Pte
Harry Bradley
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1877 |
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Place of birth: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Mail Carrier - Postman |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 267650 |
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Enlistment place: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment), 2/6th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 26/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Fokker Farm, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 40 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 100A |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal — 12/08/1921 |
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Victory Medal Medal — 12/08/1921 |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Private Harry Bradley served in the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment) 2nd/6th Battalion, part of the 178th (2/1st Sherwood Forester) Brigade, of the 59th (2nd North Midland) Division. On the 26th of September 1917 the 59th Division participated in the Battle of Polygon Wood (26 September - 3 October), a stage in the Third Battle of Ypres.
The Division attacked with the 177th Brigade on the right and the 178th Brigade on the left. After a heavy artillery barrage the 2nd/6th Sherwood Foresters left their positions west of Kansas House and Kansas Cross. It advanced along the Gravenstafel Road, with the 2nd/7th Sherwood Foresters on the left and the men of the 177th Brigade on the right. The road acted as a boundary between the two Brigades of the 59th Division.
The attack went well and the following German Blockhouses were taken by the 2nd/6th Sherwood Foresters: Cross Cottages, Kansas House, Green House, Kansas Cross and Road House. The Battalion then advanced towards their objective at Fokker Farm. After they had consolidated a line at Fokker Farm, the 2nd/5th Sherwood Foresters resumed the attack to the second objective.
During the rest of the day the German artillery frequently shelled the positions of the 2nd/6th Sherwood Foresters at Fokker Farm. The shelling continued throughout the following day. After another two days in the frontline, the Battalion was relieved by Anzac troops on the 29th of September 1917.
Private Harry Bradley was killed in action during the attack on Fokker Farm on the 26th of September 1917. His remains were not recovered or were never identified. He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
The Division attacked with the 177th Brigade on the right and the 178th Brigade on the left. After a heavy artillery barrage the 2nd/6th Sherwood Foresters left their positions west of Kansas House and Kansas Cross. It advanced along the Gravenstafel Road, with the 2nd/7th Sherwood Foresters on the left and the men of the 177th Brigade on the right. The road acted as a boundary between the two Brigades of the 59th Division.
The attack went well and the following German Blockhouses were taken by the 2nd/6th Sherwood Foresters: Cross Cottages, Kansas House, Green House, Kansas Cross and Road House. The Battalion then advanced towards their objective at Fokker Farm. After they had consolidated a line at Fokker Farm, the 2nd/5th Sherwood Foresters resumed the attack to the second objective.
During the rest of the day the German artillery frequently shelled the positions of the 2nd/6th Sherwood Foresters at Fokker Farm. The shelling continued throughout the following day. After another two days in the frontline, the Battalion was relieved by Anzac troops on the 29th of September 1917.
Private Harry Bradley was killed in action during the attack on Fokker Farm on the 26th of September 1917. His remains were not recovered or were never identified. He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Sources 2
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2/6 Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment) , (The Nationa Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/3025/4). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Further reference |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 92. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/842675 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=1652ebd9-3500-4d96-9c04-e55f26b4a51e |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/460170 |