Raphael Duncan Bradley (1888 - 1916)

Ancestors

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Biography

Birth registered 1889 #35871

Service Number: 1798 Rank: Private Unit: 57th Australian Infantry Battalion Conflict / Operation: First World War, 1914-1918

Obituary 19 Aug 1916 Wangaratta Chronicle:

NEWS OF OUR SOLDIERS PTE. DUNCAN BRADLEY. KILLED IN ACTION. News was received on Tuesday of last week of the death of Pte. R. Duncan Bradley, who was well known In Carraragarmungee, Eldorado and Wangaratta districts. The cable stated that he was killed, in action in France on 11th July. The last word received from him was a letter dated 11th June, when he was in Egypt, and well. His relatives did not know he had gone to France and into action until news of his death was received. The late Pte R. Duncan Bradley was a son of the late Mr, and Mrs P. Bradley, of Londrigan, and was born' at Wangaratta on 23rd October, 1890. At 16 years of age he left here for Melbourne. He was in the employ of James Moore and Son, and after a few years he returned to this district and became an employee of the Cock's Pioneer Co., Eldorado, and remained there until the outbreak of war. He was one of the first to enlist. He left here on May 8th, 1915, with the 23rd Battalion. for Egypt, where he contracted enteric fever and returned to Australia in November to recuperate, and finally left on April 7th of this year with the 2nd Reinforcements 57th Battalion. His brothers are Patrick, John and Charles, of West Aus tralia; and Martin, of Melbourne; and Miss M. H. Bradley, Telephone Exchange, Melbourne; Miss C Bradley, Melbourne; Mrs J, Ginnivan, Benalla, and Mrs Alex. Blaikie, Londrigan. Pte. Bradley was a playing member of the Eldorado Cricket and Football Clubs, and won trophies for batting and bowling averages, securing the two in one season. He was also a membcr of the Rifle Club. Pte. Chas. Bradley, a brother of deceased, saw service at Gallipoli, where he was severely wounded, and suffered the loss of a leg. He was recently discharged, and will be in Wangaratta shortly. Pte. Patrick Bradley, another brother, leaves for, the front about the middle of this month. - As the late Private Duncan Bradley attended State School No. 1704, Carraragarmungee, he was on the State School roll of honor, and thus was a candidate for the recent Soldier King Competition. On Friday, August 1Ith, the competition ended, when Mr. W. Swan, J.P., declared the result as follows:-Late Private Duncan Bradley, 7701 votes (King), Private , Percy Sanderson, 2627 votes, second, and then followed the other candidates with fewer votes, Thus it is seen that the deceased soldier was hold In the highest esteem by the people with whom he had lived; the King competition showing this plainly. He has won fame with the ' Carraragarmungee people, though he died in the hour of the people's appreciation of him. His fame can be well likened to, that famous general in British history, James Wolfe, of Quebec. In the hour of victory Wolfe died, thus as the late .Private Duncan Bradley was crowned King of Carraragarmungee and outlying districts, he died on the battlefield, sacrificing his all for his King and Country.^[1]

Biographical notes from East Melbourne Historical Society: Duncan was born at Wangaratta on the 15 November 1888. His full name is Raphael Duncan Bradley. When he enlisted on the 10 March 1915 he was 26 years old, single and worked as a labourer. He was listed from 5'8 tall to 6'0 and weighted in at 12 stone 6 pounds. His Next of Kin was his brother, Martin Lacey [Leacy] Bradley, who lived at 170 Powlett Street in East Melbourne. His initial enlisted papers were lost and he completed anothe enlistment form on the 15 March 1915 at Broadmedows with slightly different facts re height and weight. He embarked from Melbourne in mid-1915 for Eygpt and suffered chronic Enteric fever, so he spent three months in Hospital in Cario and was returned to Australia on SS Kinowna on 20 November 1915. The Medical Board ruled he was fit for service on the 27 Jan 1916 and he re-embarked ex Melbourne on A14 SS Euripides on the 4 April 1916. He is taken on strengh with the 57 Battalion in Eygpt and he finally arrives at Marseilles on the 23 June 1916. He was killed in action on the 11 July 1916. The war diary of the 57 Battalion states that the Battalion came under heavy German shell fire at 1530 and the casualties were 5 dead. Duncan Bradley must have been one of these killed. He was buried in Rue Petillion Cemetery opposite Rifle Farm, 2.75 miles SW of Laventie and 4 miles SW of Armentieres, France, by Rev GW Statt. He must have been reiterred, as later documents show his burial at Rue de Bois Military Cemetery Plot 1 Row E Grave 20. His possesions were returned to his brother Martin in 1917 and his total wordly possessions were, according to his record '2 discs, 4 coins, key, Rosary, photo on frame, belt, pen, small prayer book, watch and strap, pipe in case, pouch, wallet, letters, photos, cards, Anzac writing wallet, French book'.^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92004499
2. ↑ East Melbourne Historical Society: https://emhs.org.au/person/bradley/duncan

• Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial: https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1670401/