Service Record
Jonathan Bartlett A.B.
RND RNVR
born 1897 April 12
died 1961 March 23
Royal Naval Division
1914 -1919
"By their conduct in the forefront of battle, by their character, and by the feats of arms which they performed, they raised themselves into that glorious company of the seven or eight most famous Divisions of the British Army in the Great War. Their reputation was consistently maintained in spite of losses of so awful a character as to sweep away three or four times over the original personnel. Their memory is established in history and their contribution will be identified and recognised a hundred years hence from among the the enormous crowd of splendid efforts which were forthcoming in this terrible period. Deriving as they did their nomenclature, their ceremonial, their traditions, their inspiration from the Royal Navy, they in their turn cast back a new lustre on that mighty parent body of which it will ever be proud and for which it must be grateful. Long may the record of their achievements be preserved, and long may their memory be respected by those for whom they fought".
Winston Churchill April 1923 in his Introduction to the official history, "The Royal Naval Division" by Douglas Jerrold
The Division fought throughout the Great War 1914 - 1918, first at Antwerp, then Gallipoli and Salonika, then back in Europe from 1916 to 1918. Jonathan was with them in Gallipoli in Benbow Battalion and later in Drake after Benbow had been disbanded. The final parade, which Jonathan is highly unlikely to have attended as he had been happily demobbed three months earlier, was on 6th June 1919.
The Royal Naval Division suffered the following casualties in total:
Killed: 582 officers, 10 797 other ranks. Wounded: 1364 officers, 29 528 other ranks.
Decorations awarded
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Victoria Cross
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8
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Distinguished Service Order
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42
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Distinguished Service Cross
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17
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Military Cross
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137
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Distinguished Conduct Medal
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53
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Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
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23
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Distinguished Service Medal
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79
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Military Medal
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555
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Meritorious Service Medal
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58
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Together with all the other PBI, Able Seaman Jonathan Bartlett was awarded the following medals which are all in my possession.
See PIP, SQUEAK AND WILFRED , the popular names for them, for more information:
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1914 - 1915 Star
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British War Medal
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Victory Medal
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The following personal details come from a 1990 M.O.D. letter:
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Name: Jonathan Bartlett
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No. London., Z/1039
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Rating - Bugler. O.S., A.B.
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Next of kin Father
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Date of entry 7.12.14
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Name W. Bartlett
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Date of birth 12.4.1897
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Address 25 Canton Road ENFIELD
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Place of Birth
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Address 25 Canton Road ENFIELD
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Height 5'1 3/4 "
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Chest I. 30 1/2 " D. 28"
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Previous service
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Complexion Dark
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Colour of hair Dark Brown
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Religion Congregationalist
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Colour of Eyes Hazel
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Swim? Yes
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Marks, wounds and scars
Tattooed right forearm moles on chest
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Civil employment Printer
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Notes Proficient Bugler
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Recruiting poster in London
1914 Dec 7
Jonathan signed on aged 17 years 8 months at the Royal Naval Division Recruiting Office at Crystal Palace. At 5 feet 1 3/4 inches, he was not very big, to say the least. According to the 1915 recruiting poster above he was both underage and undersize. He told me he was not accepted on his first try and was told to go home and eat lots of Mum's suet pudding to get bigger! I'm not sure if the family could afford much pudding as his mother drank as much of husband William Edmund's wages as she could get her hands on. Jonathan's skill as a Bugler came from his experience in the 1st Enfield Company of the Boys' Brigade. Many of his brothers, their sons and I also joined the 1st Enfield BB in our time under either the same Skipper or his son, both known as Doctor Ridge. Jonathan had partly completed his apprenticeship as a printer but changed to his father's trade of tinsmith after the war and worked as a panel beater in a famous coach builder company in London. The fact that he could swim was noted, but can't have been too important in the trenches! The 'tattoo' was a self-done 'dot' about a quarter inch in diameter on his left wrist.
The RND was created by an Admiralty Standing Committee, presided over by the First Lord, Mr Winston Churchill, to accommodate the 30 000 volunteers for whom there were no ships. All but very few with shipboard skills who were transferred to ships, served the whole War as infantry. There was great pressure to amalgamate the RND with the Army but they managed to keep their Naval traditions alive while all around was brown. E.g. they were ratings not other ranks, they flew the white ensign, the officers sat to toast the king, requested leave to 'go ashore' and 'leave to grow' (beards), went 'adrift' rather than AWOL etc. ( Jerrold xiv )
1915 Feb 22
Jonathan reported to Crystal Palace Benbow Battalion, 1st Naval Brigade for Preliminary Training aged 17 years 10 months.
