Return to menu Return to 33rd Battalion page
Married: 1907. Newtown, New South Wales, Australia. Marriage Cert:11253/1907.
Wife: Amy Cecillia Bradley nee: Casey.
Died: 4th April 1918. Killed in Action. Villers-Bretonneux, France.
Mother: Elizabeth Bradley. nee: Therkettle.
Thomas Albert Bradley enlisted with the 4th Reinforcements, 33rd Battalion AIF on the
28th of June 1916 and left Sydney on board HMAT A30 "Borda" on the 17th of October 1916 and
disembarked at Plymouth, England on the 9th of January 1917. He was marched to the 9th Training
Battalion at the Durrington Army Camp at Larks Hill to commence training for overseas deployment.
Thomas was admitted to the Fargo Militay Hospital on the 13th of February and after he was
discharged he proceeded overseas for France via Folkstone on the 28th of March 1917.
Thomas was marched to the Front Line on the 16th of April and was Taken on in Strength in the
field with the 33rd Battalion and remained in and out of action for nearly 4 months and took part
in the push at MESSINES RIDGE in June 1917 where he survived to fight another day.
7th June 1917
The 3rd Australian Divisions first major offencive was at Messines Ridge on the 7th June 1917.
The Australian 3rd Division was a part of the II Anzac Corps which was allotted to the first
assault. The 25th New Zealand, 3rd Australian Division with the 4th Australian Division in
reserve. The 4th Division were battle hardened troops who had fought many major battles.The 3rd
Australian Division were having problems getting to the "jump off" point. The day before the 9th
and 10th Infantry Brigades were bombarded by German Gas-Shells around Hill 63 and Plugstreet
Wood. Many of the Aussies were not wearing gas masks, but dispite this they pressed on even
though they received 500 casulties.
They made it to the "jump off" point but only just with some of the men from the 9th and 10th
going straight over the top without stopping. The mines went up and the attack commenced behind
a protective barrage. The II Anzac Corps were attacking on the right with their objective being
the southern shoulder of the ridge which included Messines, the Dover and St Yves areas as far
south to the east of Plugstreet Wood.
Major General Sir John MONASH's 3rd Division had to contend with a tricky 3 mile approach out of
Plugstreet Wood and after the German gas attack, but they were not detered. The 9th Infantry
Brigade under Brigadier General A JOBSON and the 10th Infantry Brigade under Brigadier General
W R NICHOLL had just made the jumping off point but some of the men did not stop, going straight
into the assault from the approach march.
Their objective lay between St Yves and the Douve. The mines at Trench 127 and Trench 12 at
Factory Farm were laid to aid this task. The explosions erupted a few seconds before zero hour
and created craters of 200 feet in diameter, completely obliterating the German defence line as
the 9th and 10th Infantry Brigades went over the top. The mine crates forced the 9th and 10th
Brigades to veer to the left and right which caused some confusion with the main assault. It is
testimony to the quality of training that every man knew the ground, tasks and objectives so well.
Private: 1804 John Carroll 33rd Battalion, rushed the
enemy's trench and bayoneted four of the German occupants. He then noticed a comrade in difficulties
and went to his assistance, killing another German. He then attacked single handed a German Machine
Gun Team, killing all three of them and capturing the gun. He later rescued two of his comraded who
had been buried alive by German Shell Fire, and in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun fire he
dug them out alive and saved them from certain death. John was awarded the
Victoria Cross.
The German foward zone was completely engulfed and taken by the main assault. The two supporting
battalions of each brigade then passed the leading battalion to continue the advance. The men
were constantly re-supplied and the ridge was taken. There were many German prisoners taken
during the offencive. The 3rd Division was well ahead with the 9th Infantry Brigade pushing on
beyond Grey Farm, and on the right the 10th Infantry Brigade were veering left towards Septieme
Barn north of Douve.
The German resistance was heavy but was generally brushed aside by tanks and artillery before
the infantry had to become too involved.The 4th Bavarian Divisions Artillery had mede little
impact, but as the day wore on the 3rd Division and later the 4th Australian Division received
many casulties from German artillery. (70% of all casulties during WW1 were from artillery).
By 9:00am nearly 6 hours after the assault began the Germans were in dissaray, but there was a
major problem as the Australians received less casulties as anticipated and when ordered to dig
into the ridge they had so many men, that some could not find shelter. the 35th battalion were
dug in around Seaforth Farm.
