John Cridland Barrett
Details
| Forename | John Cridland |
|---|---|
| Surname | Barrett |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | 1/5th Bn |
| Biography | Commissioned into 3/5th Bn 27.1.1916. Posted to France 1.7.1916. Became Signals Officer to 1/5th Battalion Feb 1917 to May 1918. Wounded at Gommecourt, Feb 1917. Became Lieutenant 27.7.1917. Gassed at Gorre May 1918. Won the Victoria Cross at France 24.9.1918. The V.C. was presented by the King at Buckingham Palace on 13.2.1919. After the war Barrett trained as a Medical doctor and was a surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary from 1929. He also retained a commission in the Territorial taking command of the 5th Bn in 1937 and command of the 1/5th Bn in 1939 . In Aug. 1939 he was commissioned into the RAMC. Retired in 1944. Was Honorary Colonel of the Royal Leics. Regiment 1953-1958. Documents issued to him in World Wars One and are in the collection of Leicester City Museums Service. Lieutenant John Cridland Barrett, 1/5th Battalion The Leicestershire Regiment, (later Colonel J C Barrett VC TD DL FRCS) won his Victoria Cross during the attack on Pontruet on 24 September 1918, described in some detail in the London Gazette citation (14 December 1918): "Owing to the darkness and smoke barrage a number of men lost direction. Lieutenant Barrett found himself advancing towards Forgan's Trench which contained numerous machine guns. Without hesitation he collected all available men and charged the nearest group of machine guns, being wounded on the way. In spite of this, he gained the trench and vigorously attacked the garrison, personally disposing of two machine guns and inflicting many casualties. He was again severely wounded, but nevertheless climbed out of the trench in order to fix his position and locate the enemy. This he succeeded in doing and, despite exhaustion from wounds, gave detailed orders to his men to cut their way back to the battalion, which they did. He himself refused help and was again wounded, so seriously that he could not move and had to be carried out. In spite of his wounds he had managed to fight on, and his spirit was magnificent throughout. It was due to his coolness and grasp of the situation that any of his party were able to get out alive". Barrett, a doctor, served with the 5th (Territorial) Battalion after the war and was promoted Lieutenant Colonel and Commanding Officer in 1937. He gave up his rank and transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corps at the beginning of World War Two. He was a consultant surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary and in 1953 he was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 5th Battalion. He died in Leicester in March 1977. His body was cremated and his ashes were scattered on Rosebed 14 at Gilroes Crematorium, Leicester. His widow died in Leicester on 11 February 2000. |
| Date of Birth | 10/08/1897 |
| Date of Death | 07/03/1977 |
| Occupation | Doctor |