1915 Mar 20
Victor Coombs, 'B' Coy. Benbow. Killed In Action 13 July 1915 after transfer to Nelson.
Jonathan was put on the nominal roll of 'A' Company, Benbow Battalion, at the RND Depot. Blandford, Dorset.
Drake Battalion and the Marines had already sailed for Gallipoli on the 28th February 1915 in the Troopships Franconia, Braemar Castle, Gloucester Castle, Grantully Castle, Minnetonka and Astrian. They landed under terrible fire on the 25th April 1915 and were pinned down on the beaches.
1915 May 10
After three months training at the Depot in Dorset Benbow was sent out to Gallipoli to join the rest of the Battalions. Together with Hawke and Collingwood Battalions, they sailed on the Troopship HMS Ivernia for Gallipoli. She displaced 14,058 tons, was 582 feet long and in peacetime carried nearly 2000 passengers across the Atlantic.
1915 May 28
The three fresh Battalions transferred to HMS Hythe for the passage to 'V' beach on Cape Helles, This ship was a small, requisitioned cross Channel ferry of only 509 tons, so they had to stand up on deck all night shivering in bitter cold as there was no room to lie down. At dawn, OS Jonathan Bartlett, James Hart, Thomas MacMillan and all their mates of Benbow Battn. slowly warmed up as the sun rose. MacMillan recalled sailing by the torpedoed and capsized HMS Majestic, which as he put it, "... looked for all the world like a sea monster asleep". The Hythe dropped anchor alongside barges which were used as a gangway from the River Clyde to the beach. She had played a desperate part in the first landings on 25th April. As soon as they breasted the cliff, they came under fire from Achi Baba and were soon told to double and take cover in some dead ground. Digging in was out of the question as all suitable ground was already occupied. Hawke and Benbow joined Drake and Nelson Battalions in the 1st Brigade, and Collingwood joined Howe, Hood and Anson in the 2nd. Including the Marine Brigade, RND had had an effective strength of 10 500 men when they first landed on 25th April and this had been reduced to less than a half of that by the end of May when the reinforcements arrived.
This addition was not enough to bring DND up to strength and of course, the need was really for experienced drafts for the existing units rather than new battalions of inexperienced troops. One Company Commander, Green both by name and by nature, took it upon himself to send a reinforcing platoon. They got jammed in the communication trench between two other masses of men and were forced to march back to their quarters across open ground. Luckily the Turks fire was tapering off and even a column of fours did not attract too much attention. When they got back they found everyone asleep and not even a sentry posted! Next night the digging party went up again and were sent out into the open with no instructions, the supervising officers staying behind in shelter. Turkish machine gun fire accomplished what orders should have done and a trench was rapidly dug for self protection. There were many casualties and the stretcher parties and the Medical Officer behaved with great gallantry in their work. The only other officer present was an Engineer who directed the digging.
The battle had by now deteriorated into more or less static trench warfare. The Turks would retreat to prepared lines enticing the Allies too far ahead of their previous positions facing apparently empty trenches. Then they would have to retire under heavy infilading machine-gun fire from high, well prepared positions without having done much damage to the enemy. This very effective Turkish tactic was used successfully by RND against the Germans in 1916 at Ancre.
Dugout shelter in Gallipoli (Jonathan's bugle??)
NB the white cap cover with Drake (?) badge.
1915 June 4
A direct frontal attack on the whole Turkish forward position was ordered ( ibid p130 ) . Naval Division supplied 2 Brigades less one battalion to the Corps as reserve, leaving in the front line only the 2nd Naval Brigade. This consisted of Howe, Hood and Anson Battalions. Drake was the one held in reserve. Of 1900 men and 70 officers only 950 men and 5 officers survived the terrible machine guns of the Turks as the Division was forced to retire. At 14:30 Drake was called up to the front line and Benbow took its place as reserve to the Division, moving up from the rest camp. Drake moved up Gully ravine to renew the attack (ibid p135 ) but later was forced to withdraw to Backhouse Post. Jonathan and the rest of his Benbow Battalion maintained the sector astride Achibaba Nullah, alternating front line activity with the Marines.
The French Colonial troops and the RND had suffered a disastrous reverse with awful losses when the Senegalese troops retreated in the face of a Turkish counter attack and Commander Spearman led his Battalion into a "curtain of fire". Only 87 men and three officers answered roll call; 60 officers and 1300 men were casualties and nearly half of these died.
