William Bridgeford
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Sir William Bridgeford KBE
, CB
, MC
(28 July 1894 – 21 September 1971) was a senior officer
in the Australian Army
. He began his military career in 1913 and fought on the Western Front
during the First World War, before rising to command the 3rd Infantry Division during the Bougainville campaign in the Second World War. Later he served as the Commander in Chief of British Commonwealth Forces Korea
during the Korean War
. He retired from the military in 1953 and worked on the organising committee of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games
, as well as being the director of several companies and treasurer of a returned services organisation.
in Victoria
to George Bridgeford, a Scottish-born baker, and his wife Christina Gordon (née Calder). After his formative schooling, he attended Ballarat High School
.
. Although the course was four years long, he was graduated early in June 1915 with the rest of his class due to Australia's growing commitment to the First World War.Bridgeford's class was the third class to graduate from the College. Dennis et al 1995, p. 119. He was commissioned as a lieutenant
in the Permanent Military Force, but volunteered for overseas service with the Australian Imperial Force
(AIF) the following month and was posted to the 29th Infantry Battalion
in Egypt
. He did not see action with them, for in February 1916 the machine gun sections of the 8th Infantry Brigade, of which the 29th Infantry Battalion was a part, were transferred to the brigade's newly formed 8th Machine Gun Company. In 1918 the 5th Division's machine gun companies became part of the 5th Machine Gun Battalion. Bridgeford served with the 8th Machine Gun Company on the Western Front
, where he was awarded the Military Cross
for his actions during the Battle of Fromelles
and later undertook staff training at brigade and divisional level. In April 1918 he was gassed
and subsequently evacuated but he returned to his unit in August and was promoted to temporary major
the following month. After the armistice
was signed in November 1918, Bridgeford worked as a staff officer before returning to Australia in early 1919.
in 1925–26. He attended the Staff College, Quetta
in British India the following year. On returning to Australia, he undertook duties as an instructor and as a staff officer. In 1938 he attended the Imperial Defence College in London
and upon the outbreak of the Second World War he was promoted to lieutenant colonel
and served as the military liaison to the British government.
upon its formation in the United Kingdom in June 1940 before serving as the Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster General (DA&QMG) of I Corps. For his work during the Greek campaign
, he received the Greek Military Cross, 1st Class and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Later, he was promoted to temporary major general
and served as DA&QMG of the First Army. Between April and August 1943 he commanded the 3rd Armoured Division before serving on the staff of New Guinea Force
during the New Guinea campaign
from August 1943 to June 1944. He was later invested as a Companion of the Order of the Bath for his work during this time.
In July 1944 he took command of the 3rd Infantry Division. Although it was his first field command, he subsequently led them successfully through the Bougainville campaign where he pursued an aggressive campaign against the Japanese until the end of the war, receiving four Mentions in Despatches.
before being promoted to lieutenant general
the following year and taking up the position of Commander-in-Chief of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force
and the British Commonwealth Forces Korea
, replacing Lieutenant General Sir Horace Robertson
. For his services he was later awarded the Legion of Merit
by the United States government. The role was a purely administrative one and Bridgeford had no control over combat operations, however, it was not without controversy. In May 1952 the Canadian government requested that he be relieved after he failed to consult them about deploying Canadian troops to guard prisoners of war at Koje-do. Bridgeford, however, retained his position as both the British and Australian governments supported him, and he stayed on until February 1953, when he was replaced by Lieutenant General Henry Wells
. He returned to Australia and retired from the military a month later with the honorary rank of lieutenant general.
, for which he was later appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He also served as the director of a number of companies, including a television company, and was actively involved with the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia
, serving as federal treasurer of the organisation between 1954 and 1956.
Bridgeford died on 21 September 1971 at Kenmore
in Queensland
, aged 77. He was survived by his son and stepdaughter.
Lieutenant General (Australia)
Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank....
Sir William Bridgeford KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(28 July 1894 – 21 September 1971) was a senior officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
. He began his military career in 1913 and fought on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
during the First World War, before rising to command the 3rd Infantry Division during the Bougainville campaign in the Second World War. Later he served as the Commander in Chief of British Commonwealth Forces Korea
British Commonwealth Forces Korea
British Commonwealth Forces Korea was the formal name, from 1952, of the Commonwealth army, naval and air units serving with the United Nations in the Korean War. Australian, British, Canadian, Indian and New Zealand units were part of BCFK...
during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He retired from the military in 1953 and worked on the organising committee of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
, as well as being the director of several companies and treasurer of a returned services organisation.
Early life
William Bridgeford was born on 28 July 1894 at SmeatonSmeaton, Victoria
Smeaton is a rural town in the state of Victoria, Australia near the town of Creswick. At the 2006 census, Smeaton had a population of 250....
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
to George Bridgeford, a Scottish-born baker, and his wife Christina Gordon (née Calder). After his formative schooling, he attended Ballarat High School
Ballarat High School
Ballarat High School is a government secondary school located in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The school was opened in 1907 as an agricultural college before transitioning to an academic focus in 1925.- History :...
.
