The Cross of St George
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The Cross of St George
Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Bradford, of Milbanke, Darlington.
There are now 10, 1914-18 and over 80, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 10 from the 1939-45 war are unidentified
In Zeebrugge April 2001:- members of the British Royal Marines, the Mayors of Dover and Bruges, led many town's people in a memorial service for the 170 British officers and men of the 4th Battalion Royal Marines, the Royal Marines Artillery and the Royal Naval Landing who perished during the attack on German defences at Zeebrugge Mole near the end of the 1st World War. Afterwards a Royal Marine's band marched through the village to the military cemetary and the memorial monument decorated with floral bouquets and wreaths.
A similar service was held in Dover, where at midday the Zeebrugge Bell was sounded.
In 1917 Allied Merchant ship losses reached the staggering total of nearly four million tons. Many of the U-boats preying on shipping in the Channel and Western Approaches came from the main U-boat base, at Bruges. Vice-Admiral Roger Keyes devised a plan to immobilise this base by blocking its access to the sea. This was the famous attack on Zeebrugge, on the eve of St. George's Day, 1918.
[The note above is one which appears on a Belgian website commemorating the historic event.]
Click here for letters from George Bradford to his schoolgirl-sister.
One such unsung hero must surely be Gunner Reginald Weeks Royal Navy, one of the Vindictive's sailors, whose grave has been found and brought to public attention by Andrew Bolt.
Andrew has written in the Bradford Guest Book ..... "So many heroes are usually from the trenches of the Somme but little is covered of our naval achievements in WW1. Gunner Reginald Weeks was born in Wakefield but buried in Bradford."
But Andrew Bolt made sure that this man "was brought back for all to see in the local press... due to the fact that when Gunner Reginald Weeks was buried the King visited Bradford, and all newspaper coverage reflected the King and not Gunner Reginald Weeks' burial."
Mr Bolt has also discovered that Reginald Weeks "was included in the V.C. ballot and then later died of wounds", and says "I hope this adds to the story even though it's about another participant to the battle."
Deep underneath in the chalk are miles of tunnels and vaults used during the Second World War as Planning and Hospital areas.
Yes, way beneath the Castle lie secret underground tunnels, and some of them even date back to the Middle Ages. They were originally built so that the soldiers could get in and out of the Castle without being seen. During the Napoleonic wars the tunnels were extended in preparation for any invasion by the French. Seven of the tunnels could accommodate up to 2,000 troops and this was the only "Underground Barracks" ever to be built in England.
Even now in the 21st Century you can still make a visit to Dover Castle and see the underground tunnels as they were during the desperate time of the 2nd World War.
At that time there were over 600 men and women occupying them. 'Operation Dynamo', planned to evacuate the British and French troops from Dunkirk's beaches, was co-ordinated from here. Also you can see the Command Centre from where Sir Winston Churchill was to lead the Allied Forces to victory.
By way of a reminder for family members (we all have the name 'Bradford' as one of our given names and so do all the grandchildren in the next generation!) here is a pic of one of the most welcome invitations received from the Lady Mayoress of Dover. This gave four of us the opportunity to attend the excellent 2001 Lecture by Lt. Col Christopher Nunn OBE, Royal Marines, on the Dover Patrol's Zeebrugge Raid in which our Uncle Georgie lost his life.
Summary page about all four brothers
List of V Cs awarded at the Battles of the Somme
Durham Light Infantry Museum and Roland Bradford
Mention of Roland Bradford in Brigadier Young's Book on Rommel
Summary details and short biography of Roland Bradford by Malcolm McGregor
Roland B. Bradford:- Details from Commonwealth War Graves Commission Records
Click here for page of Tribute Letters about Roland Bradford
Click here to see page with details of Memorials & Plaques in Roland's memory
Click here for Roland's Address to his New Troops fresh out from England
George N. Bradford:- Details from Commonwealth War Graves Commission Records
James B. Bradford:- Details from Commonwealth War Graves Commission Records
Thomas A. Bradford:- Details and photographs from the family
Amy Isabelle Bradford - the younger schoolgirl sister
LINK to Memorial to George Bradford at Blankenberghe Town Cemetery
LINK to Albert McKenzie and the other Zeebrugge V.C.'s
LINK to Mike Chapman's Victoria Cross Reference
LINK to British Light Infantry Regiments' site
LINK to the Durham Light Infantry site
LINK to D. L. I. Museum website
LINK to The War Graves Commission
LINK to Peter van den Heuvel & Marco Hoveling's site with information on location of Roland's grave
View Bradford Guestbook
November 11th 2007
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