On Chatham Naval Memorial is the name of K/25566 Stoker 2nd Class Sydney Bradley, serving on H.M.S. Coquette with the Royal Navy who died 07/03/1916.

Acknowledgements: Barney Rice

Colin Boyd has provided the following:

Sydney was born on 22nd January 1897 in West Hartlepool to George Bradley, a carter and his wife Jane. His mother must have died almost immediately as his father married Isabella Carter, a widow, at Holy Trinity Church, Hartlepool on 17th April 1897.

By the time of the 1901 Census Sidney was living with his father, step mother, two brothers, one sister, two half brothers and a half sister at 22, Church Row, West Hartlepool.

Ten years later the family were still living at the same address although some of the children had left home and some of the ages do not add up.

Sydney enlisted in the Royal Navy as a “Hostilities Only” rating on 21st April 1915 when he was described as being 5ft 7in tall with brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion. His occupation was given as a crane driver.

Sydney was lost on 7th March 1916 when HMS Coquette, a destroyer, struck a mine and sank in the North Sea with the loss of 22 crew.

Sydney Bradley is remembered at West Hartlepool on W111.052,  W111.053,  W111.054 and in  W111.086 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.