Geboortejaar: 1895

Geboorteplaats: Mackay, Queensland, Australië

Beroep: Landbouwer

Land: Australië

Strijdmacht: Australian Imperial Force

Rang: Captain

Service nummer: 2783

Dienstneming datum: 02/06/1915

Dienstneming plaats: Brisbane, Queensland, Australië

Eenheden:  —  Australian Infantry, 49th Bn.  (Laatst gekende eenheid)

Datum van overlijden: 07/06/1917

Plaats van overlijden: Delmonte Farm, België

Doodsoorzaak: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Leeftijd: 22

1914-15 Star Medaille

British War Medal Medaille

Victory Medal Medaille

Francis Harvey Bridgman was a twenty-two-year-old farmer from Mackay, Queensland. He served with the 49th Battalion Australian Infantry, part of the 13th Australian Brigade, of the 4th Australian Division. Francis enlisted in 1915 and quickly rose through the ranks. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant in March 1916. After four months obtained a commission as a Lieutenant. In September 1916 Bridgman was hospitalised in England after he received a gunshot wound in his right arm. After his return he was promoted captain with the 49th Battalion.

In June 1917 Captain Bridgman re-joined his unit at Neuve Eglise. On 7 June 1917 the 13th Brigade took part in an attack on the Messines-Wyschaete Ridge. Their objective was to capture two lines of trenches northeast of Messines. The 49th Battalion was specifically assigned to take position in Odo Trench and near Delporte Farm. By the 9th of June, the Battalion had captured the German lines.

During this action 66 men were killed, 29 went missing and 274 men were wounded. Captain Bridgman was killed in action during the attack on the 7th of June 1917. Eye-witnesses place him on the Messines Ridge, halfway to the German trenches, when he was hit by a shell.

A party buried his remains in the night of the 9th of June. Francis now has no known grave and the young man is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

49 th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/66/13). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583 Gebruikte bronnen

Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search?query=bridgman+&people=true&facet_rank=Captain Gebruikte bronnen

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, BRIDGMAN F H). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/NameSearch.aspx Gebruikte bronnen

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1597891

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=074c7992-3583-4a29-96ea-68386638e507

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7370036

The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=32196

A Street Near You https://astreetnearyou.org/person/1597891/