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Benbow Battalion did not survive long enough to get a cap badge
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Drake Battalion cap badge
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1915 June 12
Jonathan was transferred from Benbow Battalion to Drake Battalion, "A" Company, when Benbow and Collingwood Battns. were both disbanded because of the terrible losses. Benbow did not see their old officers again. Lieutenant Green died from a centipede bite over the eye and Sub.Lt. Iliff was killed in action. As A.B. Thomas McMillan wrote,
Green deserved a good deal of sympathy. His bad start seemed to unnerve him and this could have been avoided if those in authority had taken the elementary precaution of ensuring that an officer going into the Fire area for the first time was given the assistance of an experienced officer until such times as he had a grasp of the situation.
1915 July 7
To Hospital in Dardanelles sick PNO.
1915 July 15
To No.11 Casualty Clearing Station
1915 Aug 1
RND handed over the line to 42nd Div. After the June disaster, strength was 208 officers, 7141 other ranks and by 29th May only 129 officers and 5038 other ranks survived.
Less than 10% of these would have been considered fit for duty in France in the quietest part of the front! In Gallipoli at this time, all officers and men who could actually walk to the trenches were reckoned as fit! (ibid p 148 )
1915 Aug 4
Jonathan was sent to Casualty Clearing Station. As he had been withdrawn from the front on the 1st, whatever caused this must have happened in the rest area unless the medical chain was slow before he got to the Clearing Station. As Jerrold (p161) states, "To live on the Gallipoli Peninsula was to be continuously, not merely within effective range, but under fire". Was this the head wound or dysentry? He told me that he had been reloading his rifle standing in the trench when a man on the 'step' was killed and threw his rifle back and down to fracture Jonathan's skull. His other wound was to the right shin from which a bullet was removed. The badly bent bullet (a ricochet and therefore spent before hitting him?) was attached to his silver watch chain but I seem to remember the chain being confiscated and at the end of term being given to a 'good' kid when I was at Lavender Road Elementary School, Enfield. I still don't know why I didn't scream blue bloody murder!! I suppose I was only about 6 and not supposed to have the chain, anyway! I would dearly love to have it now. I understood that one of these wounds was inflicted in France. How and when did he get from Gallipoli to Malta? There is no mention in the Record. Jonathan must have spent more than 2 months on Gallipoli in Drake as well as the first 17 days with Benbow before being shipped out.
1915 Aug 18
Invalided. Transferred from Hospital in Malta to H.S. (Hospital Ship) "Asturias" for England. Next of kin were not informed.
H.S. "Asturias"
1915 Aug 26
Admitted to The Royal Hospital Haslar, Gosport, Hampshire as a convalescent.
1915 Sept 8
Next of kin were informed at last!
1915 Sept 28
Discharged from Haslar Hospital to duty after 58 days.
1915 Oct 1
Granted 21 days leave.
1915 Oct 21
Received Blandford from leave.
1915 Dec 12
Transferred from 1st Reserve Battalion to Divisional Hospital. No indication as to what he had or for how long he was sick although throughout the rest of his life he suffered from periodic bouts of malaria and "lumbago". Perhaps he had a relapse pertaining to his head injury. He told his daughter Beryl that he had come home from Gallipoli with a bad case of dysentery, but most men out there suffered from this. He did eventually die at 63 from stomach cancer.
1915 Dec 31
Character "Very good", Ability "Satisfactory".
1916 Jan 6 - 10
RND evacuated Gallipoli in a beautifully conceived and executed retreat, which, but for the secrecy and silence could have easily been another disaster. Chapter IX of Jerrold is a vivid account of the activities leading to the retreat or "anticlimax" as he calls it. The enemy showed no signs of being alerted to the withdrawal, and when the Turks opened a "terrific bombardment at 2pm on the 7th... there were only about 16 000 men on the Peninsula". The supporting squadron and the Navy broke the impending attack and by 5pm the front was quiet again. The rearguard of RMLI and the RND managed to embark through heavy surf by 0330 on the 9th.
On the morning of the 10th the Division dropped anchor in Mudros harbour under the command of the Admiralty again. Here they stayed, establishing semi-permanent garrisons on three islands, Tenedros, Imbros and Mudros and on the right flank of a line across Greece ending on the Gulf of Stavros. This peaceful existence ended in May when they were sent to France.
1916 May
Jonathan transferred from 1st Reserve Battalion to 2nd Reserve Battalion, Blandford.
RND went directly with no leave to France, the Somme [sans Jonathan] under Army orders, not Admiralty. When told that the Officers would get home leave but the Other Ranks only local leave, there was a near-mutiny and the Senior Officer was blown a chorus of raspberries. He responded by cancelling all leave and sending the Division direct to France. They distinguished themselves at the battle of Ancre, and later, with Jonathan's help, at Beaucault, Gavrelle, Passchendaele and Welsh Ridge, while their attached Royal Artillery earned "warm tributes" from the Canadians at Vimy Ridge (These were not 'raspberries'!). The Battle of the Somme had started on 1st July and got bogged down. The key to success in 1917 was seen to be on the left flank south of the Ancre valley at Serre, Beaumont Hamel, Beaucourt and St Pierre Divion.
