantly Andrew Pringle Brady who fought in the 20th Australian Infantry Battalion and then in the 6th Training Squadron Australian Flying Corps. Grantly survived the war and returned to Australia on May 6, 1919.

Fred's second brother was Gunner number 32840 Stanley Harold Brady who fought in the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade of the Australian Field Artillery. Harold survived the war and returned to Australia on March 5, 1919.

Fred, Grantly, Harold, you who were united brothers in the prime of your life, it was with your heads held high and a brave heart that you bravely answered the call of duty and that side by side you marched beyond the horizon to join your comrades, your British and French brothers in arms on the battlefields of the Somme, in the trenches pounded and pulverized by tons of shells which transformed the landscapes of a once peaceful country into hell on earth, into fields of death which was nothing but fire and blood everywhere, a putrid quagmire in which fell millions of young men who fought far from home and who gave so much for France, a country they did not know but for which they did so much through the barbed wire of Pozieres, Flers, Amiens and Villers-Bretonneux in which they charged with exceptional bravery under the fire of artillery and machine guns which broke in the noise, suffering and fury, waves of men who moved forward with resolution despite their fears and who shoulder to shoulder, for peace and freedom, for the hopes they had in their hearts, gave their best even under the roar of the shells that fell around them and which mutilated, pulverized and buried alive so many young boys under the helpless eyes of their friends who could not stop and who were soon swept away by hailstones of lead which will pour down on them like relentless rain which nothing could escape and despite death, despite catastrophic losses, these heroes continued to advance under the weak protection of their steel helmets and were struck by bullets, grenades, they fought with the bravery of real lions in the spirit of ANZAC which united them in courage and mateship, in their loyalty and devotion to their country and to their brothers on the front who gathered a whole generation of men under the same uniform and who fought together for common causes, for what was right and it is together that until their last breath they did their duty with honor and fell, united in death so that we can have a tomorrow.In the mud, they lived and died, they remained united and strong despite the inhumanity, the brutality of a world at war which stole the best years of their lives, together they shared the tears in which were lost their innocence and their youth and became men faster than they would have liked but nothing broke them, in spite of the despair of the trenches and the assaults which led them towards an almost certain death they kept their dreams and the hopes of peace for which they fought, they faced their fears and kept their smiles on their faces, an incredible sense of humor that allowed them to stand united through this nightmare and found in each other the strength, determination and courage to hold the line and to move forward behind their officers, alongside their friends but thousands of them never had the chance to return home and in the battlefields of the Somme, in France they found their last resting places that we will always maintain with love and the greatest respect under the roses and the poppies that will never fade.we will keep the history and stories of these young men strong and alive so that what they did for us and who they were, will never be forgotten and so that their names, just like the ANZAC spirit, in the Somme and in our hearts live forever. Thank you so much Fred, Grantly, Harold, for everything.A t the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember them.