Hi, Drew are we talking author of `My First War : An Army Officer's Journal for May 1940` and an advisor on war time films of the era or are we talking another Captain Basil Bartlett (Bart) ? Verrieres
Not off hand...Born 15th September 1905 worked on films such as SECRET MISSION(1942) THE NEXT OF KIN(1942) THEY MET IN THE DARK(1943)..married three children died 2nd January 1985..oh wrote two books..including the title above...No Sorry Drew no mention of his Military Career I wonder if he had a published obituary that might give you a clue...I don`t suppose his books still in print is it? Verrieres
I've seen a copy for sale and wondered what perspective it would be from. I think he retired a Lt. Col. in the Int. Corps.
Have you checked London Gazette? Gazette Website: PDF Navigator 102763 Sir Basil Hardington Bartlett Bt.
Theres a few snippetts on Google Books but its one of those you fill out the search box to see if the topics covered within the book. Verrieres
Lt.-Col. Sir Basil Hardington Bartlett, 2nd Bt. was born on 15 September 1905.1 He was the son of Hardington Arthur Bartlett and Irene Robinson.1 He married Helen Mary Malcolm, daughter of Sir Ian Zachary Malcolm of Poltalloch and Jeanne Marie Langtry, on 5 January 1937.1 He and Helen Mary Malcolm were divorced in 1960.1 He died in 1985.1 Lt.-Col. Sir Basil Hardington Bartlett, 2nd Bt. was educated at Repton School, Repton, Derbyshire, England.1 He succeeded to the title of 2nd Baronet Bartlett, of Hardington Mandeville, Somerset [U.K., 1913] on 28 June 1921.1 He graduated from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.).1 He fought in the Second World War, where he was mentioned in despatches and wounded.1 He gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the service of the Intelligence COrps.1 thePeerage.com - Person Page 13459 Verrieres
(Chatto & Windus, 1940, 128 pages HB) Paraphrasing from his preface: "...as a Field Security Officer with a Regular Division...my job was to thwart enemy attempts at espionage, sabotage and propaganda...if this record...gives a false impression of a muddle it must be remembered that every suspicious character in the area-refugee, crook, lunatic, enemy agent-turned up sooner or later in my office." Although Bartlett is quick to point out that his is an entirely personal view, his memoir highlights the confusion in rear (and not so rear) areas. Precious wonder facts regarding 5th Columnists are hard to come by. Some snippets from the Phoney War: There are two places the French ploice won't touch...one is discreetly & expensively run as a brothel...the [other] is a meeting place for all the pimps. One of our patrols had the temerity to shoot a smuggler. [The Customs official] nearly had a fit. Aftter the invasion had begun: "There are persistant rumours of parachutists. None of them have been substantiated." Even rumours Bartlett heard of on-the-spot lynchings could not be proven to have taken place. But a couple of days later: The area is thick with enemy agents...telephone wires are cut as soon as they are laid. Corps HQ moved & became irretrievably lost. Bartlett describes crossing the the Escaut as a "curiously inadequate ditch behind which to fight a decisive battle" Many refugees had either lost or had papers confiscated by other checkpoints, escpecially suspicious and exasperating were those from German Jewish backgrounds. Bartlett's office was inundated with loonies & eccentrics and many were given the benefit of the doubt, all French and Belgian authorities having evaporated. He did not have any Flemish-speaking liason officers on his staff & in parts of Belgium this was the only language spoken by the locals. There were one-off capturings of Nazi sympathisers. Finally, Bartletts account bears similarities to others on the last few days in France as he is first evacuated by destroyer, torpedoed & rescued by a cruiser. The destroyer was scuppered. This is a lovely little memoir which paints a vivid picture of the life of an HQ officer during Sitzkrieg, his dealings with Belgian & French officials & officers, the breakdown of the Allied position and the Dunkirk evacuation.
Wasn't this chap killed in Normandy as a Brigadier in 1944? I think is my man, the date of birth, 1905, matches information about the author although there was no mention there of him having died in 1985, also he came home from Dunkirk to someone he called Mary. (Debrett's thePeerage.com - Person Page 13459): Lt.-Col. Sir Basil Hardington Bartlett, 2nd Bt.1 M, #134588, b. 15 September 1905, d. 1985 Lt.-Col. Sir Basil Hardington Bartlett, 2nd Bt.|b. 15 Sep 1905\nd. 1985|p13459.htm#i134588|Hardington Arthur Bartlett|b. 21 Nov 1878\nd. 11 Jan 1920|p13459.htm#i134587|Irene Robinson||p13460.htm#i134595|Sir Herbert H. Bartlett, 1st Bt.|b. 30 Apr 1842\nd. 28 Jun 1921|p13459.htm#i134589|Ada C. Barr|d. 24 Dec 1933|p13460.htm#i134592|Professor Henry Robinson||p13460.htm#i134596|||| Last Edited=18 Feb 2007 Sir Basil Bartlett, 2nd Bt.2 Lt.-Col. Sir Basil Hardington Bartlett, 2nd Bt. was born on 15 September 1905.1 He was the son of Hardington Arthur Bartlett and Irene Robinson.1 He married Helen Mary Malcolm, daughter of Sir Ian Zachary Malcolm of Poltalloch and Jeanne Marie Langtry, on 5 January 1937.1 He and Helen Mary Malcolm were divorced in 1960.1 He died in 1985.1 Lt.-Col. Sir Basil Hardington Bartlett, 2nd Bt. was educated at Repton School, Repton, Derbyshire, England.1 He succeeded to the title of 2nd Baronet Bartlett, of Hardington Mandeville, Somerset [U.K., 1913] on 28 June 1921.1 He graduated from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.).1 He fought in the Second World War, where he was mentioned in despatches and wounded.1 He gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the service of the Intelligence COrps.1" Glad you got me to look him up to this extent, puts a face to the book. I am now wondering where else he served in the war & how he came to be mentioned in despatches...?
