Sir Walter Balfour Barttelot, 3rd Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Walter Balfour Barttelot, 3rd Baronet DSO
(22 March 1880 – 23 October 1918) was of the Barttelot Baronetcy
and grandson of Sir Walter Barttelot, 1st Baronet. The Barttelots are said to have come into England with William the Conqueror
, and to have fixed their residence at a place called "At Ford", in the parish
of Stopham
Sussex
.
on 22 March 1880. He was educated at Fonthill
, East Grinstead
and Eton College
.
He then attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
and was commissioned as a second lieutenant
in the 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment on 6 December 1899. The regiment was stationed in South Africa, so he was involved throughout the Second Boer War
, part of the time he was an Aide de Camp to General
Talbot Coke, and he also served as a staff officer to Colonel Williams, who commanded a Mounted Infantry
Column
. He succeeded to the title of 3rd Baronet Barttelot, on 23 July 1900, after his father, Sir Walter George Barttelot, 2nd Baronet
, was killed in action
during the Boer War. He transferred to the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards
on 12 February 1901, returning to the United Kingdom with them in October 1902. The 3rd baronet received the Queen's South Africa Medal
with six clasps and the King's South Africa Medal
with two. He married Gladys St. Aubyn Angove, daughter of William Collier Angove, on 17 November 1903.
He was promoted to lieutenant
on 9 November 1903, and to captain on 18 May 1910. He served in Egypt
from 1906 to 1908, and from 27 June 1911 he was Aide de camp, and from 12 August 1913 to 14 October 1914, Military Secretary
to Lord Denman
the Governor-General
of Australia
.
and also awarded the French Croix de guerre
. He was then appointed a General Staff Officer, Grade III on 11 February 1915 and was concerned with coastal defence around Portland
, and served in the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign from July 1915, where he was promoted major on 1 September 1915. He was appointed a Brigade Major
on 11 January 1916, for the Mesopotamian campaign
. He was appointed to the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) on 22 December 1916, and appointed GSO, Grade II from 11 September 1917. and was Military Attaché
to Tehran
from 17 March 1918 with temporary promotion to lieutenant-colonel whilst performing those duties. He was awarded a brevet
promotion to lieutenant-colonel for his service in Mesopotamia
on 3 June 1918, and was killed, (aged 38) on 23 October 1918 in Tehran, Persia
and was buried in the Tehran War Cemetery. In addition to his DSO, he had also been Mentioned in Despatches four times.
He had come to know Gertrude Bell
during his time in Tehran, and in a letter to her mother on 25 October 1918, she wrote:
on 16 August 1944, in Normandy
during Operation Overlord
during the Second World War. Barttelot was commemorated with memorial services in Stopham Parish Church on 9 November 1918, and at Holy Trinity Brompton on 11 November. His widow remarried, to Commander
N. W. Diggle CMG
, Naval Attaché in Rome, on 30 April 1920.
Barttelot's brother, Lieutenant-Commander Nigel Kenneth Walter Barttelot had been killed in the early days of World War I, whilst commanding the destroyer HMS Liberty during the Battle of Heligoland Bight.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(22 March 1880 – 23 October 1918) was of the Barttelot Baronetcy
Barttelot Baronets
The Barttelot Baronetcy, of Stopham in the County of West Sussex, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 14 June 1875 for the Conservative politician Walter Barttelot...
and grandson of Sir Walter Barttelot, 1st Baronet. The Barttelots are said to have come into England with William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
, and to have fixed their residence at a place called "At Ford", in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Stopham
Stopham
Stopham is a hamlet and civil parish in the District of Chichester in West Sussex, England located two kilometres west of Pulborough on the A283 road....
Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
.
Early life and military career
Barttelot was born at The Manor, SidmouthSidmouth
Sidmouth is a small town on the English Channel coast in Devon, South West England. The town lies at the mouth of the River Sid in the East Devon district, south east of Exeter. It has a population of about 15,000, of whom 40% are over 65....
on 22 March 1880. He was educated at Fonthill
Fonthill
Fonthill or Font Hill may refer to:*Fonthill Bishop, is a village in Wiltshire, England*Fonthill Gifford, is a villages in Wiltshire, England**Fonthill Abbey, Fonthill Lake and Fonthill Grottoes are located between Fonthill Bishop and Fonthill Gifford...
, East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
and Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
.
He then attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
and was commissioned as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment on 6 December 1899. The regiment was stationed in South Africa, so he was involved throughout the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, part of the time he was an Aide de Camp to General
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Talbot Coke, and he also served as a staff officer to Colonel Williams, who commanded a Mounted Infantry
Mounted infantry
Mounted infantry were soldiers who rode horses instead of marching, but actually fought on foot . The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry...