1916 Aug 1
Jonathan was transferred to "A" Reserve Battalion. He had been in Blighty for almost a year since returning wounded from Gallipoli.
1916 Dec 16
Jonathan was transferred to Drake Battalion, British Expeditionary Force from "A" Reserve Battalion, Blandford.
1916 Dec 18
He embarked at Folkstone, disembarked at Boulogne and joined Drake Battalion. This was about a month after the key battle for the Ancre Valley in the Somme on 13 - 15 November in which nearly 3000 men were killed or wounded. (ibid p183). He joined them when they were detached for two months rest in the neighbourhood of Rue. Nice timing for which his descendants will be forever grateful! Morale was severely affected when Senior officers were changed repeatedly and these Army types again tried to militarize the RND. For some reason, possibly because of passive resistance, after about 4 weeks, they gave up and normal training was resumed. After the battle of Ancre, the RND had earned a great deal of respect for its behaviour under appalling conditions and many considered this was where it earned its reputation as one of the best of the best. At the beginning of the year, the Division moved back to the line in very cold conditions. The outposts were merely frozen shell holes as no trenches could be dug under the continual barrage. This was the beginning of the first and last winter campaign of the War and it led to the enemy retreat of 1917. Jonathan was a runner and continually had to make his way back and forth over open ground under fire. See "The Colonel's Runner" for a firsthand account of a runner's experiences.
1916 Dec 19
Joined base depot.
1917 Jan 6
Joined 8th entrenching battn.
1917 Mar 3
Joined Drake Battn.
1917 Dec 31
Character "Very good", Ability "Satisfactory".
1917 January
The Division took part in a stationary war, with counter attack following attack and no gains to show. See "The Western Front: Life in the Trenches" by Paul Hinkley.
1917 Feb 1
A surprise night attack was planned to follow a creeping barrage of only eight minutes. Then followed 50 hours of fighting against very stubborn resistance. The final attack was against what HQ said was a strong point manned by a single machine gun. It was found to be a dugout garrisoned by 32 men and was taken by Hawke Battn. after a long and terrible fight. Hood and Drake dealt with the other posts. In those two days, 24 officers and 647 POs and men were killed or wounded but the German retreat had begun.
1917 Mar 2
RND was relieved from the line for a rest and attached to the Canadian Railway Company to build railways. Some rest! They camped at Ovillers. As Jerrold put it, "
It was a curious irony which made it necessary to call on the Division to do the spade work necessary to exploit their own hardly-one victories, especially when it is recalled that the February victories had been planned as long before as October". (ibid p221)
Interestingly, Jonathan had great affection for the Canadians and 50 years later, his son and daughter both emigrated to Canada with their families.
1917 Mar 18
By the middle of March, the Division was desperately in need of rest. The camp near Ovillers was in the battle area and remote from any kind of civilisation. On the 18th they rejoiced when they were ordered to move back to Hedauville and from there marched behind lines to Busnes, North of Arras, to the neighbourhood of Contray Chateau. The Battalion Bands were heard for the first time since January at the head of the line of march. Presumably, Jonathan was out in front with his bugle or drum. He used to refer to his Bandmaster as a very good musician and composer. The Spring offensive, described in Jerrold's Chapter 13 , for which the public had great expectations, was changed at the last minute to accommodate the French attack organised by General Nivelle. When the French were defeated at Champagne, the British Army found itself in a holding war again (ibid p223). In the great battles of Arras and Vimy, the RND was dispersed as much as it had ever been at Gallipoli. The Divisional Artillery was supporting the Canadians at Vimy Ridge, the 188th Brigade was attached to the 5th Div 1st Corps opposite Lievin and the rest, two Brigades without artillery, were attached to XIII Corps. (ibid p225 ).
1917 Ap 12
The battle plan was changed because of the difficulty of getting past Vimy Ridge and the rest of the Hindenberg Line and the XIII Corps was told off to relieve the XVII Corps. They and the RND, except for the Artillery, the Anson and the 1st Marines, moved to the front, South of Vimy (ibid p226).
