Mr George (Bull) Bradley

George was born in Broomhill, a small community near to Wombwell. He was the fourth child of Joseph and Phyllis who had ten children altogether, although only six were alive at the time of the 1911 census. Like his father, he went to work in the coal mines. George was such a strong worker that he got the nickname ‘Bull’. It was probably there that he was recruited into the Barnsley Pals along with many other local lads.

At some stage George transferred to the Royal Engineers, miners being well suited to the tunnelling work as the war progressed. He was discharged in January 1919 and returned home and went back to Houghton Main Colliery.

He married Ida Stanger in 1921 and they lived in Darfield had three daughters and a son.

However, the strain of his war experiences began to surface and he developed such severe shell shock (termed neurasthenia) that he was sent to the Royal Star and Garter Home in March 1928.

Ida and the children would visit him there and my mother Freda (their third child) only has memories of seeing him there and taking him out into Richmond Park in a chair.

George spent sixteen years in the home. He died when London was enduring the V2 raids in July 1944 aged 50.

His body was returned to Darfield and he was buried in the cemetery. Ida, his widow brought up the children on her own, a remarkable woman always able to make the best of things.

George was the Grandad I never knew myself and I treasure the one photograph we have of him.

~ Mrs Sheila McMillan