Norman Bradby Bloomfield
Private 440296
5th Battalion Saskatchewan Regt.
Canadian Expeditionary Force.
Division 29
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Norman Bradby Bloomfield was the youngest son of Charles Joseph Fulcher Bloomfield and Lucy Mary Bloomfield of “The Brambles,” Tilehurst. He was killed in action on June 6th 1916, and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, Panels 18-26-28.
The Standard of 24th June 1916 reports that Norman Bradby Bloomfield “had been in Canada for some years and enlisted after the outbreak of war, coming to Europe with the Canadians a year ago. (1915) He had been in the France* a few months and was in action in which the overseas contingent lost heavily, a shell causing instant death.”
The Battle for Mount Sorrel took place in June 1916 beginning on the 2nd June 1916, with two German attacks. The second attack penetrated British lines for 300 yards along a 3000 yard front, towards Zillebeke. The Canadians were badly damaged in the area around Mount Sorrel and Hill 62. The advance was checked at Maple Copse. There was a failed Canadian counter attack which was followed up by a massive artillery bombardment of German positions. Then on the afternoon of the 6th June the German’s exploded four mines at Hooge and gained some ground. Fierce fighting continued and it was not until the 13th June that the Canadians retook the positions lost on the 2nd June. The Canadians suffered just under 8,500 casualties; of those 1,000 men were killed and another 1,900 were missing. Norman Bradby Bloomfield’s unit was engaged in this action although the exact details have not been researched. There is a Canadian Memorial at Hill 62, Sanctuary Wood, Zillebeke, Belgium.
* For France read Belgium.