1917 Ap 14
The first unit of the XIII Corps to go into the line was the 2nd Div. on the right of the Canadians. On the night of the 14th the RND came in on the right of the 2nd and took over the sector due West of Gavrelle (ibid p227). This was a village in the third German position which had so far repelled all attacks. The weather was bitterly cold, with snow and sleet alternating, and the forward positions faced the enemy across a 3500 yard open belt of country. Communications to the rear for rations, carrying parties, engineers, signallers and runners were under constant fire. The enemy was now no longer beaten and in retreat, because the French failure had strengthened them. With the Germans freely leaving the Russian front as the Revolution drew near, it was thought that the only way to win was a frontal attack which was ordered for 23 rd April. The three objectives of the RND were the trenches in front of Gavrelle, a road running N-S though the centre of the village and a line 300-600 yards beyond Gavrelle where they were supposed to link up with the 37th Division. See the map for the overall picture and an account of Drake Battalion's involvement taken from Army Book 152 Correspondence Book (Field Service). The battalions allocated to the attack were Drake, Nelson, 7th Royal Fusiliers and the 4th Bedfords with Hood in close support. Two sections from two Machine-Gun companies were to go forward with the infantry and the rest to cover the advance with overhead fire. Medium and light trench mortars were to follow up the advance. By midnight on the 22nd, troops were in position but Drake patrols found that wire was uncut on their right front. Commander Bennett took it upon himself to amend orders and advanced only to the company front, covering the right flank with mortar and machine-gun fire. Nelson and Drake advanced under the creeping barrage and captured their first objective in 10 minutes with few casualties. They got to all their targets and were within 300 yards of the enemy, although because support was delayed the situation was very precarious. Commander Asquith and Hood "A" Company's commander Lt. Astbury led a party to win a strategic position and enable the attack to hold its gains. Astbury was killed.
In the Marine battalions 16 officers and about 700 men were killed and total casualties were nearly 600 in an operation which fell far short of its goals. Our hold on Gavrelle was strengthened with the winning and holding of the mill by the 2nd Marines but gains were only about 1500 yards and the enemy received no great blow to morale. The strength of an additional brigade might have forced them back more decisively as the German numbers had been badly underestimated.
Hand-to-hand combat typical of the "Great Obscenity".
The Gavrelle mill is in the background.
1917 Ap 29
Drake Battn. handed over to the 31st Division and marched back to rest and reorganise in the Roclincourt area. Total Division casualties in the almost continuous fighting since 15th April were 170 officers and 3624 other ranks, of whom upwards of 40 and 1000 respectively were killed. The majority of these losses, more than those at the more important and successful battle of Ancre, were in the operations of 23rd and 24th April, not because of more severe fighting but because of the strength of the enemy artillery and aircraft. The exeptional length and exposed nature of our communication lines made them very vulnerable and on 4th May the decision was made to discontinue the offensive. The advance had failed to materialize and in addition, the Russian defence had definitely broken down. A confidently awaited victory had turned into an unexpected defeat so the stagnation and misery of trench warfare re-established its reign. The battle would be renewed elsewhere but now the Division was employed on the new Corps and Army defence lines.
1917 May 19
Drake relieved the 31st Div. on their original front, finding themselves in more trench warfare involving 203 officers and 6000 men as conditions reverted to those prior to the Somme campaign. There was an average of 15 officers and 460 men to each Battalion. The defences were even deeper than at the opening of the Somme battle this involved heavy work for those in the front line and those sent back to 'rest' in consolidating the line won from the enemy in the April fighting.
1917 June 10
RND's first tour in the line ended and they returned to work on the Corps and Army lines of defence and improvement of rearward communications with a compliment for defending an awkward salient from Lt-Gen. Congreve, the Officer Commanding XIII Corps.
1917 June 12
The bombardment to the north reached a climax and the explosion of fifty mines announced the beginning of the Flanders offensive. RND had to continue digging communication trenches down the slope from the Army line of resistance to the forward system.
1917 July 4
RND took over their old sector and the brigade sector immediately to its left. The Flanders offensive was still unaccountably delayed and they were needed to keep the enemy in expectation of another attack on Oppy. Their orders were to continually push out the line by establishing posts and consolidating sapheads in front of the line, then digging in at night.
1917 Oct 2
The initial success in Flanders at Messine had been followed by a delay of 6 weeks due to "difficulties among the Allies" (whatever that meant!). On 3rd July the battle for Passchendaele resumed but got bogged down in ever deteriorating weather. By the 24th September it was realised that fresh troops were needed and the RND were relieved by the 47th Div. and entrained for Cassel and neighbouring villages on the 2nd October. The front was quiet for a while but with a German attack on Italy looming and the final collapse of Russia, the tragic decision to continue the pressure on the Western front, especially Passchendaele, was made. (ibid p 265 ). An advance across the marshes to the Ridge was essential and the RND was brought in to cover the flank of the Canadian Corps. Front line and communication trenches were non-existent and the forward posts were separated by a sea of mud. Communications were via trenches and duckboards and were accurately plotted by the enemy. Avoiding a bombardment was only possible by leaping into a mudhole in which a man would drown. As a runner, Jonathan must have had some remarkable escapes as did any of the survivors. He did tell me that on at least two occasions he was the only one of a group buried in mud by a shell burst to be dug out alive.
