Early Career
Edward Eden Bradford joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1872, serving on the modern ironclad battleships Hercules, Monarch, and Sultan in the Channel Fleet. He was promoted to Midshipman in 1876, and served aboard the screw-frigate Doris, the screw-corvette Danae and the iron screw-frigate Raleigh. It was during this time that he passed his lieutenant's exam on 14 November 1878.
Bradford was then appointed sub-lieutenant on the survey schooner Sandfly. In October 1880, whilst surveying ashore in the Solomon Islands, the Sandfly's commanding officer, Lieutenant Bower, and five crewmen were murdered by the natives. Bradford took charge of the Sandfly, recovered the bodies of his shipmates, and punished the natives by burning their village. This earned him a special promotion to Lieutenant in December 1880.
Bradford joined the old ironclad Achilles from 1881 to 1883 and took part in the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War for which he was decorated.
He served in the China Station from 1883 to 1891 aboard the screw-corvette Sapphire and the screw-sloop Mutine. During his time on the Mutine, he was made acting-commander, on 20 January 1891.
In 1886, Bradford won the Royal United Services Institute's silver medal award for his essay, The Maritime Defence of the United Kingdom (including its Colonies and Dependencies), and its Trade, in a War with a Great Maritime Power, which was published in the R.U.S.I. journal.
From 1894 to 1896, Bradford served on Boadicea, flagship of the East Indies Squadron as commander.
Bradford married his wife Sheila in June 1896.
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