AUSTEN BRADBURY
5 September 1892 - 8 August 1918
At School 1901 - 1909
Captain 5th Tank Corps
Austen was born in Manchester and in 1901, aged 8, was living at 5 Athol Road, with father Arthur, a mantle manufacturer, mother Rebekah, two older brothers, two older sisters and a domestic servant. Austen excelled at sport at School and in his last year he was captain of cricket and football, and won the Gaskell Cup, for best all round athlete, at the School sports.
On leaving School Austen went to work as an assistant in his father's drapery business. He joined the Old Hulmeians Football Club, and, except for an interval in 1912, when he went to South America on business, he played for them till the last season of 1913-14.
Captain AUSTEN BRADBURY, M C, Tank Corps, was killed in action at Hangard on August 8th, whilst leading his section of the Tanks against the enemy lines. He joined the Rifle Brigade in 1914, and soon obtained a commission in the Manchester Regiment, transferring afterwards into the Machine Gun Corps and the Tanks. He served in Salonica and in France. Not long before he fell he was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry and devotion to duty near Chaulnes and Vrely on March 27-28, 1918: - “ For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty while in command of nine Lewis Guns. When the Infantry were compelled to withdraw following a heavy hostile attack, he remained with his guns and covered the withdrawal firing on the enemy until his ammunition was exhausted and inflicting heavy casualties. On regaining the Infantry he collected a party of stragglers and held a trench for 24 hours until ordered to withdraw. His courage and resource were of a very high order.”
His late commanding officer wrote to Mr A W Bradbury: “Your son was one of my officers, and the best one when we were in the 22nd Division.” Another wrote: “He certainly was the most energetic and efficient officer in my company and a very gallant English gentleman.” A fellow captain wrote: “Out here one learns a man’s value very quickly, and Austen was deservedly popular, not only for his good-fellowship, but because of his wonderful efficiency and energy, qualities he had learnt while in business with you.”
The Hulmeian Magazine commented: "Those
who knew Austen Bradbury at School and
later will recognise in these brief portraits
just what one would have expected of him."
Austen's body was never recovered and he is
commemmorated on the Vis-en-Artois
Memorial between Arras and Cambrai.
Probate was granted to Arthur Wellesley
Bradbury, mantle merchant. Effects: £838 7
shillings