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 �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

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

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