The second phase of the operation was to take the Oosttaverne Line. The 3rd Australian Division
would now be in reserve with the 4th Division attacking. The 9th Infantry Brigade (33-34-35-36Bn)
were near Thatched Cottage facing Warneton. The river Lys was to their right and the Plugstreet
Wood was now behind them.
Once their objectives were taken the troops consolidated. A barrarge to stop and counter attack
was shortnened and caught three battalions which had to retire. By 9:00pm this part of the
Oosttaverne Line was abandonded. At 10:45pm General Godley ordered the 3rd and 4th Divisions to
retake it. This they did by the early hours of the 8th of June.
The Battle for Messines Ridge during May-June 1917 saw 35 officers and 1,631 other ranks loose
their lives.
| 33rd Battalion. AIF | 8 Officers | 382 Other ranks |
| 34th Battalion. AIF | 10 Officers | 378 Other ranks |
| 35th Battalion. AIF | 5 Officers | 431 Other ranks |
| 36th Battalion. AIF | 9 Officers | 421 Other ranks |
| 9th Machine Gun Company. AIF | 2 Officer | 17 Other ranks |
| 9th Light Trench Mortor Battery. | 1 Officer | 2 Other ranks |
Thomas was treated by the Australian Casualty Clearing Station and admitted to Hospital on the 1st of August 1917. After a week and a half of rest and treatment he rejoined his unit on the 11th of August but was back in Hospital on the 19th of August at ARQUES suffering from Defective Vision
Thomas was transfered to the 3rd Australian Divisional Base Depot at ROULLES on the 25th of August and was returned to the Front line on the 7th of September. He remained there for the next month before being again treated by the Australian Casualty Clearing Station and admitted to Hospital in ROUEN on the 16th of October suffering from Cardiac Strain and transfered to ROUELLES on the 24th of November. After 2 weeks of rest Thomas was again returned to the Front Line and was back in the trenches for Xmas and the New Year until he returned to Hospital suffering again from Defective Vision.
After spending only 2 days in Hospital, Thomas was discharged to duty on the 19th of January and was again marched to the Front Line. Thomas was granted leave to England for 3 weeks on the 2nd of March 1918, and returned to the front line on the 23rd of March and was Killed in Action on the 4th of April 1918 during the first Battle of VILLERS-BRETONNEUX, France. His body was never recovered.
4th-5th April 1918
The Strength of the 9th Infantry Brigade was about 2,250 but their casulties during the 2 days of fighting numbered 30 Officers and 635 men either killed in action or missing.
| 33rd Battalion. AIF | 3 Officers | 82 Other ranks |
| 34th Battalion. AIF | 5 Officers | 120 Other ranks |
| 35th Battalion. AIF | 9 Officers | 282 Other ranks (including 44 missing) |
| 36th Battalion. AIF | 12 Officers | 133 Other ranks (including 1 missing) |
| 9th Machine Gun Company. AIF | 1 Officer | 18 Other ranks (including 4 missing) |
Thomas is remembered with honour and is commemerated in perpetuity by the Commonweath War Graves Commission at the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France.
Thomas was a 34 year old Tailor from Baloone Street, Narrabri, N.S.W. upon enlistment. He was educated at the Cathlic Convent School at Walgett. His parents Henry and Elizabeth Bradley were married in 1868 at Wee Waa, N.S.W. Marriage Cert:3565/1868 and had 7 children, 4 boys and 3 girls. Julia M Bradley born 1874 at Wee Waa, N.S.W. Birth Cert:18960/1872 Charles Bradley born 1874 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:15287/1874. Elizabeth Clare Bradley born 1876 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:16062/1876. Eliza A Bredley born 1878 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:17490/1878. Thomas Albert Bradley born 1881 at Walgett, N.S.W. Birth Cert:22870/1881 and died in 1918 at Villers-Bretonneux, France. Ernest Valentine Bradley born 1884 at Walgett, N.S.W. Birth Cert:27301/1884 and died in 1949 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Death Cert:30022/1949. Allen W.J Bradley born 1887 at Walgett, N.S.W. Birth Cert:29670/1887.
(Australian National Archives)
Under Construction 21/08/2008.
