James Reid Bradley Artikel og CV                   Article and CV       Updated:  08 OCT 2017


Det illegale blad "Folkeviljen" Nr 2, Side 5, Nov. 1943 om James Reid Bradley:

Canadisk Flyver begravet i Randers
En forulykket engelsk Flyver drev for ca. 14 Dage siden i Land på Stranden Øst
for Randers. Man fandt ikke det sædvanlige militære Identitetsmærke, hvorfor Tyskerne straks formodede, at det drejede sig om en af deres mest frygtede og hadede Fjender: en Faldskærmsjæger og Sabotør!

Der blev bestilt en Grav til ham paa Nordre Kirkegaard i et Udhjørne, hvor der i
Forvejen var begravet to tyske Selvmordere. Tyskerne mente, at det kunne være et passende Hvilested for en Sabotør! Jordpaakastelsen blev foretaget af en tysk Feltpræst, og der var ingen militære Æresbevisninger.

- Først da Begivenheden var forbi, blev man paa Kirkegaarden klar over, at det
drejede sig om en canadisk Flyver. En ny Grav blev kastet ved Siden af Sergent Andersen fra Randers, der faldt under Kampene den 29. August.

Hertil flyttede Kirkegaardsgraveren Kisten med den canadiske Flyver, der nu har
faaet en Hædersplads på en dansk Kirkegaard. Mange Blomster er siden henlagt paa Canadierens Grav af Byens Borgere.

Fra Rolf Buschardt Christensen, Forbundet af Danske Foreninger i Canada i 1998:

"James Bradley blev født i Toronto den 19. november 1921, som søn af James Bradley og Agnes Menzies Reid. Han havde været bydreng for et apotek, sikkert mens han gik i skole, og senere kontormedarbejder hos Shell Oil og derefter kontor- medarbejder i forsikringsselskabet Manufacturers Life Insurance Co.

Han meldte sig til flyvevåbnet den 25. februar 1941 og blev officer den 2. februar
1942. Han var på en ti dages orlov fra den 27. august 1943 til den 5. september
1943 - altså kort før han blev skudt ned over Danmark."

Begge kilder og Stamblad fra Gudrun Pedersen, Randers i oktober 2017.


The illegal magazine "The People's Will" no. 2, Nov.1943 about J.R. Bradley:

Canadian Airman buried in Randers
About two weeks ago a killed English airman was washed ashore on the beach
east of Randers. The usual military ID-tag was not found, so the Germans immediately suspected him of being be one of their most feared and hated
enemies: a parachute agent and saboteur!

A grave was ordered for him in Randers North Cemetery in a remote corner where two German suiciders previously had been buried. The Germans considered that
to be a suitable resting place for a saboteur! A German Army Chaplain officiated
at the graveside ceremony, and there were no military honours.

Not until after the event did the staff of the cemetery realize that this was a
Canadian airman. A new grave was made next to Sergeant Andersen, Randers,
who fell during the fights on 29 August.

The coffin with the Canadian airman was taken here to this place of honour by the gravedigger. Since then the citizens of Randers have laid many flowers on the
grave of this Canadian.

From Rolf Buschardt Christensen, Federation of Danish Associations in Canada
in 1998:
"James Bradley was born in Toronto on 19 November 1921 as the son of James Bradley and Agnes Menzies Reid. He had been a delivery boy for a pharmacy, probably when he went to school, and later a clark at Shell Oil and then a clerk at the insurance company Manufacturers Life Insurance Co.

He volunteered for the air force on 25 February 1941 and became an officer on 2 February 1942. He was on a leave of 10 days from 27 August 1943 to 5 September 1943 - a short time before he was shot down over Denmark.

Both sources and Record of Service from Gudrun Pedersen, Randers, OCT 2017.