James Barker Bradford

Born in December 1889 at Witton Park, County Durham, he joined the Northumberland Hussars in 1913 and served as a Trooper with this unit in France in 1914. In 1915, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 18th Battalion DLI - the Durham Pals - and was wounded on the Somme in August 1916. In 1917, he was awarded the Military Cross for leading an attack on 3 March at Gommecourt, when his bombing party captured 25 German soldiers and two machine guns. James Bradford was wounded again on 10 May 1917 during the Battle of Arras and died on 14 May, aged 27 years. He is buried at Duisans Cemetery in France. Two of his brothers, George and Roland, were awarded the Victoria Cross and killed in action during the Great War. Only Thomas Bradford of the "Four Fighting Bradfords" survived the War.

Books

1: "Brigadier General R B Bradford VC MC & His Brothers", author not known. Reprinted by Ray Westlake, Newport. ISBN 1 871167 24 8

2. "The Fighting Bradfords", Harry Moses, County Durham Books, 2003, ISBN 1 897585 756