1917 Dec 15
Welsh Ridge South of Cambrai was a defensive flank which protected all that was left of the gains before the German counter attack. It was a salient of great natural strength but which would not withstand a serious attack. Never the less it was decided to hold and fortify it and the RND was given the task. (ibid p266 ). The last fortnight of December was bitterly cold but fortification of the continuous front support line on the Ridge was pushed forward. At one point, Drake was able to extend the line but on the 30th the enemy attacked dressed in white camouflage against the snow. A lodgement on the second line of the Howe front caused Drake's position to become untenable and in its turn, that position had to be given up to the Germans.The loss of the Ridge made a daylight counter attack hopeless and after poor communications resulted in abortive attacks by Nelson Battn. in the afternoon, a night operation led by "A" Company of Anson, Nelson and elements of Drake succeeded in re-occupying a vital position on the Ridge with the loss of only three men. The Division had maintained its reputation but at a grievous cost. Killed, wounded and missing were 63 officers and 1355 men.
1918 Mar 12
In the Flaschieres Salient 200 000, mostly "Yellow Cross" mustard gas shells were fired by the enemy in one day causing 2000 casualties. Perhaps this was the period in which Jonathan, as he told me, volunteered to go out without a gasmask to lead back gas-blinded men in the hope that he would get a 'Blighty one' too. It didn't work for him. The gas would hang about every trench, every shell hole, every dug-out and every headquarters for an indeterminate period but must have avoided him. The chief sufferers in the Division were Hawke and Drake Battalions who lost, respectively, 15 officers and 532 men and 21 officers and 408 men men from gas between 12th and 21st March. See " Backs to the Wall " by Kyle Tallett and go to his home page. Lt. Robinson was O.C. 'D' Coy.
Gas blinded PBI
1918 Mar 21
On the 21st the storm broke (ibid p275) .
General de Pree wrote,
At 4:50am a terrific bombardment of gas and high explosive began along the whole front. There was no mistake about it, this was the real thing. It included the front line, the gun positions and the back areas. The roar and scream of the shells passing over and the explosions all around were deafening and continuous, and to them in a few seconds was added the still more terrific noise of our own guns and their shells passing over in reply. The night had been foggy and in a short time the gas and smoke of the bombardment added so much to the fog that even when daylight came fully it was impossible to see more than a few yards". The 5th Army retreated to Bertincourt and Ytres. Drake had not received orders for general retreat beyond our old front line, so held their position all day, and in the gathering darkness were fighting off German patrols on their flanks. At this juncture, Commander Beak came across a demolition party of Engineers preparing with the utmost zeal to blow up his battalion in the belief that all Allied troops had withdrawn! He then felt justified in ordering withdrawal, himself covering the retreat from a machine gun mounted on a limber. When Drake arrived at the line held by the 189th Brigade at 0700 on the 23rd, orders had arrived to withdraw even further to the Green line. (ibid p277)
1918 Mar 27
Joined Depot Battn.
1918 Mar 27
Drake was in and out of the line at Mesnil Hamel, Martinsart, and resting at Puchevillers. NB the famous rearguard action of Drake on Ytres/Bus road on the 24th and retreat to High Wood on the 25th ( ibid p280 ). This describes the pitiful conditions in which the men fought, dug and marched with very little food since dawn on the 21st.
1918 Mar 27
In this period from 13th March the RND lost 6000 men but got no reinforcements.
1918 Mar 27
Jonathan joined RND Depot Battn.
1918 Mar 28
Jonathan was a "straggler from line". Found V Corps Corps collecting station and reported.
1918 Mar 28
Proceeded to V Corps Collecting Station.
1918 Ap 03
Rejoined Drake from collecting station.
1918 June 04
The Division was relieved and enjoyed three weeks rest in the Toutencourt area. Then they moved back and took over the line in front of Auchonvillers immediately to the left of the Hamel sector. The period from 23rd June to 25th July was very uneventful although a German attack was expected at any time. A new style of Allied defence was built to meet this attack but it never came. Bombardment of the enemy strong points continued. They appeared demoralized and apparently did not repair them.
1918 July 12
A brilliant night raid - 2 officers and 54 men captured 22 men and one machine gun. They put out of action at least as many again for the loss of one man. Lt. Robinson was O.C. 'D' Coy. (ibid p 300 and appendix 'F').
