William Bradley

William Bradley (Service No 4658) was born in Thirroul, NSW about 1892. At the time of enlistment he was a single 22 year old labourer from Coledale. He embarked on HMAT A40 Ceramic with 12th Reinforcements, 20th Battalion on 13th April 1916 and arrived in France on 16th November 1916, however was admitted to hospital with trench foot on 6th January 1917. William rejoined his unit on 30th March 1917.

William Bradley seems to have had trouble with Army life as his record shows a number of offences and he was eventually court martialled on 9th June 1917 for being absent without leave for approximately 3 weeks. He served 12 months in a field prison.

In action William was a different man. He was awarded the Military Medal for his actions in early August 1918. The citation reads, "During the attack on Raincourt east of Amiens on 11th August 1918, seeing the right flank of his company held up by fire from 2 enemy machine guns this man went forward to investigate, and single handed bombed both crews, 3 of whom were killed, the remaining 7 surrendering. With his section he carried forward 2 captured guns to the objective and used same on the enemy with good effect." The award was in Commonwealth Gazette 109, 15th September 1919.

On 31st August 1918 he was killed in action during the battalion's successful attack on Mont St Quentin. He is buried in Peronne Communal Cemetery Extension Plot III, Row J, Grave29.