Alfred Norman Bradford (14 August 1894 – 4 August 1916) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League.
Family Son of Alfred David Bradford (1858-1941),Deaths: Bradford, The Age, (Thursday, 3 April 1941), p.1. and Margaret Mary Bradford (1865-1946), née Thompson,Deaths: Bradford, The Argus, (Tuesday, 21 May 1946), p.2. Alfred Norman Bradford was born at Ascot Vale, Victoria on 14 August 1894.
Football Recruited from Yarraville Football Club in the Metropolitan Junior Football Association (MJFA),South Melbourne's New Men, The Age, (Tuesday, 20 April 1915), p.11. he played 7 senior games with South Melbourne in 1915.
His first match for the South Melbourne First XVIII was against St Kilda on 24 April 1915,Football: League: St. Kilda v. South Melbourne, The Herald, (Saturday, 24 April 1915), p.3. and his seventh and last match, prior to his enlistment was against Fitzroy on 24 July 1915.
Military service He enlisted in the First AIF in July 1915;The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 31 July 1915), p.2.The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 16 October 1915), p.2. and, leaving Australia on the HMAT Ulysses (A38) on 27 October 1915, he served overseas in the Australian Imperial Force as a Corporal in the 23rd Battalion of the Australian Infantry.Soldiers' Letters; Life Aboard a Transport, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 8 January 1916), p.2.From Private Norman Bradford, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 5 February 1916), p.3.From Private Norman Bradford, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 12 February 1916), p.2.Private W. (sic) Bradford, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 11 March 1916), p.2.Soldiers' Letters: Privates Norman Bradford and "Boxer" Milne, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 8 April 1916), p.2.Soldiers' Letters: Private Norman Bradford, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 22 April 1916), p.2.Private Norman Bradford, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 10 June 1916), p.2.Soldiers' Letters: Private Norman Bradford, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 29 July 1916), p.3.Soldiers' Letters: Corporal Norman Bradford, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 2 September 1916), p.3.
Death Bradford was killed in action while in charge of a section of his battalion's bomb throwers, at Pozières, France, on 4 August 1916.Roll of Honor: Cpl. A. Norman Bradford, The (Footscray) Independent, (Saturday, 16 September 1916), p.2.Australian Casualties: 212th and 213th Lists Issued: Killed in Action: Victoria, The Argus, (Saturday, 16 September 1916), p.17.Deaths: On Active Service: Bradford—Rogers, The Age, (Saturday, 23 September 1916), p.7.
His name is engraved on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, a memorial to all Australian soldiers who fought in France and Belgium during the First World War whose graves are not known.Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
See also List of Victorian Football League players who died on active service
Footnotes
References Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing. Main, J. & Allen, D., "Bradford, Norman", pp. 23–25 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. First World War Nominal Roll: Corporal Alfred Norman Bradford (2577), collection of the Australian War Memorial. First World War Embarkation Roll: Private Alfred Norman Bradford (2577), collection of the Australian War Memorial. World War One Service Record: Corporal Alfred Norman Bradford (2577), National Archives of Australia. Roll of Honour Circular: Corporal Alfred Norman Bradford (2577), collection of the Australian War Memorial. Roll of Honour: Corporal Alfred Norman Bradford (2577), Australian War Memorial. Corporal Alfred Norman Bradford (2577), Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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