Diary of 1656 Sergeant AW BRADLEY

Date of enlistment 16th July 1915
Age at enlistment 18
Profession Clerk
Town Kew
Status Single
Rank at enlistment Private
Unit 22nd Battalion
Significant events while with the AIF Served in Gallipoli, Egypt and France

Hospitalised sick

Promoted to Sergeant

Killed in Action – Pozieres, 5th August 1916

Sergeant Bradley’s full WW1 service record can be located in the National Archives of Australia. Full details are available online, NAA Series B2455

The following extracts are taken from the diary of Sergeant Bradley while serving in Gallipoli, Egypt and France. The originals are stored in the Australian War Memorial research centre in Canberra, and acknowledgement goes to the family of Sergeant Bradley and the AWM enabling the subsequent publishing within this commemorative project.

Gallipoli

8th Sept 1915: It’s marvellous when you look around you and see the steep hills in the vicinity of the landing place how are boys landed at all.

14th Sept 1915: The air becomes thick with shells hissing on their voyage of destruction.

Egypt

3rd March 1916: We have been told yesterday that we would be sailing for France on the 20th of this month. Quite looking forward to it now – anything to get away from this desert.

France

10th April 1916: Will have to write this letter under great difficulties as the blessed old barn we are in has been shelled so often that there is more daylight than roof on top and it has rained.

17th April 1916: You never in all your life seen such a place for rats there are millions of the brutes and into the bargain they are about the size of a bunny.

21st July 1916: I believe the 1st Division has gone into action and I fancy we shall be on their heels very shortly.

 

Published as ‘news’ 100 years on to the day, follow the 22nd Battalion on the project website and via Facebook and Twitter

poppy-2       FIRST WORLD WAR TIMELINE       poppy-2

1914          1915          1916          1917          1918          1919

%d bloggers like this: