Pte 202891 Joseph Frederick Peter Bartley

Joseph Frederick Peter Bartley was born in 1898.  He was known to the family as Joe. He was baptised in St. Jude's Church, Liverpool, on 16th June 1898. He was the son of John Joseph Bartley and his wife Sarah Ann (nee Lawson). His father, John Joseph, was born 1867 in Liverpool, he was the son of Joseph and Francis Bartley who on the 1881 census lived at 38 Mela Street.
 

His father died in 1898 aged 31 and was buried at West Derby Cemetery, Liverpool on 26th May 1898.
 

On 12th February 1899, Joseph's mother, then aged 34 married  50 year old widower, Thomas Mackrell, at Christ Church, Kensington, Liverpool. Thomas was listed on the 1891 census,  living next door to the Bartley family in Mela Street. His first wife Emma died in 1898..

In 1901 Joe, aged 2, is with his mother and stepfather Thomas Mackrell at 8 Alleard Street.  His stepfather is a whitesmith.  In 1911 they are living at 84 Gloucester Place, Liverpool. Joe is 12.

He enlisted in Liverpool and was serving with the 18^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 202891 when he was killed in action on the 8th November 1918 aged 20.

At the time of his death warfare had become mobile, with the British Army harrying the Germans, who would retreat to a position, fight, then retreat once more. The day before he was killed the Battalion had just marched from Mariollers to Marbaix in France, when it was ordered to take a position in the line near Marbaix, from the 1/5th Gloucestershire Regiment. On the following day, 8th November an attack was commenced at 07.30am supported by the 100th Battalion Machine Gun Corps and artillery fire. Despite their support, the advancing troops encountered fierce rifle and machine gun fire from the German position’s.

Although the attack was eventually successful, two more officers and thirty six other ranks were to be wounded, and fourteen other ranks Killed, only three days before the Armistice.

He now rests at Dourlers CC Ext, France. The Inscription on his headstone reads:

“PEACE PERFECT PEACE”

Dourlers village was in German hands during almost the whole of the First World War. It was taken on 07th November 1918, after heavy fighting, by the 6th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 1st K.O.Y.L.I. The communal cemetery was used by the Germans during the war, but in November 1918, a small extension was made by Commonwealth troops at the west end. After the Armistice, the German graves from the communal cemetery and others from the battlefields, together with Commonwealth graves from isolated positions and small cemeteries, were brought into the extension which contains 161 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 14 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to four casualties known or believed to be buried among them. The extension also contains 108 German burials, 62 of which are unidentified.
 

 

Liverpool Daily Post on 28^th November 1918:  

“November 8, killed in action in France, in his 20^th year, Joseph F. (Joe), the dearly-loved son of Tom and Annie Bartley. A loving son, a brother kind, A beautiful memory left behind.”  Loved by all who knew him (a hero).  Sadly missed by his loving Mother and Sister Violet.  – 160 Phythian Street, Liverpool.” 

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Sarah A. Mackrell.

His stepfather died in the March quarter of 1924 aged 75.

His mother died in the JUne quarter of 1939 aged 72.