Herbert Bradley (1902-1918)

Herbert Bradley was born on 2 January 1902 in the married quarters of the Western Heights barracks in Dover, England. His parents were Harold Bradley (a corporal in the medical corps of the Royal Army) and Edith Jordan (daughter of a cordwainer – shoemaker).

Harold joined the army in 1884, when he was 18. Just over a year later, he married Edith and they went on to have eight children. When Harold wasn’t in service, he worked as a porter.

* In 1891, Harold and Philip are listed with Edith’s parents, while the rest of the family are staying as visitors at the White Swan pub next door.

** In 1911, Lillian and her husband, Alfred Bernard Spicer (a 20 year old clerk), are lodging with the family.

*** In 1921, Harold is a patient at a hospital in Nelson ON.

In 1906, Harold was discharged from the army – “A very good clerk and capable army accountant, has always been painstaking and industrious, has given great satisfaction while in charge of army stores.”

It’s not clear when Harold moved to Vancouver, but in May 1911, Edith emigrated with the four youngest children to join him. From a genealogy perspective, it was great timing, as we get to see the family in both the English census in April then in the Canadian one in June.

The family lived in Port Coquitlam, where Harold worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway and was also an army reservist.

War broke out and Harold left for the front in June 1914. Harold Jr enlisted in July 1915 with the 3rd Canadian Engineers. Philip was still in England, so joined the Royal Engineers in October 1915. Edward joined the 121st Battalion in December 1915, followed by Leonard in January 1916.

In April 2016, Herbert lied about his age and enlisted with the 11th Canadian Mounted Rifles – he was only 14 years old. A later newspaper article said that he had been teased by his friends about when he was going to join up.

He was transferred to the 72nd Battalion and stationed at Vimy Ridge. On 1 March 1917, Herbert was one of many Canadian troops to suffer poison gas inhalation. “A Proper Slaughter”: The March 1917 Gas Raid at Vimy Ridge“ (Canadian Military History, Volume 8 Issue 2 Article 2, 1999) is a sombre read.

Photo: The Province, 17 August 1916

He was hospitalized, where he was discovered to be underage and discharged from service. He returned to Canada, but contracted Spanish Flu and died on 26 December 1918 – aged 16.

Herbert is the youngest person to be commemorated on the Port Coquitlam cenotaph.