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Ernest Bradfield

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Sir Ernest Bradfield
Birth nameErnest William Charles Bradfield
Born(1880-05-28)28 May 1880
Birmingham,Warwickshire,England
Died28 October 1963(1963-10-28)(aged 83)
Putney,London,England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Indian Army
Years of service1902–1939
RankLieutenant-general
Battles/wars
Spouse(s)Margaret Bradfield (m. 1920)
Cricket information
BattingUnknown
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1906/07–1922/23Europeans
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 4
Runs scored 49
Batting average 8.16
100s/50s –/–
Top score 35
Catches/stumpings 1/–

Lieutenant-generalSir Ernest William Charles BradfieldKCIEOBEFRCS(28 May 1880 — 28 October 1963) was anEnglishfirst-class cricketer andBritish Armyofficer. Graduating fromSt Mary's Hospital Medical School,he joined theIndian Medical Servicein 1903 and would serve in campaigns in theNorth-West Frontier ProvinceofBritish Indiaand in theMesopotamian campaignof theFirst World War.He would go onto hold a number of senior appointments within the Indian Medical Service, rising to the rank of lieutenant-general. Bradfield was noted as being infleuential in the establishment of theIndian Army Medical Corpsduring theSecond World War.In addition to his lengthy and decorated military career, Bradfield also playedfirst-class cricketon four occasions for theEuropeans cricket teamin India.

Life and military career

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The son of W. G. Bradfield, he was born atBirminghamin May 1880.[1]He was educated atKing Edward's School, Birmingham,before matriculating to theSt Mary's Hospital Medical School,where he obtained an open scholarship in science. He was a keen sportsman during his studies, representing St Mary's at both cricket andrugby union.[2]After graduating, he was commissioned into theIndian Medical Serviceas alieutenantin August 1902,[3]with promotion tocaptainfollowing in July 1906.[4]Specialising in surgery,[5]he first saw action in theNorth-West Frontier Provincein 1908.[2]Bradfield made his debut infirst-class cricketfor theEuropeans cricket teamagainst theParseesatPoonain theBombay Presidency Matchof September 1906.[6]Bradfield served in theFirst World Warin theMesopotamian campaign,during which he wasmentioned in dispatches.[5]He gained promotion during the war tomajorin February 1915,[7]and was made anOBEin the1918 Birthday Honours.[8]He married Margaret Anne Olton in 1920, with the couple having two daughters.[2]

Shortly after the war, he made a second appearance in first-class cricket for the Europeans against theIndiansin the 1919–20Madras Presidency Match,with him making two further appearances against the Indians in the Madras Presidency Matches of 1922 and 1923.[6]In four first-class matches, he scored 49 runs at anaverageof 8.16, with a highest score of 35.[9]He was promoted tolieutenant colonelin February 1923.[10]In 1924, he was appointed Professor of Surgery at theMadras Medical Collegeand was superintendent of theGovernment General HospitalinMadras,where he was credited with bringing it up to modern standards.[2][5]When theMarylebone Cricket Club(MCC) toured India in 1927, Bradfield stood as anumpirein a first-class match between the MCC andMadras.[11]In the1928 Birthday Honours,he was made a Companion to theOrder of the Indian Empire.[12]Bradfield was promoted tocolonelin September 1932, antedated to September 1927,[13]and was appointed to the post of assistant director of medical services in India in the same month.[14]The following year, he was mentioned in dispatches once again during theUpper Mohmand Campaignof 1933.[5]

Bradfield was promoted tomajor-generalin August 1935,[15]and in the same year he was appointed honorary surgeon toGeorge Vin 1935.[16]He served his successorsEdward VIIIandGeorge VI.[2]He served asSurgeon-GeneralforBombayfrom 1935 to 1937, before serving as medical director of the Indian Medical Service from 1937 to 1939.[5]In the1938 New Year Honours,he was appointed a Commander of theOrder of Saint John.[17]Bradfield argued on the importance of the setting up of medical schools and colleges by the Government of India in theIndian Medical Reviewof 1938.[18]In 1938 and 1939, he was chairman of theIndian Red Cross Society.[5]In India, he took uppoloand had the rare distinction of a doctor playing polo for the13th Lancerswhile he was attached to them.[2]He retired from the Indian Medical Service in November 1939,[19]returning to England, where he became president of the Medical Branch of theIndia Officeand medical adviser to theSecretary of State for India,Leo Amery.[5]

Bradfield returned to India during the early stages of theSecond World Waras part of theSouttar Commissionto investigate reports of a lack of medical officers for service in the British Indian Army, owing to the non-co-operation of theIndian National Congress.[2]He was influential in the creation of theIndian Army Medical Corps,[2]and was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire in the1941 New Year Honoursfor his services.[20]Bradfield was promoted to the local rank oflieutenant-generalin October 1944,[21]later being granted the honorary rank in July 1946.[22]During the war, he served as the Indian Red Cross Commissioner for England from 1940 to 1946.[5]Bradfield was later elected afellowof theRoyal College of Surgeonsin 1962,[5]a year before his death atPutney Hospitalin October 1963.[2]

References

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  1. ^Robinson, R. H. O. B.; Le Fanu, W. R. (1970).Lives of the Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 1952-1964.London:E & S Livingstone.p. 1970.ISBN9780443006814.
  2. ^abcdefghi"Bradfield, Sir Ernest William Charles (1880 - 1963)".www.livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk.Retrieved7 December2022.
  3. ^"No. 27642".The London Gazette.5 February 1904. p. 786.
  4. ^"No. 27967".The London Gazette.13 November 1906. p. 7633.
  5. ^abcdefghiSmart, Nicholas (2005).Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War.Barnsley:Pen and Sword Books.p. 69.ISBN9781783460366.
  6. ^ab"First-Class Matches played by Christopher Ling".CricketArchive.Retrieved7 December2022.
  7. ^"No. 29186".The London Gazette.8 June 1915. p. 5526.
  8. ^"No. 30730".The London Gazette(Supplement). 4 June 1918. p. 6716.
  9. ^"First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Ernest Bradfield".CricketArchive.Retrieved7 December2022.
  10. ^"No. 32822".The London Gazette.11 May 1923. p. 3386.
  11. ^"Ernest Bradfield as Umpire in First-Class Matches".CricketArchive.Retrieved7 December2022.
  12. ^"No. 14450".The Edinburgh Gazette.8 June 1928. p. 658.
  13. ^"No. 33877".The London Gazette.28 October 1932. p. 6775.
  14. ^"No. 33884".The London Gazette.18 November 1932. p. 7344.
  15. ^"No. 34222".The London Gazette.22 November 1935. p. 7419.
  16. ^"No. 34226".The London Gazette.3 December 1935. p. 7671.
  17. ^"No. 34470".The London Gazette.4 January 1938. p. 29.
  18. ^Pandya, Sunil (2018).Medical Education in Western India.Newcastle upon Tyne:Cambridge Scholars Publishing.p. 290.ISBN9781527520271.
  19. ^"No. 34771".The London Gazette.12 January 1940. p. 227.
  20. ^"No. 35029".The London Gazette(Supplement). 31 December 1940. p. 7.
  21. ^"No. 36811".The London Gazette.24 November 1944. p. 5399.
  22. ^"No. 37781".The London Gazette.5 November 1946. p. 5469.
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