VERY SAD 14 TRIO TO A 2ND LIEUTENANT BERKS REGIMENT AND A PTE 28TH LONDON RGT.
£575.00
A 1914 TRIO TO PTE/2ND LT D.G.C. BRIDGE 2ND BATTALION BERKS RGT. DOW 23/5/15.
1914 STAR. 1769 PTE.D.G.C.BRIDGE 1/28 LON:R.
BWM/VIC. 2.LIEUT.D.G.C.BRIDGE.
PUPILS OF GORDON’S BOYS HOME WHO DIED IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919.
DONALD GERALD CLIVE BRIDGE WAS BORN IN RICHMOND,SURREY ON THE 10TH JULY 1894 THE SON OF EDWARD BRIDGE AND EMILIE.HIS BIRTH AS GERALD CLIVE,WAS REGISTERED IN RICHMOND IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1894.
ON THE 1901 CENSUS THE PARENTS AND 4 CHILDREN WERE LIVING AT PARK VILLAS,LLANISHAN,SOUTH GLAMORGAN.EDWARD WAS AN ESTATE AGENT AND EMPLOYED A COOK AND A HOUSEMAID.
THE 1911 CENSUS HAS DONALD.G.C.BRIDGE,AGED 17,THE ADOPTED SON OF FREDERICK G A? AND MARIA GRAHAM BALLANTYNE. DONALD WAS A WINE MERCHANT’S CLERK AND FREDERICK BALLANTYNE WAS A PRIVATE TUTOR AGED 47 AND BORN IN JAMAICA. (FREDERICKS FATHER HAD BEEN THE OVERSEER IN A WORKHOUSE IN MANCHESTER).
HE WAS AT THE GORDON’S BOYS HOME FROM 1908-1910 WHERE HE WOULD HAVE RECEIVED A CERTAIN AMOUT OF MILITARY TRAINING. HIS ENTRY FORM STATES HIS MOTHER WAS A LUNATIC IN THE BRIDGEND ASYLUM AND HE HAD AN AUNT-EMILY BLUNT.
ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER THE OUTBREAK OF WAR,IN AUGUST 1914 DONALD ENLISTED IN THE 28TH LONDON REGIMENT (ARTIST RIFLES) AND WAS ALLOTTED THE NUMBER 1769.
ON THE 26TH OCTOBER 1914 HE EMBARKED FOR FRANCE WITH 713 NCO’S AND PRIVATES OF THE 1/28TH LONDONS,MOST OF WHOM WERE COMMISSIONED DURING THE NEXT 6 MONTHS.
AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR THE 28/LONDONS WERE PART OF THE 2ND LONDON DIVISION BUT ON THE 28TH OCTOBER THEY ARRIVED IN FRANCE AND ESTABLISHED AN OFFICER TRAINING BATTALION AT BAILLUAL.
ON THE 20TH MARCH 1915 HE WAS COMMISSIONED 2ND LIEUTENANT INTO THE 2ND ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGIMENT WHO HAD ARRIVED IN FRANCE ON THE 5TH NOVEMBER 1914 AS PART OF THE 25TH BRIGADE 8TH DIVISION.
THE 25TH BRIGADE WERE IN ACTION AT THE BATTLES OF NEUVE CHAPELLE (10TH MARCH-22ND APRIL 1915) AND AUBERS RIDGE (9TH MAY). THE 2ND/BERKS APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN HELD BACK IN RESERVE DURING THE LATER BATTLE.
DONALD GERALD CLIVE BRIDGE WAS WOUNDED AT THE BATTLE OF FESTURBERT (MAY 15TH-25TH),WHICH WAS THE SECOND PHASE TO THE BATTLE OF AUBERS,AND WAS EVACUATED TO ENGLAND WHERE HE DIED OF HIS WOUNDS ON THE 23RD OF MAY 1915.
HE IS BURIED IN NUNHEAD ALL SAINTS CEMETERY IN SOUTH LONDON WHICH HOLDS 580 GRAVES OF WORLD WAR ONE AND HE IS ONE OF THE 266 BRITISH BURIED THERE. THEY DO NOT HAVE HEADSTONES AND ARE REMEMBERED ON A SCREEN WALL MEMORIAL INSIDE THE MAIN ENTRANCE.
THE ADDRESS ON HIS MIC IS
MR.D.G.BALLANTYNE
14, LOUISVILLE RD
UPPER TOOTING
S(?)W 17
TRAGICALLY HIS BROTHER KENNETH LIONEL BRIDGE DIED 3 DAYS LATER ON THE 26TH MAY 1915 IN THE SAME BATTLE SERVING IN THE 1/24TH LONDON RGT.
2365 PTE. K.L.BRIDGE 24TH LONDON RGT.
HE IS ON THE LE-TOURET-MEMORIAL TO THE MISSING.
S/DIED IS NOT IN SEQUENCE HIS NAME IS AFTER BROWN’S
TRAGIC FAMILY THERE IS A LOT MORE TO FIND OUT INCLUDING WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR FAMILY AND WHY WAS THERE MOTHER IN AN ASYLUM PLUS GORDON’S BOYS HOME ETC.
I THINK THE MEDALS ARE VARNISHED/LACQUERED BUT WHO EVER DID IT, DID A VERY GOOD JOB.
PS MOST OF THIS IS ONLINE.
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