John Cridlan Barrett

He led an assault and ordered his men out despite his wounds

John Cridlan Barrett was born at Royal Leamington Spa on 10 August 1897. He enlisted in the Leicestershire Regiment in 1916 and served in France with its 1/5th Battalion. He was wounded in 1917 and gassed in 1918 before returning to front-line duty.

On 24 September 1918, during the attack on Pontruet, darkness and smoke caused men to lose direction. Barrett found his party confronting Forgan’s Trench, a strong German position. He gathered available men and attacked, reaching the trench despite being wounded. After disabling machine guns and suffering further wounds, he climbed out to fix his position and then directed his men back to the battalion. He refused assistance until a third wound left him unable to move.

After the war Barrett trained as a surgeon at St Thomas’ Hospital, qualifying in 1924. He continued in the Territorial Army and later commanded the 5th Leicesters. He married Ernestine Helen Wright in 1935. During the Second World War he served as a military surgeon with the Royal Army Medical Corps.

From 1946 until 1962 he was senior surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary. He also held consulting and professional appointments, became a Deputy Lieutenant for Leicestershire and served as honorary colonel of his former battalion. He died on 7 March 1977.

Official Victoria Cross citation

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 considerable number of men lost direction, and Lt. Barrett found himself advancing towards Forgan’s Trench - a trench of great strength, containing 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.