Pte 30223 James Bradley

The 1881 Census shows Ottowell aged 5 living with his parents and three siblings at 58 Copperfield Street Toxteth. His father is 31 years of age and shown as a Policeman, whilst his mother is 32 years of age. His siblings are shown as; Walden who is 7 years of age, Vivian aged 3 and Violet aged 11 months.

 

In 1882 when he is aged 6 his mother, Mary Anne, died aged 42

 

In 1883 his sister Violet May died aged 3

 

His widowed father Edward marries widow Margaret Maylor Sedgwick (nee Cooper) in the June quarter of 1887. Margaret has three Sedgwick children with her. They go on to have seven children together of which two sadly die before 1911.

 

The 1891 Census shows Ottowell aged 15 and a tailor's apprentice living with his father, stepmother and siblings at 145 High Park Street, Toxteth. His father is now 41 years of age and his stepmother is 32. His siblings are shown as; Walden aged 17, Thomas Alfred aged 6, Marion May aged 3 and Ethel Sarah aged 1. The next three children listed are shown as step children; John William Sedgwick aged 13, Alice Maud Sedwick aged 11 and Harry aged 9.   

 

On 28th August 1899 he and his elder brother Walden are sentenced at Liverpool Assizes for house breaking and stealing. Ottowell is given one calendar month of Hard Labour in H M Prison Liverpool  for his first offence. His brother received a longer sentence for repeated offences.

 

At the time of the 1901 Census there is no trace of Ottowell in the UK, he is not at home with his parents. He was serving in the Boer War with 1/6th (Renfrewshire) Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders as Private 5907.  

 

On 04th November 1901 as Ottowell Hugh Claude Bradley he married Laura Eliza Richards at St John the Evangelist Church, Everton. Ottowell is a 25 year old tailor, His father, Edward, is shown on the marriage certificate as a Detective Sergeant, whilst Laura is aged 26, her father Richard was deceased, both gave the address of 12 Jane Grove, Everton.  

 

On 10th August 1904 he and Laura had a son and he was named Waldron John Ottowell Bradley. 

 

In the March quarter of 1905 Ottowell's step sister Doris died, aged 3.

 

Then in the June quarter of 1906 Ottowell's step brother James died, aged 13.

 

It is around this time Ottowell ceases to use his birth names and begins to call himself James Bradley.

 

The 1911 Census at 149 Spencer Street, Everton is strangely completed by him as James Bradley head of the household, he declares his wife Laura and his son Waldron. However, he declares himself married 9 years and describes himself as a lodger. His occupation is shown as a tailor and he advises that he was born in Dublin.

 

He enlisted in Liverpool, joining the 19th (Pals) Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Pte 30223 James Bradley (not Ottowell). 

 

On 30th July 1916 he was killed in action, aged 40, during the attack at Guillemont, although SDGW list him as died of wounds on the same day.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.     

His body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme (under James Bradley). 

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01^st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

His death was reported in the local press:

OTTOWELL HUGH CLAUDE BRADLEY - Son of the late Edward and of Margaret Bradley, of 69, Southdale Road, Wavertree. Husband of Laura Bradley, of 149, Spencer Street, Everton [Liverpool Courier 11th Sept 1916]

BRADLEY - In loving birthday remembrance of the beloved husband of Margaret Bradley, also Ottowell, second son, killed in action July 30 1916 - 69 Southdale Road, Wavertree Liverpool. 

His Soldiers Effects/Pay as James of £5:7s:3d is paid to a Legatee Margaret Alexander on 16th November 1916 and a War Gratuity of £4 on 18th September 1919.

 

The Dependents Pension was not claimed by his widow Laura Eliza and their son Waldron. She had remarried to John Kilcourse in 1918 and died aged 79 in 1952. 

 

His step mother Margaret Maylor Bradley at 67 Southdale Road, Wavertree claimed the Dependents Pension.

 

In June 1917 his father Edward died aged 67. 

 

On his birthday on 06th August 1917 his widow solves the mystery and theory regarding Ottowell/James. She placed a Memoriam in the Liverpool Daily Post to her late husband and his second son Ottowell:

 

 

The CWGC site confirms no death of an Ottowell Bradley- the only Bradley death on 30/07/1916 is that of James Bradley of 19th Pals.

Ottowell is commemorated in Liverpool's Hall of Remembrance, Panel 14 Left (as J. Bradley).

We currently have no further information on James Bradley, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.