Column
Column (formation)
A military column is a formation of soldiers marching together in one or more files in which the file is significantly longer than the width of ranks in the formation...
. He succeeded to the title of 3rd Baronet Barttelot, on 23 July 1900, after his father, Sir Walter George Barttelot, 2nd Baronet
Sir Walter George Barttelot, 2nd Baronet
Sir Walter George Barttelot, 2nd Baronet was of the Barttelot Baronetcy and son of Sir Walter Barttelot, 1st Baronet...
, was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
during the Boer War. He transferred to the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
on 12 February 1901, returning to the United Kingdom with them in October 1902. The 3rd baronet received the Queen's South Africa Medal
Queen's South Africa Medal
The Queen's South Africa Medal was awarded to military personnel who served in the Boer War in South Africa between 11 October 1899 and 31 May 1902. Units from the British Army, Royal Navy, colonial forces who took part , civilians employed in official capacity and war correspondents...
with six clasps and the King's South Africa Medal
King's South Africa Medal
The King's South Africa Medal was awarded to all troops who served in the Boer War in South Africa on or after 1 January 1902, and completed 18 months service before 1 June 1902. The medal was not issued alone but always with the Queen's South Africa Medal or QSA.The KSA was awarded only to those...
with two. He married Gladys St. Aubyn Angove, daughter of William Collier Angove, on 17 November 1903.
He was promoted to lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
on 9 November 1903, and to captain on 18 May 1910. He served in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
from 1906 to 1908, and from 27 June 1911 he was Aide de camp, and from 12 August 1913 to 14 October 1914, Military Secretary
Military Secretary
The Military Secretary is the British Army appointment of which the incumbent is responsible for policy direction on personnel management for members of the British Army. It is a senior British Army appointment, held by an officer holding the rank of Major-General. The Military Secretary's...
to Lord Denman
Baron Denman
Baron Denman, of Dovedale in the County of Derby, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1834 for the prominent lawyer, judge and Whig politician Thomas Denman. He served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1832 to 1850...
the Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
First World War
With the outbreak of the First World War, Barttelot initially served in France with the 4th (Reserve) Battalion Coldstream Guards, from 12 August 1914, where he was wounded at the Battle of the AisneFirst Battle of the Aisne
The First Battle of the Aisne was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army & Second Army as they retreated after the First Battle of the Marne earlier in September 1914...
and also awarded the French Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
. He was then appointed a General Staff Officer, Grade III on 11 February 1915 and was concerned with coastal defence around Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
, and served in the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign from July 1915, where he was promoted major on 1 September 1915. He was appointed a Brigade Major
Brigade Major
In the British Army, a Brigade Major was the Chief of Staff of a brigade. He held the rank of Major and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section directly and oversaw the two other branches, "A - Administration" and "Q - Quartermaster"...
on 11 January 1916, for the Mesopotamian campaign
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, mostly troops from the Indian Empire, and the Central Powers, mostly of the Ottoman Empire.- Background :...
. He was appointed to the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO) on 22 December 1916, and appointed GSO, Grade II from 11 September 1917. and was Military Attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
to Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
from 17 March 1918 with temporary promotion to lieutenant-colonel whilst performing those duties. He was awarded a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
promotion to lieutenant-colonel for his service in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
on 3 June 1918, and was killed, (aged 38) on 23 October 1918 in Tehran, Persia
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and was buried in the Tehran War Cemetery. In addition to his DSO, he had also been Mentioned in Despatches four times.
He had come to know Gertrude Bell
Gertrude Bell
Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell, CBE was an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist who explored, mapped, and became highly influential to British imperial policy-making due to her extensive travels in Greater Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and Arabia. Along...
during his time in Tehran, and in a letter to her mother on 25 October 1918, she wrote:
Family
Barttelot was survived by his wife and two sons. The eldest son, Sir Walter de Stopham Barttelot, 4th Baronet, was killed in action as a brigadierBrigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
on 16 August 1944, in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
during Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
during the Second World War. Barttelot was commemorated with memorial services in Stopham Parish Church on 9 November 1918, and at Holy Trinity Brompton on 11 November. His widow remarried, to Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
N. W. Diggle CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, Naval Attaché in Rome, on 30 April 1920.
Barttelot's brother, Lieutenant-Commander Nigel Kenneth Walter Barttelot had been killed in the early days of World War I, whilst commanding the destroyer HMS Liberty during the Battle of Heligoland Bight.