First World War
In 1913 Bridgeford was accepted into the Royal Military College, DuntroonRoyal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
. Although the course was four years long, he was graduated early in June 1915 with the rest of his class due to Australia's growing commitment to the First World War.Bridgeford's class was the third class to graduate from the College. Dennis et al 1995, p. 119. He was commissioned as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Permanent Military Force, but volunteered for overseas service with the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
(AIF) the following month and was posted to the 29th Infantry Battalion
29th Battalion (Australia)
The 29th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. First formed in 1915 for service during the First World War it fought in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium before being disbanded in 1918. In 1921 it was re-raised as a unit of Australia's part-time military...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. He did not see action with them, for in February 1916 the machine gun sections of the 8th Infantry Brigade, of which the 29th Infantry Battalion was a part, were transferred to the brigade's newly formed 8th Machine Gun Company. In 1918 the 5th Division's machine gun companies became part of the 5th Machine Gun Battalion. Bridgeford served with the 8th Machine Gun Company on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, where he was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for his actions during the Battle of Fromelles
Battle of Fromelles
The Battle of Fromelles, sometimes known as the Action at Fromelles or the Battle of Fleurbaix , occurred in France between 19 July and 20 July 1916, during World War I...
and later undertook staff training at brigade and divisional level. In April 1918 he was gassed
Poison gas in World War I
The use of chemical weapons in World War I ranged from disabling chemicals, such as tear gas and the severe mustard gas, to lethal agents like phosgene and chlorine. This chemical warfare was a major component of the first global war and first total war of the 20th century. The killing capacity of...
and subsequently evacuated but he returned to his unit in August and was promoted to temporary major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
the following month. After the armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
was signed in November 1918, Bridgeford worked as a staff officer before returning to Australia in early 1919.
Between the wars
Due to widescale reductions in the Army following the demobilisation process, Bridgeford reverted to his substantive rank of lieutenant in the Permanent Military Force, although he continued to hold his AIF rank as an honorary rank. In 1922 he married Phyllis Wallinea (née Frederico), with whom he would later have a son. He held a number of staff positions throughout the 1920s and 1930s, including a position on the staff at the Royal Military College, DuntroonRoyal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
in 1925–26. He attended the Staff College, Quetta
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
in British India the following year. On returning to Australia, he undertook duties as an instructor and as a staff officer. In 1938 he attended the Imperial Defence College in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and upon the outbreak of the Second World War he was promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and served as the military liaison to the British government.
Second World War
He briefly commanded the 25th Infantry Brigade25th Brigade (Australia)
The 25th Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army that served during the Second World War. Raised in July 1940 and consisting of three infantry battalions, the 25th Brigade served in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, New Guinea and Borneo before being disbanded in...
upon its formation in the United Kingdom in June 1940 before serving as the Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster General (DA&QMG) of I Corps. For his work during the Greek campaign
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
, he received the Greek Military Cross, 1st Class and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Later, he was promoted to temporary major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and served as DA&QMG of the First Army. Between April and August 1943 he commanded the 3rd Armoured Division before serving on the staff of New Guinea Force
New Guinea Force
New Guinea Force was a military command unit for Australian, territory of Papua and territory of New Guinea troops serving in the New Guinea campaign during World War II. Formed in April 1942 it was responsible for planning and directing all operations within the territory up until October 1944,...
during the New Guinea campaign
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
from August 1943 to June 1944. He was later invested as a Companion of the Order of the Bath for his work during this time.
In July 1944 he took command of the 3rd Infantry Division. Although it was his first field command, he subsequently led them successfully through the Bougainville campaign where he pursued an aggressive campaign against the Japanese until the end of the war, receiving four Mentions in Despatches.
Korean War
Following the end of the war, Bridgeford was confirmed as a major general and took up a position as quartermaster general of the Army and as a member of the Military Board. In June 1950 he led an Australian mission to MalayaBritish Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
before being promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
the following year and taking up the position of Commander-in-Chief of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force
British Commonwealth Occupation Force
The British Commonwealth Occupation Force , was the name of the joint Australian, Canadian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 21 February 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952...
and the British Commonwealth Forces Korea
British Commonwealth Forces Korea
British Commonwealth Forces Korea was the formal name, from 1952, of the Commonwealth army, naval and air units serving with the United Nations in the Korean War. Australian, British, Canadian, Indian and New Zealand units were part of BCFK...
, replacing Lieutenant General Sir Horace Robertson
Horace Robertson
Lieutenant General Sir Horace Clement Hugh Robertson KBE, DSO was a senior officer in the Australian Army who served in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War...
. For his services he was later awarded the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
by the United States government. The role was a purely administrative one and Bridgeford had no control over combat operations, however, it was not without controversy. In May 1952 the Canadian government requested that he be relieved after he failed to consult them about deploying Canadian troops to guard prisoners of war at Koje-do. Bridgeford, however, retained his position as both the British and Australian governments supported him, and he stayed on until February 1953, when he was replaced by Lieutenant General Henry Wells
Henry Wells (general)
Lieutenant General Sir Henry Wells KBE, CB, DSO was a senior officer in the Australian Army. Serving as Chief of the General Staff from 1954 to 1958, Wells' career culminated with his appointment as the first Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, a position marking him as the professional head of...
. He returned to Australia and retired from the military a month later with the honorary rank of lieutenant general.
Later life
Following his retirement from the Army, Bridgeford worked as the Chief Executive Officer of the organising committee of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
, for which he was later appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He also served as the director of a number of companies, including a television company, and was actively involved with the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
, serving as federal treasurer of the organisation between 1954 and 1956.
Bridgeford died on 21 September 1971 at Kenmore
Kenmore, Queensland
Kenmore is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 10 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD. Kenmore is a leafy suburb with a high number of professional residents and families. It is dominated by detached housing - units and townhouses are rare...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, aged 77. He was survived by his son and stepdaughter.