Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The identification of the man listed on the Honour Board as William BRADLEY is unclear. There is no record card surviving for a man of that name in the State Rail Authority archives. Reference to the Government Gazette tri-ennial listings reveals the name of William T Bradley as serving with the AIF on 31 December 1917. The 1921 Annual Report listing of the Honour Roll has no second initial, but identifies the dead man as being from the Permanent Way Branch of the NSW Railways and having served with the 1st Australian Pioneer Battalion. Of 11 ‘William Bradley’ citations on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll, only service number 3069 served in that unit. In railway records this man may be William J Bradley, whose appointment on 16 November 1896 to the Existing Lines Branch appears in the 1897 Annual Report. He is recorded in every subsequent triennium as either William J, William or William T Bradley. 3069 William Bradly was 44-years-old when he died in 1919, so commencing work in 1896 is consistent.
William Bradley enlisted at Newcastle on 10 July 1916. This is again consistent with his 1914 Government Gazette listing of employment between Newcastle and Waratah. It is also noted that at this time Bradley allotted three-fifths of his pay to support his wife Margaret and children.
He left Sydney on 17 October 1916 on HMAT ‘Borda’ and reached Plymouth early in 1917 and joined the Pioneer Training Battalion. By the end of January, he was ‘Attached for duty with Perm. Cadre of Pioneer Training Battalion’ and promoted to Temporary Sergeant Cook in March. He remained with training Battalions in the UK, never serving in France, until he was appointed to Australian Head Quarters London for return to Australia, in December 1918, after the war had ended. However, before he could return home, he became ill with Bronchitis and died in Endell Street Military Hospital on 9 January 1919.
He was buried in Brookwood Australian Military Burial Ground, London.
Bradley had however, on 9 July 1918 married Kitty St Claire, a widow aged 38 years. He is described on the marriage certificate as a widower. This was correct as Margaret had died on 17 June 1917. Kitty attended his funeral, which was conducted with full military honours, a firing party, bugler, and military pallbearers. The coffin was draped in the Australian flag and the ‘Last Post’ was sounded at the graveside. This pomp, and the attendance of loved ones, was accorded to very few of the men whose names appear on the Honour Board.
Kitty Bradley travelled to Australia in the next years and applied to receive the medals to which she thought her husband was entitled. The authorities however pointed out that since he had never served in a theatre of war, the only item to be issued was a memorial plaque.
Bradley’s daughter, Mrs Leah Denton, wrote from Adamstown seeking his personal effects, but these had been passed to Kitty.
(NAA B2455-3109167)

From Gary Mitchell, Sandhurst Cemetery

Private William Thomas Bradley, 1st Australian Pioneer Battalion, Died of Disease, 9th January 1919 (bronchitis, 4 P.M., second wife with him at death) age-45. Plot IV Row K Grave 13. There is no memorial inscription on his parent's headstone at Sandgate Cemetery, N.S.W., so I have placed a memorial cross to honour William's supreme sacrifice. METHODIST 2 (PRIMITIVE) 5 SW. 56. Sergeant Arthur Gower, 35th Battalion, Died of wounds 28th June 1917, Battle of Messines, Age-25 Years 5 Months. Plot XI Row E Grave 13. There is no memorial inscription on his parent's headstone at Sandgate Cemetery, N.S.W., and I am unable to place a memorial cross, so I have placed poppies in remembrance of Arthur's supreme sacrifice. ANGLICAN 2-121. 73. Lest We Forget.