Bradbury-Edward-Henry

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

4976353

Private

Edward Henry Bradbury

1920/08/04 - Born Burton-on-Trent

Son of Mary (nee Ellis) Bradbury

Edward’s Occupation Brewery Labourer

Brewing was a reserved occupation but Edward was in the Territorial Army

1939/02/28 - Enlisted

1941/01/ - Married Margaret Greer Keddie McDonald

(Margaret was born Falkirk 1921/11/13, moved to Burton-on-Trent when five)

Sherwood Foresters

1/5 Battalion

18th Division

Service

The 1/5th (Derbyshire) Battalion was a Territorial Army formation originally serving with the 148th Infantry Brigade, part of the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division. In December 1939, the battalion was reassigned to the 25th Infantry Brigade and saw service with the BEF in France and Belgium in 1940 and being evacuated at Dunkirk. In late 1940, it was again reassigned to the 55th Infantry Brigade, 18th Infantry Division.

1941/10/30 - The 1/5 Sherwood Foresters left Britain in ‘Orcades’ with Convoy CT.5 from Liverpool to Halifax, final Destination was Unknown

1941/11/08 - Arrived Halifax

1941/11/10 - Transferred to USS West Point and departed Halifax in Convoy William Sail 12X

Convoy William Sail 12X continued with six American troopships, two cruisers, eight destroyers and the aircraft carrier Ranger, the Convoy William Sail 12X was under way, destination still unknown.

(Above Photo supplied by the late Maurice Rooney)

Vought SB 2U Vindicator Scout Bomber - USS Ranger which was flying an Anti Submarine patrol over the convoy.

Ships Front Line Top to Bottom

USS West Point - USS Mount Vernon - USS Wakefield - USS Quincy (Heavy Cruiser)

The convoy passed through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo.

1941/11/17 - Arrived at Trinidad in glorious sunshine so troops changed to tropical kit, but no shore-leave, left Trinidad after two days of taking on supplies.

1941/11/24 - The equator was crossed, there was a crossing the line ceremony.

After a month the convoy arrived at Cape Town, South Africa. By this time the 1941/12/08 - Americans were in the war as the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour and attacked Malaya and the rumours were that they were heading for the Far East and not the Middle East as first thought.

1941/12/13 - The convoy left Cape Town and sailed along the coast of East Africa past Madagascar and into the Indian Ocean heading for Bombay.

1941/12/27 - After 17,011 miles at sea Bombay was reached.

1942/01/18 - The convoy sailed with a British escort, the H.M.S. Exeter and H.M.S. Glasgow with British and Australian destroyers. Destination was the far East. Passing Colombo, (Ceylon), crossing the equator for the third time, the convoy passed through the Sundra Straits between Java and Samatra and then the Banka Straits. The convoy was then bombed by Japanese Planes, there was no damage.

1942/01/29 - The convoy reached the safety of Keppel Harbour, Singapore. Ships were ablaze in the harbour, clouds of smoke drifted across the sky and the smell of fumes was overpowering, this was not the best of greetings. The Japanese had taken most of Malaya in the last three weeks and were only thirty miles away from Singapore.

1942/02/15 - Singapore Surrendered

1942/04/04 - WO 417/41, Casualty List No. 789. Reported Missing.

1943/05/05 - WO 417/60, Casualty List No. 1126. Previously posted Missing, Casualty List No. 789, 15/02/1942. Previously shown with Initial as E. Now reprted a Prisoner of War.

Japanese PoW

1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore

PoW No. IV 1998

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

1942/10/13 - Transported overland to Thailand

New PoW No. IV 3304

Group 4, 8th Battalion

Commander Lt-Col. Lily

Thailand Camps:-

Wang Pho - 113.10 km from Nong Pladuk

Tonchan Spring - 140.30 km from Nong Pladuk

Kinsaiyok - 167.40 km from Nong Pladuk

1945/01 - Tha Muang Hospital with Malaria - 38.90 km from Nong Pladuk

1945/08/30 - Liberated Thailand

Liberation Questionnaire

1945/10/10 - WO417/98, Casualty List No. 1880. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 1126 as reported Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.