Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine relief of Arnhem operations M.M. group of five awarded to Guardsman D. H. Bartlett, Coldstream Guards: he engaged an enemy machine-gun post with his Bren gun - firing from the hip

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (2662218 Gdmn. D. H. Bartlett, C. Gds.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, the first with edge bruising, contact marks and polished, good fine, the remainder very fine and better (5) £1800-2200

M.M. London Gazette 1 March 1945. The original recommendation for an immediate award - approved by Montgomery - states:

‘On 23 September 1944, this Guardsman was No. 1 on the Bren in his section. His company was leading the attack on Vokel and his section became pinned to the ground by hostile machine-gun fire. On his own initiative, he jumped up and fired from the hip, putting out of action the German machine-gun which was holding his section up. This action enabled his section to go forward and reach its objective which in turn allowed the rest of the platoon to advance.’

In their history, The Coldstream Guards 1920-1946, Howard and Sparrow refer to the attack on Vokel in the following terms:

‘It was too late to attack that night, and it was not until midday on 23 September that the assault on Vokel began. The Fifth Battalion was now only two rifle companies strong. 3 Squadron led the way up the road; 1 Squadron and 1 Company followed on the left, while 4 Company was kept with 2 Squadron in reserve. 3 Squadron was held up by heavy fire: the leading tank was hit by an anti-tank gun, but its crew escaped; another was stopped by well-directed machine-gun fire, which killed the driver outright and wounded the commander in the head. At ten minutes past one the assaulting party attacked. It was a bitter little fight: Major Darrell led the Squadron on foot to the far end of the village; Major Lord Long, who had assumed command of 1 Company, only the day before, was killed, and Lieutenant Whitehorn, his only officer, was wounded. Sergeant-Major Farnhill took over the Company, and won the Distinguished Conduct Medal; and Lance-Sergeant Lowe and Guardsman Bartlett won Military Medals for their outstanding courage. By 3 o’clock the village was clear. It remained only to beat the woods and villages to the south and east, and the tanks sent to do this found that the Germans had already withdrawn. On the right the Grenadiers had cleared Vechel, and the supply line was open once more.’

Douglas Herbert Bartlett was serving in the 5th Battalion, Coldstream Guards, a component of the Guards Armoured Division, XXX Corps, at the time of the above related deeds. Famously delayed at Nijmegen bridge, when the decision was taken to await the arrival of supporting infantry, the Guards fought with great gallantry in the subsequent push towards Arnhem, much of it along a dead straight high dyke road that ‘looked like an island’. As General Adair, C.O. of the Division, also observed, ‘You can’t imagine anything more unsuitable for tanks: steep banks with ditches on each side that could easily be covered by German guns.’