Studio portrait of NX40414 Private Joseph Hedley Bradley, 2/18 Battalion. A station hand of ...

Studio portrait of NX40414 Private Joseph Hedley Bradley, 2/18 Battalion. A station hand of Jack's Creek, via Tamworth, NSW, he enlisted on 24 June 1940. A member of the 8th Division, he arrived in Singapore on 18 February 1941 and the unit moved north immediately to Port Dickson in Malaya, where it would train for service under tropical conditions. In March it moved to Seremban in central Malaya, in late-August to Jemaluang on the east coast, and in early September to Mersing, also on the east coast. War with Japan was increasingly likely and the battalion set to preparing defensive positions. The 2/18th stood to arms on 6 December 1941 but it was not until 3 January that it encountered its first Japanese, two downed airmen captured in a hut outside Mersing. On 17 January the 2/18th, much to the consternation of many members of the battalion, received orders to abandon the well-prepared defences at Mersing and withdraw to Jemaluang further south. Japanese successes to the west were threatening to outflank the forces on the east coast. Although never tested, the strong defences had dissuaded the Japanese from conducting a landing around Mersing and using the shortest landward route to advance on Singapore. The 2/18th's first major action was at Nithsdale Estate in the early hours of 27 January. The battalion lay in wait for the advancing Japanese and sprang an ambush involving three of its companies. It took the Japanese completely by surprise and inflicted heavy casualties. But command broke down in the dark , the complex ambush plan had been intended for daylight, and a premature withdrawal order from brigade headquarters forced the abandonment of D Company behind the bulk of the Japanese force. Acting Corporal Bradley was most likely amongst this group behind enemy lines. He was presumed killed on 14 February 1942 in Malaya.