Dorchester Illustration no. 2314 Harold Frederick and Joseph Ralph Bradshaw
At the Dorchester Historical Society, we are in the process of a year-long project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I. Using a collection of photographs we have of WWI Dorchester residents, we will be featuring service men and women in a number of short biographies throughout the year. At the culmination of the project, we hope to produce an online exhibit which highlights these men and women and their service to our country.
Our next biography features: Harold Frederick and Joseph Ralph Bradshaw, brothers born in different countries; the picture of the brothers was taken in France.
Harold and Joseph (J.R.) were born to Frederick W. Bradshaw and Susan Winters. Frederick was a laborer born in St. Martin’s, New Brunswick and Susan was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.
Harold, the first child, was born in Liverpool, N.S. on November 1, 1896 and J.R., the second child, was born April 20, 1898. The family was living on Pope’s Hill St., Dorchester.
In 1900, they lived on Dickens St. in Dorchester and the boys have a younger sister, Edna. Their father is listed as a mill sawyer. He had immigrated to U.S. in 1891 and their mother immigrated with son Harold, on May 1, 1897. As their mother, Susan may have done some visiting in Nova Scotia, she is found on a passenger list as Mrs. Frederick Bradshaw with her 3 children on the ship “Prince Arthur”. They left Yarmouth, N.S. and arrived in Boston on October 11, 1900.
In 1910, the family is residing on Arcadia St. Dorchester. The father is listed as a carpenter at a refrigeration facility. By 1917, the family is living on Neponset Ave., Dorchester.
Harold enlisted in the Army on June 1, 1917 at age 20, at Base Hospital #6, A.E.F. located at Mass General Hospital, Boston, MA. He is listed as Private 1st Class on Army Transport Service Passenger List 1910-1939. He departed New York on the ship “Aurania” and arrived with his Military Unit: Enl Med Res Corps, July 10, 1917. He was an orderly in Bordeaux, France; he served overseas from July 11, 1917 to March 24 1919 as a nurse and a cook. Harold filed petition for naturalization at the Base Hospital in France on November 6, 1918 and was released from service on June 7, 1919. He had been honorably discharged on April 9, 1919 on demobilization at Camp Devens.
Joseph enlisted in the Navy June 1, 1917 at age 19. He trained at Newport, R.I. and Portsmouth, N.H. and was assigned to USS Michigan, September 8, 1917 thru November 30, 1917 and USS Western Hero Battleship as a gunner from November 30, 1917 thru November 11, 1918. He was overseas several times. He was discharged as a Seaman on July 7, 1919.
By 1929, both sons are home, back on Neponset Ave., Harold a student rubber maker at a tire factory and Joseph a machinist at an arsenal.
On April 18, 1923, Harold married Gertrude M. Bohm in Detroit, Michigan. He was a fireman and she a stenographer. By 1930, they had one son, Harold F. Jr. and the census taker commented he was “In war against Germany”.
Joseph was boarding at Sanford St., Dorchester, and was managing a grocery store. He married about 1935 to Doris and by 1940, lived at Elliot Ave., Quincy and had 2 children, Beverly and Phyllis.
In 1942, Harold, age 46 registered for the draft, WWII. He lived on Penrose St., Detroit, MI. He was an employee of the Detroit Fire Department, Wayne & Larned, Detroit, MI. His son, Harold F. Bradshaw, Jr. served in WWII. He was a Private who is listed in the Michigan Casualties of World War as a POW January 13, 1945 and was freed on June 13, 1945.
Harold was issued his Social Security in Michigan 1956-58 and had retired to Florida with his wife by 1960. He lived on Camellia Drive OBTS, Daytona Beach, Daytona, FL. He died August 11, 1979, at 82, then living at Ormand Beach, Volusia, FL
Joseph was issued his Social Security in Massachusetts 1961-62 and spent time in Florida because he died in Pompano Beach, Broward County, FL, on October 23, 1980, at age 82. His residence was given as Moultonboro, N.H. He is buried at Blue Hills Cemetery, Braintree, MA.
Do you know more about the Bradshaw brothers? We would love to hear from you! All material has been researched by volunteers at the Dorchester Historical Society, so please let us know if we got something wrong or you think a piece of the story is missing! Contact us through the contact box at the lower left of our home page www.dorchesterhistoricalsocietyblog.org
References:
Birth, Marriage and Death Records (Familysearch.com and Ancestry.com)
Death notice, Boston Globe, October 25, 1980
Military Records, Archives-Museum, Office of Adjutant General, Concord, MA
Naturalization Record (Ancestry.com)
Passenger List (Ancestry.com)
Social Security Death Index (Ancestry.com)
U.S. Census Records, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 (Familysearch.com)
U.S. City Directory (Ancestry.com)
WWII Draft Registration Card and Michigan Casualties List (Ancestry.com)
