Pte 269686 William Bradshaw

• Age: 19
• From: Manchester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 4th June 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

William was born in 1898 in Beswick with Bradford, east of Manchester the son of Samuel Bradshaw and his wife Sarah Elizabeth (nee Leech), who married in Nantwich in 1894. He was baptised in the parish church of Bradford on 9th March, his parents’ residence listed as 98 Sarah Ann Street, and his father’s occupation as labourer.

His father was born in Cheshire, and his mother in Shropshire.  William was the fourth of ten children.  He had older siblings Nellie, born in 1895, Ernest 1896, and Samuel 1900 (but died in infancy), born in Beswick, and younger siblings Emma 1902, Elizabeth 1903, Albert 1904, Herbert 1908, Frank 1911, and Bessie in 1913, all born in Ardwick.

In 1901 the family is living at 56 Euclid Street, Beswick.  His father is a lurry (sic) driver for the railway.  They have five children, William is 3.  By 1902 they have left Beswick for Ardwick.

1911 finds them at 185 Prince Street, Ardwick, with seven children.  His father is 40, a carter, his mother is 38, Nelly, 15, is a machinist making children’s clothing, Ernest, 14, is an errand boy for a cloth manufacturer, William, 13, Emma, 9, Elizabeth, 7, and Albert, 6, are at school, and Herbert is 3.  Frank was born later that year, and Bessie in 1913, by which time they have moved to 141 Harcourt Street.

William enlisted in Manchester. The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he enlisted in the summer of 1916, when he would have been 18 years old, lying about his age in order to serve overseas. He was serving with ‘A’ Company, 4th Platoon of the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment when he was initially reported missing on 4th June 1917 and this was later changed to him being killed in action on that date aged 19.

His mother, at 141 Harcourt Street, contacted the British Red Cross in July 1917, and the International Red Cross (“L/Cpl 269686, late 8411”)  but was notified in a reply dated 30th January 1918 that they held no information on William.  (No records are found with the regimental number 8411 under the name Bradshaw,  and medal roll, medal card and SDGW show only 269686, and rank as Private.)

William's body was never recovered and his name is commemorated on the Menin Gate, at Ypres in Belgium. 

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

His effects were sent to his father Samuel,whilst a dependants pension was awarded to his mother Sarah Elizabeth.

Parents address is shown on CWGC as 141 Harcourt Street, Ardwick, Manchester.

His documents were received in the Pension Office from the Paymaster on 01st February 1918 and the pension of 4/- a week awarded from the end of that month, suggesting that in early 1918 William was officially presumed to have been killed in action.

His father died 1930 aged 59 and his mother in 1949, aged 77.

Sadly, William has not been identified on any memorial.

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