Arthur Stephen Bradbury was born in 1896 in Sunbury, Middlesex (now Surrey), the fourth of at least nine children of John Bradbury (1863-1933) and Annie Bradbury née Skipper (1865-1922). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1896 in the Staines registration district, Middlesex (now Surrey) and he was baptised on 26 April 1896 at St Mary's Church, Sunbury. The baptismal register shows the family living at Nursery Road, Sunbury and that his father was a baker.
Arthur S. Bradbury was shown in the 1901 census as living at 2 Elm Cottages, Bath Road, Heston, Hounslow, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his parents and five siblings: John Bradbury (1889-1958); William Bradbury (b.1891); Annie Elizabeth Bradbury (1893-1958); Edward Bradbury (1894-1929) and Ellen Florence Bradbury (1899-1971).
When his mother completed the 1911 census return form she listed him as Arthur Bradbury, a G.P.O. Messenger living in a 5 roomed property at 2 Kiatta Villas, Vicarage Road, Hounslow, with his parents and seven siblings: John Bradbury - a market gardener; William Bradbury - a brewer's assistant; Edward Bradbury - a jeweller's assistant; Ellen Bradbury; Frederick Ernest Bradbury (1901-1959); Ernest Albert Sydney Bradbury (1903-1929) and Henry Charles Bradbury (1906-1942) who were all listed as at school. His father was described as a bread baker. (Vicarage Road is now called Vicarage Farm Road).
In December 1915 he enlisted in the 8th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Post Office Rifles), service number 4866. This was a Territorial Force and the Postal Service Appointment Books record him as promoted to the grade of a postman in the London Postal Service West with effect from June 1916.
In 1917 his army service number was changed to 372288 and he was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal. He died, aged 21 years, on 21 August 1917 in the Cambridge Hospital, Aldershot, Hampshire, following injuries he received as a result of an explosion at Blackdown Camp, Aldershot and was buried in Plot A, Row H, Grave 159, in the New Brentford Cemetery, 55 Sutton Lane, Hounslow, TW3 4LA.
By 23 May 1918 his army effects totalling £13-18s-1d had been sent to his father who also received his £7-0s-0d war gratuity on 4 November 1919.
He is shown as 'BRADBURY, A.R.' on the Western Postal District war memorial, at Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on page 42 in the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance Memorial Book, on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and on the A Street Near You website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
