Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The British War Medal awarded to Commodore C. A. Bartlett, Royal Naval Reserve, who commanded H.M.H.S. Britannic throughout the Great War, and was on the Bridge when she was sunk by a German Mine in the Aegean Sea on 21 November 1916 - she was the largest vessel sunk during the entire Great War. Previously, as the White Star Line’s Marine Superintendent at Liverpool, Bartlett had overseen the Titanic’s maiden voyage

British War Medal 1914-20 (Capt. C. A. Bartlett. R.N.R.) good very fine £200-300

Charles Alfred Bartlett was born in London on 21 August 1868, and joining the Royal Naval Reserve in 1893, embarked upon a career in the Mercantile Marine, being appointed 4th Officer of the White Star Line’s Germanic in 1894. He rose through the ranks in the Merchant Navy, and in 1903 was given his first command, as Captain of the Armenian, a cargo vessel run by the White Star Line’s subsidiary company the Leyland Line. Quickly promoted, he was given command of a number of the White Star Line’s premier passenger lines, including Germanic, Gothic, Republic, Romanic, and Cedric. Renowned for his cautious seamanship, and prepared to sail extra miles to avoid any hint of danger, his ability to ‘smell’ ice was such that he earned himself the sobriquet ‘Iceberg Charlie’.
In early 1912 he was appointed the White Star Line’s Marine Superintendent at Liverpool, where he oversaw the Titanic’s maiden voyage, including the selection of her officers. Had he selected himself as Captain then it is possible that, with ‘Iceberg Charlie’ on the bridge, the Titanic would have completed her maiden voyage and sailed on into faded obscurity.

On the outbreak of the Great War Bartlett was given command of the armed yacht Verona on trawler patrol in the North Sea, was promoted to acting Commodore, R.N.R., and was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath. Also in 1914 the White Star Line launched the Britannic. With major safety modifications incorporated into her design, including bulkheads up to the Bridge deck, she weighed nearly 50,000 tons, the largest, grandest vessel ever launched. However, before the Britannic could be fully fitted-out as the world's grandest passenger liner, the Great War commenced, and she was requisitioned by the government as a hospital ship to sail to the Dardanelles. Passenger fittings were removed and operating theatres and wards installed in their place, with a capacity for 3,309 casualties. Bartlett was appointed to command her, and on 23 December 1915, without ceremony, His Majesty's Hospital Ship Britannic sailed on her maiden voyage out of Liverpool, bound for Mudros on the Greek island of Lemnos - the Allied collection point for casualties from the Dardanelles. After only 2 voyages the Dardanelles campaign was over, but before long the Britannic was required again for hospital duties, this time for the Salonica campaign. In her short life, she was to make just 5 complete voyages, bringing over 10,000 British wounded back to England, landing at Southampton. On each uneventful voyage Captain Bartlett was in command.

The Britannic's fateful sixth and final voyage began on 12 November 1916 when, again under Bartlett, the ship left Southampton for Mudros. On the morning of 21 November the Britannic was steaming at full speed off the Gulf of Athens, near the island of Kea. Suddenly, at 8.12 a.m., a violent explosion shook the Britannic and she shuddered and quivered throughout her length. The damage to the Britannic was massive, and far worse than that suffered by the Titanic. On the bridge, Captain Bartlett sensed his vessel was lost, and at 8.35 a.m. he gave the order to abandon ship. The starboard list was now huge and the crew struggled to launch the boats although no fewer than 35 boats eventually managed to leave the stricken liner. Captain Bartlett was the last to leave the ship, stepping off the bridge during the final plunge. The time was 9.07 a.m. The Britannic had completely sunk within 55 minutes after the explosion. Miraculously though the death toll was minimal. The fact that there were sufficient life boats, and that the disaster occurred in the the calm, warm Aegean Sea, within three miles of island of Kea, meant that, out of 1,125 people aboard, only 30 lost their lives. However, Britannic was on her outward journey when struck, and almost empty. Had she been on the return leg, loaded with wounded men, and in the colder English Channel, then the disaster would probably have exceeded the scale of the Titanic. Controversy still rages about the fate of the Britannic. No German submarine ever claimed the credit for her sinking, although many survivors swore they were hit by a torpedo. The hastily-convened Admiralty enquiry concluded that the ship probably struck a mine. In 1975 the French explorer Jacques Cousteau discovered the wreck lying on her side in 400ft of water. The Britannic was the largest ship lost during the Great War. The pride of the White Star Line’s fleet, during her short life she never carried a fare-paying passenger.

Captain Bartlett returned to Crosby and his shore-job as Marine Superintendent. Appointed Naval aide-de-camp to H.M. King George V, he was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1921, and retired on 31 December 1931. He died in Liverpool on 15 February 1945.