Edward Kinder Bradbury VC

b. 16/08/1881 Altrincham, Cheshire. d. 01/09/1914 Nery, France.

Edward Kinder Bradbury (1881-1914) was born at Parkfield, Altrincham, Cheshire on 16th August 1881. His father was the Honourable James Kinder Bradbury MA JP, a barrister and later a Judge of the Lancashire County Court Circuit. His mother was Grace nee Dowling, whose father was Vicar of Christ Church, Timperley, Cheshire. They were married in Altrincham in 1878. Edward had two sisters. He was educated at St Ninian’s Moffat, Marlborough College and the Royal Military Academy Woolwich.

Edward K Bradbury VC

He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery on 2nd May 1900 and posted to the 125th Brigade in Ireland. Promoted to Lieutenant in April 1901, he served with the Imperial Yeomanry (Fincastle’s Horse) in the South African War from January to October 1902 before returning to Ireland. An attachment to 4th (Ugandan) Battalion, King’s African Rifles followed on 8th February 1905, but in August 1906 he was invalided home with fever, although he remained on strength until 4th March 1907. He was promoted to Captain in 1910, and was appointed Adjutant in 1912.

Bradbury rode his horse “Sloppy Weather” in the 1909 Royal Artillery Gold Cup, coming third; another of his horses, “Hot Water”, competed in the 1911 Punchestown Festival, again coming third. He also served in India before the Great War and spent his leave in County Cork, fishing and hunting. Edward left for France with L Battery, arriving on 16th August 1914.

On 1st September 1914 at Néry, France, during a fierce attack by the enemy, when all the officers of ‘L’ Battery were either killed or wounded, Captain Bradbury along with Sergeant Major Dorrell and Sergeant Nelson, continued the lone resistance against the German attack. Although having had one leg taken off by a shell while fetching ammunition, Bradbury continued to direct the fire of the battery until he died.

Bradbury, who was unmarried, was buried in Nery Communal Cemetery. He was gazetted for the VC on 25th November 1914, and in addition to his VC, he was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with two clasps, 1914 Star with Mons clasp, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19 with Mentioned in Despatches oak leaf. His VC was presented to his mother by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 29th November 1916 and was one of those displayed at the VC Centenary Exhibition at Marlborough House in 1956. It was bequeathed to the L (Nery) Battery RHA by his nephew, Major A J Crewdson MC. It is currently on loan to the Imperial War Museum, where it is displayed alongside the other two Nery VCs. His memorial plaque was sold at Spink in London in 2007 for £4,600.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: LORD ASHCROFT GALLERY, IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM.

BURIAL PLACE: NERY COMMUNAL CEMETERY, NERY, FRANCE.