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2nd Lieutenant Arthur Allen BARTRUM
A Company, 8th (Service) Battalion East Surrey Regiment Date of birth: 12th May 1888 Date of death: 30th September 1916 Killed in action aged 28 Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial Panel and Face 6B and 6C
Arthur Allan Bartrum was born at 16 Patten Road, Wandsworth in South London on the 12th of May 1888 the second son of Arthur Reynolds Bartrum, a clerk at Messrs. Rothschild & Co, and Amy Godfrey (nee Quentery) Bartrum of 4 Colin Court, 18 Colinette Road, Putney in South London. He was baptised at Holy Trinity Church, Upper Tooting on the 24th of June 1888. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in Olds House from January 1903 to July 1905. On leaving school he was employed as a clerk with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company and later went to work as a bank clerk at Messrs. Rothschild & Co. He rented a room at 53 Hazelwood Road, Wandsworth. He enlisted as Private 643 in the 28th (County of London) Battalion (Artists Rifles) at Dukes Road, Euston Road on the 9th of March 1909 for a period of four years. At a medical examination, which was held on the same day, it was recorded that he was five feet eight inches tall. He re-enlisted in the battalion for a further period of one year on the 4th of February 1913. He was mobilised for war service on the 5th of August 1914 and volunteered for overseas service on the 23rd of October 1914. He embarked for France with his battalion from Southampton on the 26th of October 1914. He was promoted to Corporal on the 30th of December 1914. On the 20th of April 1915 he was admitted to 10 Stationary Hospital, St Omer suffering from German measles and was discharged on the 2nd of May 1915. He reverted to the rank of Private at his own request on the 3rd of September 1915 and re-enlisted for a further period of four years on the 21st of September 1915 in return for which he was granted leave in England from 2nd of November to the 1st of December 1915. He was promoted to Corporal on the 12th of March 1916. He applied for a commission and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the East Surrey Regiment on the 28th of June 1916 and was attached to the 8th Battalion of his regiment. He joined them in the field on the 26th of June 1916. At 2pm on the 29th of September 1916 the 8th Battalion East Surrey Regiment received orders to relieve the 7th Battalion Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment in trenches in front of the Schwaben Redoubt on the Somme. At 4pm on the 30th they were to launch an attack against the yet un-captured portion of the south face of the redoubt. The assault would be led by C and D Companies with B Company in support and A Company to be held in reserve at Thiepval. D Company occupied trenches on the south face of the redoubt on the night of the 29th/30th, C Company moving into Bulgar Trench at the same time. At 6am the enemy laid a heavy barrage on D Company's positions and attacked with bombs. Although the East Surreys were forced out of the trench they recaptured it at the point of the bayonet. As their numbers had been heavily depleted by the German onslaught A Company was moved forward to take their place in front line. A Company had been involved in fatigue parties for most of the night and although exhausted they moved forward for the attack. At 4pm the British artillery opened fire on the German positions and at the same time the East Surreys moved forward in two waves, 50 yards apart. The two leading companies came under heavy fire with only one of their officers being unwounded shortly after they began the attack. A Company, on the left of the attack, came up in support under enfilade fire and the two officers who were leading the Company, Arthur Bartrum and 2nd Lieutenant Sam Gerald Barder, were cut down by machine gun fire. The few men of their Company who survived this fire managed to enter the German trench and consolidate it with the remainder of the unwounded men sheltered in shell holes before making their way back to their original positions after dark. The rest of the battalion succeeded in gaining their objectives with the fighting dying down at around 9.30pm and the battalion was relieved by the 7th Battalion East Kent Regiment (Buffs) at dawn the following morning. His father received the following telegram dated the 5th of October 1916: - "Deeply regret to inform you that 2/Lt A.A. Bartrum 8th East Surrey Regt. was killed in action Sept 30th. The Army Council express their sympathy."

Olds House