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| The Victoria Cross commemorative paving stone, Witton Park memorial garden, photo by Gill Parkes |
Saturday 11 March 2017 saw the unveiling of the Roland Bradford Victoria Cross commemorative stone at Witton Park. The stones are part of a national initiative organised by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
You can read the story of Roland Bradford here:
On 1 October 1916, during an attack on the German trenches at Eaucourt l’Abbaye, Bradford, commanding 9th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, took control of a second battalion, 6 DLI, after its commanding officer had been wounded. He was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for his leadership and bravery during the attack under heavy fire.
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| Information panel about the Bradford VC winners, photo by Gill Parkes |
The Roland Bradford stone was installed this spring, to coincide with the opening of Witton Park's memorial garden. The memorial garden is a tribute to two exceptional brothers, as Roland was not the only member of his family to win the VC. On 23 April 1918, his brother George, serving with the Royal Navy, was killed in action for which he was posthumously awarded the VC. Two other brothers, James and Thomas, also served in the First World War. Out of the four, only Thomas survived.
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| Statue in Witton Park memorial garden, by Ray Lonsdale, photo by Gill Parkes |
At 10:30am, a service was held, and Roland Bradford’s VC stone was unveiled, and wreaths were placed around it. You can see in the photograph at the top that there is a space for George’s stone to be placed alongside it in 2018. A statue by Ray Lonsdale, who created the 'Tommy' statue at Seaham, was also unveiled. It shows a soldier returning home, being greeted by a civilian; the football represents the sporting heritage of Witton Park.
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| Victoria Cross exhibition banners on display in St Paul's church, photo by Gill Parkes |
In the afternoon, there was a performance of the play ‘The Fighting Bradfords’, and a showing of Wessington U3A’s film, the Wear at War. The Methodist Chapel had items from the DLI Collection, and a rolling presentation about the village during the First World War. St Paul’s church had the Victoria Cross banners for Roland and George Bradford, produced by Durham County Record Office.
The weather held up for the outdoor events, and the day was well attended and enjoyed by all.
Between now and the commemoration of George Bradford’s VC in 2018, Durham County Record Office will be helping the Witton Park community research the names on their war memorial in a project organised by Groundwork and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. An open evening is being held at Witton Park Village Hall on Wednesday 22 March, at 6pm. For further information, contact:
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