Captain Harry Brocklesbury Bartram
9th Battery, Royal Horse Artillery serving with E Battery, Royal Field Artillery
Died in Military Service
Date of Birth: 19 September 1877
Place of Birth: Tunbridge Wells
Date of Death: 16 September 1914 at the Alexandra Hospital, Fareham, aged 36.
Buried: 19 September (his 37th birthday) in the churchyard of St. Mary the Virgin, Dover. His father officiated.
He is remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. Michael's Church Memorial, Teignmouth.
Awarded the 1914 Star, The British War Medal and the Victory Medal
On the 1891 census he was shown living with his parents at family at Meldon Hall, Chagford. He attended Oxford University and is shown on their Roll of Service.
Captain Harry Brocklesbury Bartram's grave stone
Harry was the son of the Rev. Henry Bartram and his wife Amy. He married Alice Eugenie Smith in July 1907 at Holy Trinity Church, Chelsea. They were living at Bramcote Hall, Nottingham. They had two daughters, Diana and Elizabeth, and a son, Harry Bob, who was born on 25 September 1914, just days after his father's death.
Harry Bob served in the Royal Artillery in the rank of Captain and was killed in the defence of Hong Kong on Christmas Day 1941. Alice never remarried and died after 48 years of widowhood on 6 May 1962.
Joining the army, he was gazetted as 2nd Lieutenant on 22 March 1900 with Royal Horse Artillery; gazetted Lieutenant on 3 April 1901 and Captain on 27 February 1909.
Harry was serving with 'E' Battery, Royal Horse Artillery in France when he became ill during the retreat from Mons. He was a regular soldier who served in India and Ireland, before going to France on 17 August 1914.
According to the inscription on the memorial in St Michael and All Angels church, Bramcote, the guns of 'E' Battery were the first British guns to be fired in the campaign at 11.10am on Saturday 22 August near Bray, Belgium.
He died from gastritis on 16 September 1914 at the Alexandra Hospital, Fareham and was buried on 19 September (his 37th birthday) in the churchyard of St. Mary the Virgin, Dover, his father officiated. Remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. Michael's Church Memorial, Teignmouth.
Additional information from Bramcote History Group's publication: 'Remembering the people of Bramcote: how one village was affected by WW1'.
Inscription on private memorial in St Michael and All Angels Church, Bramcote:
'To the Glory of God and in memory of my husband and best friend, Harry Brocklesby Bartram, Captain Royal Horse Artillery.
As Captain of 'E' Battery RHA, 3rd Cavalry Brigade. He landed in France with the Expeditionary Force on August 17th 1914. The guns of 'E' Battery were the first British guns to be fired in the campaign at 11.10am on Saturday August 22nd near Bray, Belgium.
Died 16th September 1914.
And to the memory of his widow for 48 years, Alice Eugenia, daughter of this parish, December 11th 1877 to May 6th 1962.
Also to their only son Harry Bob Brocklesby, Captain Royal Artillery, born in this parish September 25th 1914, killed in the defence of Hong Kong, Christmas Day 1941
There is an inscription on a family headstone in St Michael's churchyard which includes,
'He was one of six soldier sons that answered their country's call', and has the dedication, 'When freedom bells for victory ring and peace is ours again, we'll say within our hearts that day he did not die in vain.'
Images from the Funeral procession:
A full report of Captain Bartram's funeral was published in the Dover Express dated 25th September 1914..
Image and text courtesy of James Brazier http://kentww1.com
