FREDERICK “FREDDY” WILLIAM BRIDGE was decorated with a Military Medal for his bravery in action on 1st July 1916, The First Day of the Battle of the Somme when he and his unit attacked the Quadrilateral Redoubt (Heidenkopf) on Redan Ridge at Beaumont Hamel. His award was one of 14 Military Medals awarded to NCO’s & men of 1st Somerset’s for bravery on that day, which were all published in, LONDON GAZETTE of 11th NOVEMBER 1916
[07:30am,1st July 1916, BEAUMONT HAMEL, SOMME, FRANCE]
On the 1st of July 1916 at 7.30am the 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry which was part of 11th Brigade, 4th Division, went over the top just north of Beaumont Hamel.
Their attack followed a week long artillery bombardment which stopped at 7.20am. This 10 minutes pause prior to their attack allowed the famous Hawthorne Ridge Mine to be detonated, but this tiny pause had dire consequences as it alerted the Germans to come out of their deep bunkers knowing an attack was imminent.
The German barbed wire had still not been effectively cut by our massive artillery barrage and the men who attacked in line abreast formation were thus all funnelled together though such narrow gaps as existed and were cut down and killed in their hundreds by the lethal fire of the German machine guns.
[BIOGRAPHY] 1898- 1973 (Age 75)
Freddy William Bridge was born in 1898, probably in Westport near Taunton in Somerset and joined the army on 3rd February 1913 as Private Number 9548. At the outbreak of war on 4th August 1914 and having had a full 18 months of training he was battle ready and arrived in France with 1st Somerset’s on 22nd August 1914, just 18 days after the declaration of the Great War.
He fought right through the war and in many of the early actions. His service culminated on 1st July 1916 with his participation in the First Day of The Battle of the Somme, where on the 1st July his bravery in the field led to his award of The Military Medal. His decoration along with that of his fellows in 1st Somerset’s was announced in the London Gazette of 11th November 1916.
In the 1st Somerset’s War Diary for December 1916 there are recorded in a single block the names, no less than 14 NCO’s & men whose gallantry also earned them the Military Medal on 1st July 1916. The name of 9548 Pte F.W. Bridge is the 6th name on that list. One of his fellows, the last man on the list was 8444 Pte W Oakham (actually 8444 Edward Oakham) who’s discharge documentation still survives, who was clearly severely wounded in the left hand during the attack of 1st July and was shipped back to England on 5th / 6th July. Oakham was again wounded in the right hand in April 1917, again shipped back to England & discharged on 7th August 1917.
About 58,000 of their comrades were killed, missing or wounded on just that one dreadful July day, most of them within the first 45 minutes of the commencement of the attack. These were the greatest losses of the British Army in One Day in its entire history.
[THE LATER “POST WAR” LIFE OF FREDDIE BRIDGE]
In a near miraculous act of fate, and against almost incalculably poor odds, Freddy survived everything that befell him for the entire span of the Great War from 22nd August 1914 until 11th November 1918.
He thankfully lived to enjoy a long life of 75 years. After the war and certainly from the early 1930’s he was with The Royal Mail and was a well known Postman in Deal, Kent. On 23rd January1953 he was awarded the Imperial Service Medal for his service in the Post Office. Very unusually Freddy’s ISM is officially impressed with the post nominal title of M.M.
With a retirement at the age of 65 in 1963 he had a very well earned ten year retirement until he died at the Malmsmead Nursing home, Marine Road, Deal on 12th February 1973.
His administration in Bristol on 22nd March was for £2085
A very seriously desirable group with a Gallantry award earned on one of the most famous days in World Military history ...1st July 1916.
ALL MEDALS About EF with original ribbons
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