Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare and most unusual Great War Southern Russia operations M.M. group of eight awarded to Flight Sergeant B. Tatton, Auxiliary Air Force, late Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Military Medal, G.V.R. (1918 Pte. B. Tatton, 9/R. War. R.); 1914 Star, with clasp (1918 Pte., R. War. R.); British War and Victory Medals (1918 A. Cpl., R. War. R.); Defence and War Medals; Imperial Service Medal, G.VI.R., 2nd issue (Bertie Tatton, M.M.); Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R., 1st issue (805154 Cpl., A.A.F.), the third with loose replacement riband bar and all the Great War period awards with contact marks, edge bruising and polished, thus good fine, the remainder good very fine (8) £800-1000

M.M. London Gazette 29 March 1919.

Bertie Tatton, a native of Birmingham, first entered the French theatre of war on 4 October 1914, most probably as a member of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshires. Sometime thereafter transferring to the 9th Battalion, which unit arrived in Mesopotamia in February 1916, but moved to South Persia in July 1918 and to South Russia that August, he was awarded his M.M for the fighting at Baku as a member of “Dunsterforce” in the following month - Baku being the oil-rich key to control of the Caspian Sea.

Formal notification of his award was received “In the Field” at Krasnovodsk on 21 October 1918 (Battalion war diary refers), the same source also listing M.M. London Gazette 29 March 1919.

Bertie Tatton, a native of Birmingham, first entered the French theatre of war on 4 October 1914, most probably as a member of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshires. Sometime thereafter transferring to the 9th Battalion, which unit arrived in Mesopotamia in February 1916, but moved to South Persia in July 1918 and to South Russia that August, he was awarded his M.M for the fighting at Baku as a member of “Dunsterforce” in the following month - Baku being the oil-rich key to control of the Caspian Sea.

Formal notification of his award was received “In the Field” at Krasnovodsk on 21 October 1918 (Battalion war diary refers), the same source also listing four other M.Ms and a brace of M.Cs for the same operations, the citations for the latter being in respect of a hotly contested action at Baku on 14 September 1918. Of this action - and there can be no doubt it was the same engagement that resulted in Tatton being decorated - the war diary states:

‘Saturday 14th: 4 a.m. - very heavy rifle fire and machine-gun fire on the left of the line which increased in intensity up to dawn. Enemy had attacked and by 8 a.m. it was reported that they had broken through Wolf’s Gap and 2,000 were advancing on Baku. Enemy demonstrated on the left of our front from Binagady Oil Stacks at dawn. Captain E. J. N. Bushill’s detachment moved to Brigade about 9 a.m. to protect our rear as the left of the line appeared to be badly broken. 11.15 a.m. - message from Russian H.Q. saying that three ship loads of Bicherakoff’s troops had arrived and were proceeding straight into action - this as it turned out was entirely false. 1 p.m. - Worcesters finding the enemy operating at their rear were compelled to withdraw from Baladgari and the railway embankment to high ground in rear, leaving our left exposed. The enemy then attacked our left, and ‘A’ Company withdrew to high ground in line with the Worcesters with enemy holding the railway embankment. ‘D’ Company fell back to the top of the cliffs. Orders from Brigade, who had fallen back one mile along the Baku Dygya road, to withdraw. Battalion H.Q. established in rear house on outskirts of town, about 300 yards behind lines about 3.30 p.m. 5 p.m. - received orders that British would withdraw to the town at dusk and evacuate. 8.45 p.m. - Brigade, 8th Battery R.F.A. and several Dunsterforce officers marched into the town prepared for street fighting and proceeded to Arsenal Square for embarkation on three ships already prepared. Embarked immediately. Ford cars, armoured cars and aeroplanes were all destroyed or thrown into the sea. Our boat sailed about midnight with all Lewis guns mounted on the bridge deck. No shots were fired at us. Practically all kits had to be left behind.’

The Battalion sustained casualties of four officers and 12 other ranks wounded, three missing and two killed.

Tatton was awarded his Air Efficiency Award in 1943 (Air Ministry Orders N. 1176-N. 1198 of that year refer), and his Imperial Service Medal for subsequent services as a Warehouseman in the Supplies Department of G.P.O., Birmingham (London Gazette 18 December 1951 refers).