Lieutenant-Colonel Bill Bradford
5th Battalion, The Black Watch

Owing to severe casualties in past fighting the bn under Lt Col Bradford’s comd has los most of its key personnel and a great deal of extra work descended on him. The fact that his bn carried out its tasks so brilliantly is entirely due to the able leadership and energy of Lt Col Bradford who was at all times an inspiration and example to his officers and men.

(D.S.O. citation, 2 Sep 1944)

Born on 15 October 1912 in London, Berenger Colborne Bradford was educated at Eton College and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He was commissioned with the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) in 1932, later serving in India and the Sudan. As a captain and adjutant with the 1st Battalion, he was taken prisoner along with the rest of the 51st Division when surrounded by German forces at St Valéry on 12 June 1940. He slipped away from the prisoner-of-war march a week later.

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