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Unveiling of Bradford Memorial Plaque and
Rededication of War Memorial Window

Darlington's Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College Unveils Memorial Plaque to the Bradford Brothers on 11/11/94

The Bradford Brothers were 4 of the school's most famous old boys among the 401 school members who gave their lives in the First World War and the 102 Old Boys who gave their lives in the Second World War.

Under its new name of "Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College", the school arranged a special celebration on Friday November 11th in 1994

- - - there was a re-dedication of the school's War Memorial Window by Air Chief Marshal Sir David Parry-Evans, and it was set within a ceremonial Service attended by all the Durham County dignitaries, with standard bearers for the Royal Navy and for the Army (D.L.I.) as the Bradford Memorial Plaque was unveiled by Captain Richard Annand V.C., D.L.I.

It seemed very fitting that a living awardee of the Victoria Cross should be involved in this way, and doubly appropriate that Richard Annand had won his V.C. in Belgium not too far from where Georgie and Roland had won their's.

There was the laying of wreaths and the playing of The Last Post and of Reveille by two Bugle-Majors from the Durham Light Infantry, and there were citations for all four of the Bradford brothers, read out by various officers from the Royal Navy and the Army.

It was a very fine and most dignified commemoration, and our family were guests of honour at the Service and the subsequent buffet meal. It was a very humbling experience.

Now we go back 80-something years and show a photograph of Roland Bradford when he was a pupil here.

This photo is from when Roland was Captain of a football team at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Darlington. The date is 1906, seen chalked on the football Roland is holding, which was the year in which he reached the age of 14.

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November 11th 2007

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