Although Jonathan was probably not involved, as he was in 'A' Company, I include here the whole of Appendix 'F' of Jerrold's text for its colour and the understanding it gives the reader.
Raid by the Drake Battalion, July 12th - 13th, 1918
Two German strongpoints, in which there were always a considerable number of the enemy, were marked down by careful reconnaissance. Air photographs were taken of them, and they were laid out with tapes life size on the ground near Mailly-Maillet village. When the Battalion was out in reserve the Company selected to carry out the raid practised it several times in the dark till every man knew exactly where he had to go, so as to find his way in the dark.The raid was under the command of Lt. Robertson, O.C. 'D' Co., and the actual raiding party consisted of 54 men under 2nd Lts. Bolt and Briddon, who commanded the right and left parties respectively.On the night chosen for the raid, July 12 th , the party moved forward three hours before zero, owing to the muddy state of the trenches. After a rest of an hour and a quarter and a meal of hot tea and meat sandwiches in the front trench, the men started to line out in the assembly position 45 minutes before zero. Thanks to the careful preparation of the officers responsible, the spacing of the men was punctually carried out and the the whole party were in position a quarter of an hour before zero. At midnight, the zero hour, a powerful barrage of artillery and trench mortars opened fire to the second. Besides heavy fire on the points to be attacked, a mine crater and a knot of trenches, a box barrage of artillery and machine-gun fire was put down on three sides of the scene of operations, to prevent any of the Germans running away or any reinforcements coming up to assist. The men were in excellent spirits and confident of success. When the barrage opened they automatically fixed bayonets and moved forward to within 30 yards of it. In doing this they had to pass through the wire, which, despite a few gaps, caused some difficulty. It was fairly loose, however, with few stakes, and the men were able to tread it down and pass over it. At zero and 4 minutes, when the barrage lifted, the men charged the first objective with a lusty cheer. When 'B' party (2nd Lt Briddon), on the left, arrived at the trench, they found the Boches 'standing to', some on the fire step and some in the trench. They showed fight and refused to surrender and were killed. In the trench were six dugouts, the occupants of which refused to surrender. 'P' smoke bombs, followed by Mills grenades, were thrown down the entrances and the occupants killed. Every dugout was treated like this and one was actually in flames when the party returned to our lines. They moved forward along Lounge trench until 'A' party was met. Here a Boche was found in the action of firing a light machine-gun. He refused to surrender and tried to turn it on the party. The officer in command of the party killed him with his revolver. Another was found firing his rifle and he was over powered and made a prisoner and sent back to our trenches. This man made two attempts to escape on the way back. All the enemy dead were searched for papers useful to the intelligence Staff, but nothing was found. 'A' party (2nd Lt. Bolt), on the right, on reaching this first objective, found no one in the trench. They carried on half-right 'over the top' to Lounge trench. A bombing party, working up Lustre Support trench, met with opposition and could not get on. The rest of the party, on arriving at their second objective, met a Boche who immediately called down a dug-out, and two or three others came out and surrendered. The party then worked their way along the trench and found 12 dug-out entrances. The inmates were called upon to surrender, which they did without resistance. When the prisoners had come out, 'P' bombs and Mills bombs were thrown down all the entrances to set the dug-outs on fire. In this vicinity 'A' party captured 21 prisoners and destroyed one heavy machine-gun. The officer in charge and 7 men were actually responsible. It was a fine feat for eight men to bring this number of prisoners out of the enemy's lines, and Lt. Bolt and those men deserve great credit for their coolness and pluck. They returned to our lines at zero and 45 minutes, and joined their comrades who had already returned, the officers minus the greater portion of their breeches, which they had left on the German wire. The total captures were 21 men and one light machine-gun, and a considerable number of the enemy were killed.Our losses were one man missing and five slightly wounded.
1918 July 20
General Foch's counter stroke on the Marne threw the enemy back across the river and on the 21stChateau Thierry was retaken. The enemy was in retreat.
1918 Aug 12
2nd battle of the Somme begins. (ibid p301)
1918 Aug 20
RND, including Drake Battn., advanced to 'Brown' line near Achiet-le-Grand.
