John Cridlan Barrett

John Cridlan Barrett
Born 10 August 1897
Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Died 7 March 1977(1977-03-07) (aged 79)
Leicester, Leicestershire
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service 1916 - 1945
Rank Colonel
Unit Leicestershire Regiment
Royal Army Medical Corps
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Victoria Cross
Territorial Decoration
Other work Surgeon

Colonel John Cridlan Barrett VC, TD (10 August 1897 – 7 March 1977) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Barrett was 21 years old, and a lieutenant in the 1/5th Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment,[1] British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 24 September 1918 at Pontruet, France, during an attack, owing to the darkness and smoke barrage, Lieutenant Barrett found himself advancing towards a trench containing numerous machine-guns. He at once collected all available men and charged the nearest group of guns and in spite of being wounded, gained the trench, personally disposing of two machine-guns and inflicting many casualties. Notwithstanding a second wound he then climbed out of the trench to fix his position and locate the enemy, then ordered his men to cut their way back to the battalion, which they did. He was again wounded, very seriously.[2]

He later became a surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary and achieved the rank of colonel after serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps in World War II.

The Medal

His VC is on display at the Royal Leicestershire Regiment Museum Collection in the Newarke Houses Museum, Leicester.

References

  1. ↑ "Royal Leicestershire Regiment". Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31067. pp. 14774–14775. 13 December 1918. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
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