Pte
Bertie Clarence Bartlett
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1893 |
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Place of birth: Parkes, New South Wales, Australia |
General information
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Last known residence: Deep Lead, Parkes, New South Wales, Australia |
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Profession: Labourer |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 4977 |
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Enlistment date: 17/01/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Parkes, New South Wales, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 17th Bn. (New South Wales) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 09/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Decline Copse, Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 24 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XL Row: D Grave: 23 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Bertie Clarence Bartlett, a former labourer, was born in Parkes, New South Wales, Australia as the son of Mr. and Mrs. Owen Bartlett. On 17 January 1917 he enlisted at Parkes and served as a private in the 17th battalion together with his brother Owen. This battalion was part of the 5th Australian Infantry Brigade, of the 2nd Division.
On 9 October 1917, the 5th Brigade took part in the Battle of Poelcappelle. They were positioned between Tyne Cott and Daisy Wood with the 66th Division on their left. The objective was to cover this flank and to extend the line eastwards towards Decline Copse and Rhine Copse. This offensive began at 5:20 a.m. and started off well. By 9 a.m. they had already consolidated the first objective near Defy Crossing, and the 17th Battalion had even held Decline Copse for three quarters of an hour. However, their division seemed to have been left in the dust by both flanks, leaving them vulnerable to encirclement. The 6th Division on their right failed their attack at Daisy Wood and decided to advance in the footsteps of the 5th instead. The English 66th Division was only met after a retreat back to the line at Defy Crossing. This retreat led to heavy casualties in the 5th Division. They remained there for the rest of the day.
Clarence, aged 24, was sniped in the head at Decline Copse, getting him killed in an instant. His body was left in the shell hole and was unable to be recovered that day due to the retreat. His brother Owyn would die soon after, having been injured during the same battle and succumbing to his wounds six days after. Private Bertie Clarence Bartlett is buried at Tyne Cot cemetery, Plot XL, Row D, Grave 23.
On 9 October 1917, the 5th Brigade took part in the Battle of Poelcappelle. They were positioned between Tyne Cott and Daisy Wood with the 66th Division on their left. The objective was to cover this flank and to extend the line eastwards towards Decline Copse and Rhine Copse. This offensive began at 5:20 a.m. and started off well. By 9 a.m. they had already consolidated the first objective near Defy Crossing, and the 17th Battalion had even held Decline Copse for three quarters of an hour. However, their division seemed to have been left in the dust by both flanks, leaving them vulnerable to encirclement. The 6th Division on their right failed their attack at Daisy Wood and decided to advance in the footsteps of the 5th instead. The English 66th Division was only met after a retreat back to the line at Defy Crossing. This retreat led to heavy casualties in the 5th Division. They remained there for the rest of the day.
Clarence, aged 24, was sniped in the head at Decline Copse, getting him killed in an instant. His body was left in the shell hole and was unable to be recovered that day due to the retreat. His brother Owyn would die soon after, having been injured during the same battle and succumbing to his wounds six days after. Private Bertie Clarence Bartlett is buried at Tyne Cot cemetery, Plot XL, Row D, Grave 23.
Connection to other soldiers 1
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Owyn John Thomas Bartlett
Brother |
Sources 7
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Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1064166). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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AWM4 Class 23 – Infantry (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The day-by-day account. London: Uniform, 2018. Sources used |
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The AIF Project (University of New South Wales, Canberra (UNSW)). https://aif.adfa.edu.au/ Sources used |
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Trove (National Library of Australia (NLA) & partner organisations). https://trove.nla.gov.au/ Sources used |
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Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au Sources used |