BRADLEY, Jack Edward, Lance Corporal, 12th Battalion

Rank: Lance Corporal

Regimental Number: 2836

Place of Birth: Fremantle

Address: 1 Silas Street, East Fremantle

Next of Kin: Father, Mr Benjamin Bradley

Enlistment Date: 12 July 1915

Unit Name: 12th Battalion

Age embarkation: 18

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Carpenter

History

Corporal JACK EDWARD BRADLEY

Corporal Jack Edward Bradley (2836), 20 years of age, was born and educated at Fremantle. He enlisted on July 12th, 1915, and was attached to the 12th Battalion. He sailed for Egypt in October, 1915, and later proceeded to France. He was in action Pozieres, Lagnicourt, Bullecourt, and Passchendaele. Later he contracted trench feet and was sent to England, eventually being invalided home to Australia. He was discharged in April, 1918.

Australia’s Fighting Sons of the Empire

“The above soldiers are sons of Benjamin and Alice Bradley, of Silas-Street, East Fremantle”

KITSON, Henry, Private, 12th Battalion

Rank: Private

Regimental Number: 4227

Place of Birth: Perth Western Australia

Address: Rocklands, Goomalling, Western Australia

Next of Kin: Sister, Mrs Edith Sumpton

Enlistment Date: 7 October 1915

Unit Name: 12th Battalion, 13th Reinforcement

Age embarkation: 28

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Saddler

Date of Death: -

Place of Burial: -

Links: -

LUNDGREN, Oscar, Private, 12th Battalion

Rank: Private

Regimental Number: 3382

Place of Birth: Burnley, Victoria

Address: Fire Station, Fremantle, Western Australia

Next of Kin: Mother, Mrs Maria Lundgren

Enlistment Date: 2 August 1915

Unit Name: 12th Battalion, 11th Reinforcement

Age embarkation: 22

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Horse driver

Date of Death: 26 January 1960

Place of Burial: -

Links: -

McMURTRIE, Robert Henderson, Private, 12th Battalion

Rank: Private

Regimental Number: 2407

Place of Birth: Edinburgh, Scotland

Address: Aberdeen Street, Albany, Western Australia

Next of Kin: Wife, Mrs Martha McMurtrie

Enlistment Date: 24 May 1915

Unit Name: 12th Battalion, 7th Reinforcement

Age embarkation: 39

Marital Status: Married

Occupation: Labourer

Date of Death: -

Place of Burial: -

Links: -

FULTON, James, Private, 12th Battalion

Rank: Private

Regimental Number: 809

Place of Birth: Carlisle, Western Australia

Address:

Next of Kin: Father, J Fulton

Enlistment Date: 31 August 1914

Unit Name: 12th Battalion, G Company

Age embarkation: 25

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Horse driver

Date of Death: -

Place of Burial: -

Links: -

POAT, Charles Albert, Private, 12th Battalion

Rank: Private

Regimental Number: 2635

Place of Birth: South Melbourne, Victoria

Address:

Next of Kin: Wife, Mrs Eva Mary Poat

Enlistment Date: 22 June 1915

Unit Name: 12th Battalion, 8th Reinforcement

Age embarkation: 32

Marital Status: Married

Occupation: Labourer

Date of Death:

Place of Burial: -

Links: -

RENSHAW, Samuel, Private, 12th Battalion

Rank: Private

Regimental Number: 4207

Place of Birth: Mansfield, England

Address: 202 Adelaide Terrace, Perth, Western Australia

Next of Kin: Brother, Mr Baden Renshaw

Enlistment Date: 7 September 1915

Unit Name: 12th Battalion, 13th Reinforcement

Age embarkation: 19

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Cigar makers apprentice

Date of Death: -

Place of Burial: -

Links: -

DALY, John, Private, 12th Battalion

Rank: Private

Regimental Number: 1405

Place of Birth: Chewton, Victoria

Address: Perth, Western Australia

Next of Kin: Mother, Mrs. Jane Anne Daly

Enlistment Date: 30 September 1914

Unit Name: 12th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement

Age embarkation: 40

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Miner

Date of Death: 6 July 1915

HISTORY

BRADFORD, William, Private, 12th Battalion

Rank: Private

Regimental Number: 3066

Place of Birth: -

Address: 59 Hubble Street(WW1: 119), East Fremantle, Western Australia

Next of Kin: Father, J Bradford

Enlistment Date: 8 July 1915

Unit Name: 12th Battalion, 10th Reinforcement

Age embarkation: 22

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Wood cutter

Date of Death: -

Place of Burial: -

Links: -

History

1918 War Casualties—Mr. and Mrs. Bradford, of 119 Hubble street, East Fremantle, have received word that their youngest son, Will, has been admitted to hospital in England, severely wounded in the wrist. (reference)