Jim (The DLI chap - I can never spell his username ) PM me this link. Its rather interesting and contains Basil Bartlett. BBC - Archive - WWII: Dunkirk Evacuation - Dunkirk: A Personal Perspective
Can a Mod merge this with the thread below and move it to 1940 section please EDIT : Threads merged as requested, cheers O
In the early 80s, one of the COLDM GDS battalions was commanded by Sir Brian Bartlett Bt. Could he be Sir Basil's son? FdeP
Not being too experienced at this military research malarky, I am not sure but there seem to be some cross-references in Captain Bartlett's diary and that of a Ralph Lionel Clarke, an Engineer Intelligence Lieutenant of 4 Division: Three Weeks to La Panne A Diary of Dunkirk A diary of the events leading up to and including the Dunkirk evacuation by a young officer in the British expeditionary Force. This very personal account is "officially" covered in. History of the Royal Engineers, Volume 8, pages 22 to 42. It was written in shorthand at the time and then re-written in its present form whilst the author was resting after the evacuation. Lieutenant (as he was then) Clarke was the Engineer Intelligence Officer of 4 Division when he kept this diary. I haven't been through the whole (which in itself is interesting) with a fine tooth comb, but here are excerpts from just three days from Lieutenant Clarke's diary: Tuesday 14th May Div HQ is established in an imposing glass fronted building on the forward slope, probably a school. Sunday 19th May Aroused by a Bren carrier clattering past. As the noise dies away a muttering shuffling remains. The window is level with the loft floor so without getting out of bed I look out to see the refugees. Later there are church bells and as I go to breakfast the townspeople in their best clothes are going to church. Take my map board to Div HQ. They have got the chateau this time and no mistake, taking it over from the Belgian Corps HQ. They had to push antique furniture aside to set up their "tables 6ft" and install telephones. We are to stand on the Escaut which is a relief, with 44 Div on our left and 3 Div on our right...The four bridges in our sector are manned by 44 Div RE... Our right hand boundary is the Bossuyt Canal which rises by a series of locks to the watershed. Tuesday 21st May Gus Galloway rings up to say that a carrier pigeon has been launched from near the 59 Fd Coy office in the outskirts of Sweveghem. I take Sauervein and meet him on site where he points out the suspect house, guarded by a few sappers. As we watch another carrier pigeon flies out from the roof. I draw my revolver and fling open the front door. Inside an elderly Belgian couple are cowering. A policeman appears from nowhere. "Pigeons monsieur? But here all the world has pigeons". I am conducted upstairs to the pigeon loft. The anticlimax is too much for the policeman Struck by a happy thought he says "Where is your licence?". The old man produces a dirty screw of paper. It is out of date. He is put under arrest. Many words are spoken by all Belgians present, simultaneously. Outside the guard is getting restive as pigeons fly out from all over the place. A crowd begins to gather and the policeman is on his mettle. Up the street he dashes into house after house, coming back proudly leading a little group of criminals. What did I want him to do with them? Something bold is expected of me, but summary execution seems inappropriate. To play for time I bundle them into the back of my truck and drive off to the Field Security Office. I go in and ask Basil Bartlett if he is collecting pigeon fanciers. As his answer leaves no room for doubt I turn them loose hoping that the walk will teach them a lesson. Continue on a tour of companies. 18 Fd Park is settled in a barbed wire factory... And an excerpt from May 19th of "My First War" by Captain Bartlett: May 19th The centre of Sweveghem is a big square with big modern church in it Round or near the church are all our divisional offices and messes...Its Sunday. And in spite of the war a tremendous crowd turned up to Mass all dressed up in its Sunday best...The refugees are everywhere... Nothing remarkable about the church and respectable civilians going to church or an HQ using a hilltop chateau or refugees I suppose but Bartlett mentions being based in a very exposed hilltop school at that time, also would more than one division be billetted in a town like Sweveghem (or Zweveghem as it is on Google maps) and what of the connection between the two officers if Clarke escorted the 'pigeon fancier/spy' to Capt Bartlett of a security section? Just a thought... Liutenant Clarke's diary is here
Well found Les ! This very personal account is "officially" covered in. History of the Royal Engineers, Volume 8, pages 22 to 42. Added for ref puposes incase the web page disappears.
