Harold Bridger

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Reference number	TCVOICES/343
Level of description	File
Date(s)	Creation: 18 June 2000
Extent and medium	1 digital document, 2 digital audio files, 2 audio cassette tapes
Scope and content	┆Oral history interview with Harold Bridger Name: Harold Bridger Dates: 1909-2005 Biographical Summary: Harold Bridger grew up in London, completed a mathematics degree at University College London and started his career in Coventry as a mathematics teacher. During the war he served with the War Office Selection Boards and was subsequently involved in the Second Northfield Experiments, alongside psychoanalysts and consultants such as Wilfred Bion, S.H Foulkes and Tom Main. After the war Bridger became one of the twelve founding members of the Tavistock Institute and began a career as a psychoanalyst and organisational consultant. Bridger’s work largely related to group and working dynamics. He contributed systems and theories such as the ‘double task’ and the 'working conference' approach to a range of commercial organisations. Interviewer: Craig Fees Brief summary of the interview: The interview begins with Bridger discussing how his experience in the army and the Second World War led to the development of ideas relating to group dynamics. Bridger also relates these ideas to the Peckham Experiment and his time as a Mathematics teacher. This then leads to a wider discussion of Bridger’s role in the ‘second’ Northfield experiment and how these earlier ideas came to fruition. Bridger talks about the function of the War Office Selection Boards and the emerging role of psychiatrists such as Wilfred Bion and John Rickman as well as Ronald Hargreaves in the Second World War. Bridger explains that due to warfare changing between the two world wars so did the selection of officers in order to combat with the more strategic, technical and leadership elements of modern warfare. Bridger also explains how the emergence of the Northfield Experiments and therapeutic communities changed the way in which the military would deal with soldiers suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. The interview continues with comparisons between the War Office Selection Board and Northfield. Bridger places particular emphasis on discussing the selection process of the WOSBs and how many of the tasks related to leadership, projects and group dynamics. Bridger then discusses his approach to Northfield experiment and the emphasis he placed on tackling the whole environment of the hospital. This then leads to a discussion on therapeutic community and Bridger mentions how Tom Main was instrumental in naming Northfield a therapeutic community. Bridger does not dispute Northfield as being a therapeutic community but considered Northfield at the time to be a ‘working organisation.’ The interview resumes with Bridger further discussing his role and thoughts on the Northfield experiment. This then leads to a discussion on his decision to become a psychoanalyst rather than stay in the army and become Chief Personnel as alongside Alfred Torrey. Bridger then talks about the role of his wife in this decision leading to an interesting retelling of how they met during the Second World War. Bridger relates the experience of organising a dance for the Warwickshire Unit in wartime to the double task approach and the working conference. The interview ends discussing the Coventry blitz and Bridger’s role in commanding the batteries around Coventry during the Second World War. Date of recording: 18 June 2000 Recording length:1:07:33, 29:45 Transcript: Yes
History	Recorded by Craig Fees (Archivist) on behalf of the Planned Environment Therapy Trust.
Access status	OPEN
Conditions governing access	Redacted transcripts and audio only.
Conditions governing reproduction	Copyright of the speaker
Language	ENG