1918 Aug 21
Following is the official account of the exploits of the O.C. Drake Battalion, Commander Beak, which relates to the engagements of 21st August, 24th - 25th August and 2nd - 3 rd September:
T/Commander D.M.W. Beak, DSO, MC, RNVR
For most conspicuous bravery, courageous leadership and devotion to duty during a prolonged period of operations.He led his men in attack, and despite heavy machine-gun fire, four enemy positions were captured. His skilful and fearless leadership resulted in the complete success of this operation and enabled other battalions to reach their objectives. Four days later, though dazed by a shell fragment, in the absence of the brigade commander, he reorganized the whole brigade under extremely heavy gun fire, and led his men with splendid courage to their objective. An attack having been held up, he rushed forward, accompanied by only one runner , and succeeded in breaking up a nest of machine guns, personally bringing back nine or ten prisoners. His fearless example instilled courage and confidence into his men, who then quickly resumed the advance under his leadership. On a subsequent occasion he displayed great courage and powers of leadership in attack, and his initiative, coupled with the confidence with which he inspired all ranks, not only enabled his own and a neighbouring unit to advance, but contributed very materially to the success of the Naval Division in these operations. (ibid p321)
Could the runner mentioned have been Jonathan? Was it "only one runner" or "one runner only"? Well, yes, he could have been there with his CO, but he didn't get a medal Maybe this was when he stuck five Germans on his bayonet at a time before tossing them over his shoulder That's what he told me when I was a kid! Maybe six would have been worth a medal.
1918 Sept 11
Jonathan was sent to the Field Ambulance with influenza.
1918 Sept 20
Returned to Unit.
1918 Sept 27
Drake crossed Canal du Nord opposite Moevres. Captured Graincourt in the Battle of Cambrai (ibid p318-319) They crossed the Canal at Cantignual Mill. CPO Prowse, VC, of Drake Battalion was killed in the attack on the factory.
"In the next four days, the Division advanced, fighting almost all the way, for a distance of over 7 miles and had carried four successive positions, the last held by the enemy in front of Cambrai, and each one resolutely defended. In their advance they had captured unwounded 63 officers and 2138 men, five heavy guns, and 51 field guns, 90 trench mortars and 400 machine-guns. The Division's losses in killed were 21 officers and some 400 men, and in wounded, 83 officers and 1978 men. This engagement could well be regarded as one of the most successful ever fought by the Division." (ibid p 320-21)
1918 Oct 8
Before the main body of the 3rd Army could advance on the Beaurevoir line, their flank had to be secured. As it had been decided not to bombard the town of Cambrai, the advance flagged and the immediate capture of Niergnies was vital. The Naval Division, on its way to the St. Pol area for a rest was called back but promised relief as soon as Niergnies had been captured. Drake attacked the trench in front of Niergnies while other units moved against other points. The advance continued despite a major counter attack including seven captured British tanks. Commanders Buckle and Pollock of the Hood each personally put one tank out of action and the push was turned. 12 officers and 61 POs and men had been killed but the way was now open for the Army to continue its advance. (ibid p328)
1918 Oct 31
Jonathan was sent to the field ambulance with scabies which was common among these men, forced to exist in such lousy, flea ridden conditions. I wonder how he celebrated the Armistice? At least he was alive to do so.
1918 Nov 16
Returned to Unit.
1918 Dec 18
Jonathan was sent on leave to UK with R A (ration allowance) via Boulogne until 1st January 1919. He returned from the front with such a bad case of lice, fleas, filth, etc. that his sisters Lou and Kate hosed him down outside before they would take him into the house.
1919 Jan 11
Granted 14 days extension of leave.
1919 Mar 17
Sent to Crystal Palace for Dispersal.
1919 Mar 21
Demobilised 18 03 1919, Crystal Palace.
1919 Aug 21
Will sent to rating.
1919 Oct 16
APB/103 Filed. (what ever this means - I don't know what this form was about).
And all this madness, all this rage, all this flaming death of our civilization and our hopes, has been brought about because a set of official gentlemen, living luxurious lives, mostly stupid, and all without imagination or heart, have chosen that it should occur rather than that any one of them should suffer some infinitesimal rebuff to his country's pride.
Bertrand Russell
The kid who joined up
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and the man who survived
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Jonathan Bartlett, O.S., in basic training, Benbow Battalion, Blandford RND Depot, Dorset March 1915 aged about 18
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Jonathan Bartlett AB Drake Battalion RND RNVR aged about 22.
Drake cap badge was issued in late 1916 in France.
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John Alan Hurren Bartlett , son of Jonathan, 1999 12 14
For Jonathan's grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Sources:
Ministry of Defence letter Reference 3395/90/FJD dated 14 September 1990 Bourne Avenue Hayes Mddx UB3 1RF
Service Records from:
Jan Keohane (Mrs) Assistant Curator Fleet Air Arm Museum Box No. D6 RNAS Yeovilton Ilchester Somerset BA22 8HT.
The official history, "The Royal Naval Division" by Douglas Jerrold pub. 1923.
"The War To End War" by Thomas MacMillan, 11 November 1935, Department of Documents, Imperial War Museum.
"Gallipoli As I Saw It" and "Call to Arms" by Joseph Murray.
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