No.S/2197, Rifleman, John William BARTLE
Aged 23
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Currently (Feb 2021) the GRO has BARTLETT..all other sources are BARTLE or BARTELL or BARTEL and even then John is registered as William John, making 3 William's in the same house if the real 1st names were used ! Born in 1892 (qtr 4 Bury St.Edmunds 4a:703) son of William and Harriet BARTLE (née PETCH ) 1901 census...All recorded as BARTELL, aged 8, John was at 80 Northgate Street, Bury St.Edmunds with his father William BARTELL [42] maltster's labourer, born Culford; his mother Harriet [39] born Fornham; sister Annie Elzabeth [12]; brothers Willam [10], George Richard [5], Albert [3] and Edward Leonard [6 months]. All the children were born in Bury St.Edmunds. 1911 census...All now BARTLE, aged 18, John, a maltster's labourer, was still at 80 Northgate Street, Bury St.Edmunds wth his parents; brothers William (maltster's labourer, George, Albert, Edward and Frederick [8]. He had two other sisters, Ethel Laura[1885] and Ellen [1886] The pension card has his mother as still at 80 Tollgate Cottages, Bury St.Edmunds. |
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He enlisted in London.
The officer who wrote the war diary for the 25th September had nothing to do on the 26th by the amount he has written but at least it is reasonably legible., but it is all here. 25th - 4 am..Coys stood to arms at 4am.During the night the wind shifted to the SW. 4:30 am ..at 4:3am a message was received stating that zero time which was originally fixed at 4:50 am, was changed to 5:50 am.It rained at intervals during the night and continued drizzling until about 4:30. 5:58..A large mine was exploded in the enemy's salient at M.30.a 5:50..Intense artillery bombadment commenced. The enemy replied feebly. The support trenches were shelled fairly heavily. 5:59..Our artillery lifted 500 yards to German second line and positions and MEERUT Division on the right, left our parapet and prepared to assault. 6 am..Assault of MEERUT Division commenced. 6:20 am Report received that MEERUT Division had advanced as far as German 3rd line trenches. 7:30..Orders were received for the battalion to advance and connect up with the left of the MEERUT Division. "D" Coy were ordered to move up to fire trench and prepare to assault, and "B" and "C" Coys to support. Coys were to assault in lines of half companies. "A" Coy were ordered to commence the sap running out from our lines towards Point 76. 8:10..Orders wwere sent to "D" Coy to assault. Telephone communication was broken and the orders were sent by orderly. 8:25..Orders for assault reached "D" Coy and assault commenced. 8:45..Battalion HQ moved into the front line trenches and were established at the head of CHAPLIN STREET communication tench. 9:30..D,C,and B Coys were all across by 9:30 am All companies suffered very heavily while crossig no man's land, from rifle and machine gun enfilade fire from the left. The attack was made between points 76 and 61, but to the west of these points, from about point 55, the enemy were in full force and our artillery were apparently unable to silence them.This enfilade fire was at about 600 yards range Capt Oldfield was killed in one fire trench while preparing to cross with his last platoon. Major Lott-Bowes was wounded in the head by a piece of shrapel, in the German trenches, soon after he got there. 9:45 am..About 9:45 am a company of the 6th K.S.L.I arrived and relieved "A" Coy, who were working in the sap. Very little progress had been made in this sap owing to the heavy enfilade fire to which they were subjected. It was practically impossible to work and the two sectons who commenced work lost all of their men except two. Meanwhile a platoon of A Coy under Lieut.L.C.B.Russell had got across to the German front lne on the right of the salient and worked closer to point 76 where they commenced to sap back towards our saphead. This work however was also found to be impossible. They broke thro the German parapet and got about 6 or 8 yards out, when all work was practically brought to a standstill owing to the heavy fire brought to bear on them from further down the enemy line. 10:15..About 10:15 am a message was received from Capt.Finch, commanding D Coy, that he had reached and was consolidating the German 3rd line. In the meantime A Coy, having withdrawn from their work on the sap were reforming behnd the parapet and two platoons went over. Two platoons under 2nd Lieut Maltby were held up half way across and were unable to advance and lay down in the open in a ditch. 10:35 .A mesage was received from Capt Holland, who had assumed command of B Coy that the division on his right were retiring and that his supply of bombs had entirely run out and that unless reinforcements came up and the machine gun on his left silenced, he would be forced to retire. 2nd Lieut.C.L.Raymond BARKER who volunteered to bring a similar message from D Coy was killed as he reached our parapet. A company of the 6th K.S.L.I. under Major Welch arrived in the fire trench and prepared to assault when a message was received that the Germans were delivering a counter attack on the left. This was proved not to be the case, but Indians of the BAREILLY Brigade were seen streaming back over our own parapet. 11:15 am About 11:15 am Major Welch commenced the assault with his Coy. In the meanwhile B, C and D Coys who had penetrated to the 3rd German line and had almost reached the MOULIN de PIETRE and had gained touch with the BAREILLY Brigade found themselves entirely unsuported. The BAREILLY Brigade on their right had given way and left their right flank exposed. Their left flank had always been exposed and the supply of bombs for the Brigade grenadiers oompany broke down, and no bombs were available. The Germans then advanced in force, with a large supply of bombs and commenced to bomb inwards on each flank of our companies Our artllery at this time were shelling the parapet of the trenches we had captured very heavily with shrapnel. The Black Watch were still holding on, but the Indians had completely given way and were retiring disorganised. Colonel Wanchope commanding the Black Watch met Lieut Stephens who had assumed command of C Coy and told him he going to retire and advised him to do the same. Finding the situation hopeless and as he was losing many nen, Capt Finch gave the order to retire. As he was coming in he met Major Welch of the K.S.L.I who was halfaway across with his company, and informed him of the facts. Capt Holland commanding B Coy held on a little longer but finally retired. The Germans were then in force only about 50 yards from the trenches he was holding. All Coys lost heavily in the retirement. 12:30..All Coys were back in the firing line by 12:30 pn. Here they were reorganised and led back to the support trenches. The K.S.L.I. and the K.R.R.C. holding the front line. Heavy rain began to fall 1:30..The battalion had re assembled in the support trenches 6 pm..Orders were received from the Brigadier to evacuate the support trenches and move back to billets in the RUE DE PARADIS, LAVENTIE 10 pm..All Coys settled in billets. During this action the Battalion suffered the following casualties Capt W j Bonser, Capt LCF Oldfield, 2nd lieut CL Raymond Barker, 2nd Lieut GH Denison (bombing officer) were killed Major R VE Lott-Bowes, Capt BH Hodgson (sinalling officer) Lieut F Harrison were wounded. Other ranks 43 killed, 213 wounded and 76 missing (all of them believed killed) Total 332. As far as can be ascertained the chief causes of the failure of the attack were:- [i] That the Bareilly Brigade went on much too far. Their orders were to keep in touch with the 60th Rangers and having reached point 76 to consolidate there. Instead of which they went straight on to the MOULIN de PIETRE and did not wait for our attack, with the result that both their flank and ours were exposed and no proper connection was ever established. [ii] Our supply of bombs was not adequate.The Germans had apparently an inexhaustable supply of bombs. Also owing to the heavy enfilade fire it was imossible to get bombs across to our bombers. This was of course was one result of (1) above. [111] The Indians were not equal to the strain and broke, leaving the Black Watch usupported.
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