LIEUTENANT WALTER ROBINSON BARNABAS BRADLEY, 150 SQUADRON, ROYAL AIR FORCE. DIED FROM MALARIA 29TH JUNE 1918 AGED 27 YEARS.


LIEUTENANT WALTER ROBINSON BARNABAS BRADLEY, 150 SQUADRON, ROYAL AIR FORCE. DIED FROM MALARIA 29TH JUNE 1918 AGED 27 YEARS.


A postman in Ilkley before the war, Walter Bradley had been amongst the first from the town to volunteer for the army in September 1914, when like many of his friends he enlisted into the ‘Ilkley Pals’ company of the 9th West Riding Regiment. Clearly, Walter was from an early stage in his career marked out for promotion and in 1915 whilst the Ilkley Pals went to France he remained in England to commence officer training. Gazetted a 2nd  Lieutenant in June 1915. It appears that instead of returning to the West Riding Regiment he was posted to the Sherwood Foresters and sent to join one of their battalions in Egypt. It was during fighting in Gaze that he received a shrapnel wound in the left legs which required a long stay in hospital. After recuperation it seems that he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as a non flying officer and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. This indicates that he leg wound had caused more long term injury and He was not fully fit for front line service. Nevertheless, Walters abilities brought him to the attention of his superiors and he in April 1918 he was posted as adjutant to the newly formed 150 Squadron in what was now called the Royal Air Force.


150 Squadron were based in Salonika in Greece as part of a multi-national force fighting against Bulgaria. The Macedonian Front was fought over rugged mountainous terrain, winters were severe and summers unbearably hot with the added danger of tropical disease. It was in June of 1918 that Walter collapsed and was diagnosed as suffering from malaria. Transferred to hospital he succumbed on the 29th of the month.

Walter Bradley was born in Ilkley on 20th September 1891 the only son of Thomas and Fanny who lived at 2 Crescent Terrace off Nile Road. A pupil at the National School on Leeds Road after leaving school he went to work as a postman at the post office which was then on Wells Road, and in his spare time played for Ilkley RFU. After his death a fellow officer would write to Walters parents “....your son was one of the most capable officers in the wing and was devoted to his work. Of a very genial disposition he endeared himself to all who came into contact with him”.

Today Lieutenant Walter Bradley lies in the British Military Cemetery  at Salonika where his parents had inscribed “Gods will be done” on his headstone and is remembered with pride on our war memorial in Ilkley.

With the kind permission of Keith Roberts photographs of Walters grave






            



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