Harry's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Henry Bradshaw was born in Preston in 1897, the son of Marion (née Lund) and Arthur Bradshaw, an upholsterer of Preston, Lancashire; he was commonly known as Harry. In 1901, four-year-old Henry was living in an Asylum Cottage, Whittingham, near Preston with his parents and siblings Charles (7), Ellen (5), James (2) and ten-month-old baby Eva. Whittingham was the site of a large hospital known as Whittingham Asylum, one of three County Asylums in Lancashire. Asylum staff lived in the Asylum Cottages but Arthur and his family may have been living there because the cottage was not needed for staff, or he may have been working in one of the asylum workshops.
By 1908 the family had moved to Macclesfield, where another son, Walter, was born. Harry's mother died in Macclesfield in 1909; having a young family to take care of, Harry's father wasted no time and was married to Lizzie Sale in early 1910.
In 1911 the family was living at 104 Bond Street, Macclesfield and included another daughter, seven-month-old Elsie. By this time Harry had left school and was working as a silk weaver's tenter, and later worked at the Chester Road Mill in Macclesfield. The family later lived at 6 Newton Street, Macclesfield.
Harry was educated at Crompton Road school, and later at Christ Church school. He attended the Large Sunday School and the Parish Church Men’s Bible Class.
WW1 SERVICE
Harry enlisted in Macclesfield at the age of 18, initially joining the local 7th Battalion Cheshire Regiment with service number 2682; he was later transferred to the 21st Battalion Manchester Regiment with service number 40577. Harry was posted to France in the summer of 1916.
In February 1917 the 21st Manchester Regiment was at Bertrancourt in France, and the war diary has the following entries:
24th: In trenches. Patrols discovered Serre to be unoccupied. Weather fine but misty.
25th: In trenches. Serre attacked and occupied. Bn. HQ moved to Mouse Post. Bn relieved by 1st RWF in trenches beyond Serre. Relief completed 8.14 pm. Marched back to billets in Mailley-Maillet. 1 O.R killed, 7 O.R. wounded.
[O.R. = Other Ranks i.e. not an officer]
Harry was the soldier who was killed on 25th February 1917.
Harry Bradshaw's death was reported in the Macclesfield Times of 9 March 1917:
SHOT BY A SNIPER – ANOTHER MACCLESFIELD LOSS
Mr and Mrs Arthur Bradshaw, 6 Newton Street, Macclesfield, have been informed of the death in action in France of their son, Signaller Harry Bradshaw, of the Manchester Regt. The sad news was contained in a letter from the deceased soldier’s platoon commander, Second-Lieut C Danziger: …your son… took part in an attack on a strong German position at dawn on February 25th, and it was after the final objective had been gained that he was killed, He had served in my platoon during the last two months, earning the respect of both officers and men.. a cheery and fearless soldier, quick to perform his duty…
Wilfred Wright, a comrade of the deceased soldier… [wrote]: He was shot in the stomach by a sniper… about nine o’clock in the morning, and he died almost instantaneously. I myself miss him very much, for I have been his constant companion for over 18 months…
Signaller Bradshaw was 20 years of age and received his education at the Crompton Road and Christ Church day schools. He was a member of the Parish Church Men’s Bible Class and was also connected with the Large Sunday School. Prior to enlistment, on the outbreak of war, he was employed at the Chester Road Mill. He was drafted out to France about seven months ago. His brother, Lance-Corporal Bradshaw, is serving with the Welsh Regt in Egypt.
Within the war diaries are two documents which support the information given in the Macclesfield Times dated 9th March 1917. This first document shows reports sent to the battalion H.Q. At 8:15am the battalion had reached the first objective, at 8:30am Snipers are reported as operating on the right flank, then at 9:05 it states they had encountered resistance.
The second page is the report of the operation, It states near the bottom that only 1 private was killed, this sadly was Harry.
COMMEMORATION
Private Harry Bradshaw has no known grave and is commemorated on Bay 7 of the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
In Macclesfield, Private Harry Bradshaw is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall, St Michael’s Church, Christ Church School and Macclesfield Sunday School war memorials.
NOTES
Brother of Charles Bradshaw, who served as Private 20071 with the 53rd Welsh Division Cyclist Company in Egypt and survived the war.
SOURCES
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Macclesfield Times: 9 and 16 March 1917, 23 September 1921 (photo supplement)
Additional research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.