Pte 49490 James Bradbury

• Age: 23
• From: St Helens, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• D.O.W Saturday 9th June 1917
• Commemorated at: Hop Store Cem, Vlamertinghe
  Panel Ref: I.A.55

James was born in the September quarter of 1893 in St Helens, the son of William Bradbury and his wife Mary Jane (née Davies) who were married on 20th June 1877 at St Helens Parish Church. He was baptised on 02nd July 1893 also in St Helens, his father a painter of 2 William Street. A son, also James, was born in 1891 but died in infancy. 

His mother died, aged 42, in the third quarter of 1896 and William married again on 03rd March 1897 to Ellen Cruise, a widow who was born in St Helens and was aged 48 at the time of their marriage. 

The 1901 Census finds 7 year old James and the family living at 128 Hanover Street, St Helens. His father William is a 46 year old house painter born in St Helens, his step mother Ellen is shown as 48 years of age. Also present in the household are James' siblings; Henry 21, John 19, Alice 17, Thomas 14 and Joseph 11. Also present are Ellen's two sons Mark Cruise 22 and Thomas Cruise 11.

His father, William Bradbury, died in the second quarter of 1908 aged 53.

The 1911 Census shows 17 year old James now employed as a clerk in a glass works living with his widowed step mother Ellen, is aged 58  and his siblings;  William 33, Alice 27, Thomas 24 and his step brother Thomas Cruise 21.

James enlisted in Liverpool and originally served as Private 1979 in the Lancashire Hussars Yeomanry. Following a transfer, he was serving in the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 49490 when he died of wounds on 09th June 1917, aged 23.

20th Battalion War Diary records that:  

"On relief, Battalion moved to Toronto Camp (G.18.d.5/7) via infantry track, arriving about 2 A.M. Casualties sustained during relief, 2 O.R. killed and 11 O.R. wounded".  

He was listed as wounded in the Liverpool Daily Post on 14th July 1917;

Liverpool R. - Bradbury, 49490, J. (St Helens); 

He now rests at Hop Store Cemetery, Vlamertinghe in Belgium.

Although Vlamertinghe (now Vlamertinge) was just within range of the German artillery for the greater part of the First World War, units of Allied heavy artillery and field ambulances occasionally stationed their headquarters there. The Hop Store Cemetery, opened in May 1915, was on the safer side of the village but it remained a small cemetery because of its position between a hedge and the premises of the hop store itself. The site was low and marshy, particularly at the west end, and was drained by the Royal Engineers early in 1917. There are now 251 First World War burials within the cemetery, almost exclusively of 1915 and 1917. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

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