Exactly 100 years ago, on the 28th June 1914, an Austrian Arch Duke was assassinated by a young Serbian anarchist. Gavrillo Principe’s shooting of heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand sparked off a chain of events which would include the laying down of many lives, some of which were of young Jewish men from Bradford.

The first Jewish service man with links to Bradford to die in the Great War was Private Max Solomon of 19 Clive Terrace Great Horton, Bradford. He was a member of the Scots Guards. Private Solomon died on 17th September 1914, the same day as the following events in the Theatre of War occurred. His army registration number was 7449.

The April of 1915 claimed the next soldier to come from Bradford’s Jewish Community. Corporal J Taylor of the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers would fall on 25th April 1915. His had lived at 21 Portland Street, Bradford. His number was 1122.

Eight months later in the mid winter of 1915 Sergeant A.G. Cohen of 11 Darley Street would die. This was just a week before the temporary truce in the trenches which was inspired by a game of football on Christmas day. On 17th December, Sergeant Cohen fell. He was in the 6th West Riding Regiment. His number was 2338.

Bowland Street congregant Lieutenant Jack von Halle was a member of the 13^th Section of the Worcester Regiment. A resident of Park Drive, Heaton in Bradford, he was the son of Moritz (Von) Halle. He died on 26^th July 1916, the same period in which the Battle of Pozières Ridge which took place, between 23 July – 7 August.

Second Lieutenat Leopold Charles Nathan of the West Riding Brigade would go missing in action on 14th September 1916. His peacetime address had been Oatefield, Bradford.

Two months later, the war claimed its next Jewish soldier from Bradford. This was private Phillip Clapham of the 4th Seaforth Hightlanders. He would perish on 29th November 1916. His number was 4775.

Almost exactly two years since the death of the first of Bradford’s Jewish serviceman Max Solomon, its seventh victim of war was Private Charles Bleiweis of the 10th / 11th Highland Light Infantry. He was from the congregation of the Bowland Street Synagogue. His address back home had been at 26 Sedgwick Street, Bradford. He lost his life on 13th April 1917. His number was 41923.

A further two months later, the community lost another son. On the 7th June 1917 Private Joseph Bernstein. He was one of three Bernstein brothers, the others been Julius and Felix, between September 1914 and August 1916. His address is recorded as 24 Ashfield, Horton Road, Bradford. The Roll of Honour however also gives his address as 10 Marlborough Road, Manningham. He was a member of the West Riding Regiment of the 10th Duke of Wellington, while his brother Felix was a Sergeant in the Royal Fusiliers and their other brother Julius was a Corporal in the North Fusiliers.

Five months on and Private J Marks would lose his life on the war. He was a member of the 13th Kings Liverpool Regiment and lived at 43 Bulver Road, Bradford. He died on 14th November 1917, nearly a year before the conflict would finally end. His number was 48743.

Just under two months before the bloody conflict came to its bitter end, another Jewish Bradordian would end his days. The 10th and last serviceman to be lost in action was Private Albert Emanuel. A member of the Bowland Street Reform congregation, his home address was 313 Toller Lane, Heaton. He was in the 1/5th West Yorkshire Regiment. He would fall on 30th September 1918. His number was 42609.

The full roll of honour from the Bradford Jewish Institute from 1914-8 is as fol
lows.

Abrahams, L

Bergson, A

Bergson, I

Bergson, M

Bergson-Brown, H

Bernstein, F

*Bernstein, Joseph

Blievers, A

*Blievers, C

*Brodie, Joseph

*Clapham, P

Cohen, H

Cohen, S

Fineberg, A

Freedman, S

Freedman, W

Goldman, S

Goldman, B

Harris, H

Hyman, L

Jacobs, A

*Jacobs, R

Jaques, J
Kramrisch, M

Levene, L

Levi, A

Levi, W

Maizels, M.M

Molatski, M, M.M

Morris, A.S

Pearlman, J

Pynt, J

Rector, M

Riche, M

Riche, S

Rosenthal, S

*Solberg, B

Stroud, E.J

Winestrock, C

*Killed in action

Bradford Jewish Roll of Honour 1914-18. From former Bradford Hebrew Congregation, Springhurst Road.