Residents of 59 Hubble Street, 1909 - 1926: Bradford, John

Family/military connections

BRADFORD, George, Private, 44th Battalion — Streets of East Freo

BRADFORD, Herbert, Private, 11th battalion — Streets of East Freo

THOMSON, Harold Eastwood, Private, 12th Battalion

Rank: Private

Regimental Number: 3403

Place of Birth: Fremantle, Western Australia

Address: 24 East Street(WW1: 42), East Fremantle, Western Australia

Next of Kin: Father, S Thomson

Enlistment Date: 2 August 1915

Unit Name: 12th Battalion, 11th Reinforcement

Age embarkation: 21

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Farmer

Date of Death:

Place of Burial:

Links:

KITSON, Joseph, Private, 12th Battalion

Rank: Private

Regimental Number: 1014

Place of Birth: East Fremantle Western Australia

Address: 46 Hubble Street(WW1: 86), East Fremantle, Western Australia

Next of Kin: Sister, Mrs J Simpton

Enlistment Date: 7 September 1914

Unit Name: 12th Battalion, G Company

Age embarkation: 22

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Boundary rider

Date of Death:

Place of Burial:

Links:

DEARY, George William, Private, 12th Battalion

Rank: Private

Regimental Number: 3071

Place of Birth: Footscray, Victoria

Address 93 Glyde Street, East Fremantle, Western Australia

Next of Kin: Father, G J Deary

Enlistment Date: 8 July 1915

Unit Name: 12th Battalion, 10th Reinforcement

Age embarkation: 22

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Labourer

Date of Death: -

Place of Burial: -

Links:

CAMPBELL, John Alex, Lance Corporal, 12th Battalion

Rank: Lieutenant

Regimental Number: 1009

Place of Birth: Fremantle, Western Australia

Address: 10 Alcester Gardens(WW1), East Fremantle, Western Australia

Next of Kin: Mother, Mrs Campbell

Enlistment Date: 4 September 1914

Unit Name: 12th Battalion, H Company

Age embarkation: 26

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Chemist

Date of Death: 28/12/1917

Place of Burial: Kandahar Farm Cemetery (Plot II, Row H, Grave No. 5), Neuve-Eglise, Belgium

Links:

History

Lieutenant JOHN ALEXANDER CAMPBELL

Lieutenant John Alexander Campbell, a son of Jane and the late Malcolm Campbell, was born and educated at Spalding, S.A. He enlisted in August, 1914, and sailed two months later with the 12th Battalion. He was wounded at the Landing on Gallipoli, and after the evacuation sailed with his unit from France. He gained his Commission at Pozieres, and was Killed in action on the 27th December, 1917.

Australia’s Fighting Sons of the Empire

ARBUCKLE, Beresford, Private, 12th Battalion

Rank: Private

Service Number: 773

Place of Birth: Burwood, Melbourne, Victoria

Address: Osbourne Park via Leederville, Western Australia

Next of Kin: Mother, Mrs Elizabeth Arbuckle

Enlistment Date: 14 September 1914

Unit Name: 12th Battalion

Age at Embarkation: 22

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Boiler attendant

Date of Death: 12 June 1915

Place of Death: Gallipoli, Turkey

HISTORY

12th Battalion Private Beresford Arbuckle was born Burwood, Victoria, and was the youngest son of Elizabeth nee Klepper (with Prussian ancestry) and Robert Arbuckle. Robert established a market garden in Main Street, Osborne Park via Leederville. When he died there in 1903, his older sons continued his business, renaming it Arbuckle Brothers.

Beresford was State schooled, finished his Engine Drivers' training in 1911 and was working as a boiler attendant when he enlisted on 31 August 1914 at Blackboy Hill aged 22. 

On 31 May, at Gallipoli, Beresford was severely reprimanded for disobeying orders and for improper conduct to his superior officer. Had he been a British soldier, he’d have likely been shot.

Just a fortnight later, on 13 June 1915, Beresford was in action when he suffered shrapnel wounds to the abdomen. He died later the same day at the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station and was later buried at Shrapnel Valley Cemetery at the southern point of Anzac Cove. His grave was just a few steps from that of John Simpson Kirkpatrick, ‘the man with the donkey’ who was killed in the same area a few weeks earlier.

Beresford’s older brother James had nine children, including one the year after Beresford's death. He was named Beresford Trevor in memory of Beresford. There have subsequently been many sons born in the family who carry the name Beresford, so he has never been forgotten.

The reason his name appears on the East Fremantle Roll of Honour was a mystery. Beresford’s mother Elizabeth asked Michael Joseph Regan, from IXL Bakery on Sewell Street, East Fremantle, to witness her completion of Beresford’s Roll of Honour Circular but, otherwise, neither he nor his parents had any association with the area. 

There was a more distant relative in John Arbuckle and his wife Margaret though, who were long term residents of East Fremantle, living firstly at 144 King Street and then 42 Glyde Street, East Fremantle. It is likely they who organised for Beresford’s name to be inscribed on the Roll of Honour.

Researched and written by Shannon Lovelady for www.streetsofeastfreo

12th Battalion Private Beresford Arbuckle, died of wounds 13 June 1915, Gallipoli.

Photo courtesy Australian War Memorial, image C70672.