John Cridlan Barrett

In the early autumn of 1918, the 1/5th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment advanced across northern France as part of the 46th (North Midland) Division during the opening phases of the Allied assault on the Hindenburg Line. The immediate tactical objective required clearing heavily defended German forward positions surrounding the village of Pontruet, west of the St. Quentin Canal. On the morning of 24 September 1918, A Company, under the command of twenty-one-year-old Lieutenant John Cridlan Barrett, moved forward under cover of darkness and a thick smoke barrage. Obscured visibility caused multiple units to lose their intended direction, bringing Barrett and his immediate command directly in front of Forgan's Trench, an unexpected German defensive work constructed overnight and heavily armed with machine-gun emplacements.

Barrett gathered the available men in his immediate vicinity and led a direct assault against the nearest gun positions. Wounded during the initial crossing of open ground, he reached the parapet, personally disarmed two machine guns, and engaged the defensive garrison. After sustaining a second severe wound, he climbed out of the trench under fire to observe the surrounding terrain, fix his position, and map remaining enemy positions. Recognizing that his small force was isolated, Barrett issued orders for his men to cut their way back to the main battalion lines. He refused personal assistance until a third wound rendered him unable to walk, at which point surviving members of his unit carried him back to British lines.

The official citation for the Victoria Cross was published in the Supplement to The London Gazette on 14 December 1918:

"For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on the 24th September 1918, during the attack on Pontruet. Owing to the darkness and smoke barrage a number of men lost direction, and 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."

Born in Royal Leamington Spa on 10 August 1897 to Joseph Teague Barrett, a pharmaceutical chemist, and Fanny Ada Cridlan, Barrett was educated at Arnold Lodge School and Merchant Taylors' School. Commissioned into the Leicestershire Regiment on 27 January 1916, he joined the 3/5th Battalion before deploying to France in July 1916. Serving as Signals Officer for the 1/5th Battalion from February 1917, he received his first combat wound at Gommecourt during the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. In late May 1918 at Gorre, C Company headquarters sustained a direct hit during an enemy bombardment of four thousand gas shells. Barrett suffered severe gas poisoning and was evacuated to a corps rest station, returning to front-line service two weeks later in the La Bassée Salient.

Following his recovery from the wounds sustained at Pontruet, King George V presented Barrett with the Victoria Cross at Buckingham Palace on 13 February 1919. Upon returning to civilian life, he resumed his medical studies at St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School in London, where he was awarded the Bristowe Medal for Pathology. He qualified with MRCS and LRCP in 1924, earned his MB BS degree in 1925, and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) in 1928.

Barrett established a surgical career in Leicester beginning in 1929, joining the staff of the Leicester Royal Infirmary and serving as consultant surgeon to the City General Hospital and Hinckley Hospital, specializing in urology. Alongside his clinical work, he maintained his commission in the Territorial Army, commanding C Company of the 5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment, and assuming command of the battalion as lieutenant colonel in 1937. He was awarded the Territorial Decoration in 1936.

At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Barrett briefly commanded the 1/5th Battalion before transferring to the Royal Army Medical Corps to serve as a surgical specialist. He commanded a military surgical unit in Northern Ireland, attaining the rank of colonel. Following demobilization, he resumed his post as senior surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary until his retirement in 1960. He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Leicestershire in December 1950 and served as Honorary Colonel of the 5th Battalion, Royal Leicestershire Regiment from 1953 to 1958. Barrett died in Leicester on 7 March 1977 at the age of 79.