Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...
George Nicholson Bradford
VC (23 April 1887 – 23 April 1918) was an officer in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
and an English recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
forces. His brother,
Roland Bradford, was also awarded the Victoria Cross, making them the only brothers to be awarded the medal during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Early life
Bradford was born in
Witton Park
Witton Park is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated to the west of Bishop Auckland. In 2001 it had a population of 384.
Famous people born in Witton Park
* Brigadier General Roland Boys Bradford VC—youngest ever Brigadier G ...
,
County Durham
County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly â€About North East E ...
, on 23 April 1887 to George Bradford and Amy Marion Andrews.
[Bradford, Roland Boys]
Commonwealth War Graves Commission He had three brothers, Thomas Andrews, James Barker and
Roland Boys, all of whom served in the First World War.
[Bradford, George Nicholson]
Commonwealth War Graves Commission He attended
Barnard Castle School
Barnard Castle School (colloquially Barney School or locally the County School) is a co-educational Independent school (United Kingdom), independent day and boarding school in the market town of Barnard Castle, County Durham, in the North East Engl ...
.
First World War
Bradford was 30 years old and a
lieutenant commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...
in the Royal Navy during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
when he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 22/23 April 1918 at
Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge (, from: ''Brugge aan zee'' meaning "Bruges at Sea", french: Zeebruges) is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeeb ...
, Belgium, when in command of the naval storming parties embarked in .
He died on 23 April 1918, his 31st birthday, committing the act for which he was awarded the cross. The citation for his Victoria Cross read:
![Blankenberge Town Cemetery-14](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Blankenberge_Town_Cemetery-14.jpg)
Two of his brothers, Brigadier General
Roland Bradford and Second Lieutenant James Barker Bradford, also died in service.
[ His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the ]Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...
, London.
References
External links
* ''(summary, photos, links to further biographical and CWGC details within site)''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bradford, George Nicholson
1887 births
1918 deaths
Royal Navy officers
British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross
British military personnel killed in World War I
Royal Navy recipients of the Victoria Cross
People from Witton Park
Royal Navy officers of World War I
People educated at Barnard Castle School
Military personnel from County Durham