Bertram Wilfred Bacon
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Bertram was the third child of John and Anne Bacon (née Boyington). His father John was born in 1864 in Chesterfield (bap. St Mary & All Saints April 1864), the son of James and Mary Bacon. His mother Anne Boyington was born in Nottingham in 1865. John and Anne were married at Carrington St John the Evangelist in July 1885 and had seven children, including a daughter who died in infancy: Clarence Clifford b. 1885 bap St John July 1885, Leonard Raymond b. 1887, Bertram Wilfred b. 1889, Maude Winifred b. 1891 bap. St John May 1892 d. 1893 (J/F/M), Ernest b. 1892, May Grace birth registered 1894 (J/F/M) and Cyril Francis birth registered 1904 (J/F/M). The couple were living at Market Place, Carrington, when their son Clarence was baptised in 1885 but had moved to 3 Birchin Street by 1901: John, a printer compositor, his wife and three of their children, Clarence (6), Bertram (2) and Maude (under 1 year). Their son Leonard (4) was recorded on the census at Flewitt Street, Nottingham, in the home of his paternal grandparents, James Bacon, a hat and cap maker, and his wife Mary. By 1901 John, now a printer's manager, and Anne were living at 44 Loscoe Road, Carrington, with their children Clarence, a compositor printer, Leonard a stable boy (laundry), Bertram, Ernest and Grace. Their daughter Maude had died in 1893 before her second birthday. The youngest child, Cyril, was born three years later in 1904. By 1911 John, a commercial traveller (printers), Annie, and three of their children, Ernest a grocer's assistant, Grace a machinist (lace net) and Cyril, were living at 31 Sherbrook Road, Carrington. Clarence and Bertram were now married; Clarence to Elizabeth Jefford in 1904 and Bertram to Eleanor Mabel Stainsby in 1908. Leonard had joined the Royal Navy in 1901 and was serving at HMS Vernon, the RN's torpedo school (afloat) in Portsmouth, although on the night of the 1911 census (2 April) he was at the Royal Sailors' Rest, Commercial Road, Portsmouth. He served in the Royal Navy until 1919. (See 'Extra information') Ann Bacon died in September 1935; as well as her husband John and son Bertram, her second daughter Grace had predeceased her (Grace May Pell, m. Arthur Richard Pell 1916 d. September 1930). Bertram married Eleanor Mabel (Mabel) Stainsby (b. 1889) in 1908 (reg. J/F/M) and they had three children, Bernard Victor b. July 1908 Stella b. 1909 and Bertram Wilfred b. January 1912. Bertram, his wife and their two children, Bernard and Stella, were living at 82 Leicester Street, St Ann's, Nottingham, in 1911. Their secod son, Bertram, was born the following year. The local paper, which reported in September 1915 that Bertram was 'wounded and missing', gave his address as 31 Sherbrooke Road, Carrington, his parents' home. Bertram's widow married John Buxton (22) at Birkdale St Peter, Lancashire, in October 1917. According to the information on the marriage certificate, John was a serving soldier with the 3rd Bn. The King's (Liverpool Regiment) at Pembroke Barracks, Pembroke Docks, Wales, in the parish of Pembroke St John. Mabel (28) was living on New Road, Birkdale, Lancashire, in the parish of St Peter where the couple were married in October 1917. They had a daughter Iris M. (b. 1925). The later CWGC record gave their address as 11 St. Cecilia Terrace, Peas Hill Road, Nottingham. Mabel died in 1927 and in 1934 her husband married Beatrice H Andrews.
CWGC: 'B' Sqdn. South Nottinghamshire Hussars Bertram Wilfred Bacon enlisted at Nottingham. Bertram served with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force from 26 April 1915, first in Egypt and then at Gallipoli from 18 August. The 1/1st South Notts Hussars with the 1/1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry and the 1/1st Derbyshire Yeomanry formed the Notts & Derby Mounted Brigade, which was one of four mounted brigades in the 2nd Mounted Division. The units were dismounted when they transferred to Gallipoli. He was killed in action on 22 August 1915; his death was probably not confirmed until July 1916 and the date of his death was recorded on one military document as 'on or since 22 August 1915 death presumed.' He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey/Gallipoli (Panel 17). The South Notts Hussars awarded Battle honours of Suvla, Simitar Hill and Gallipoli 1915. Bertram qualified for the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of the Helles Memorial (extract): 'The eight month campaign in Gallipoli was fought by Commonwealth and French forces in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war, to relieve the deadlock of the Western Front in France and Belgium, and to open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea. The Allies landed on the peninsula on 25-26 April 1915; the 29th Division at Cape Helles in the south and the Australian and New Zealand Corps north of Gaba Tepe on the west coast, an area soon known as Anzac. On 6 August, further landings were made at Suvla, just north of Anzac, and the climax of the campaign came in early August when simultaneous assaults were launched on all three fronts. However, the difficult terrain and stiff Turkish resistance soon led to the stalemate of trench warfare. From the end of August, no further serious action was fought and the lines remained unchanged. The peninsula was successfully evacuated in December and early January 1916.' (www.cwgc.org)
Bertram's brother, Richard, joined the Royal Navy at HMS Ganges as a Boy 2nd Class, on 28 August 1901. He added a year to his age, giving his date of birth as 15 January 1886 (registered 1887 J/F/M, and date of birth 15 January 1887 confirmed on 1939 England & Wales Register). He entered on a 12 year continuous service engagement on 15 January 1904 which, according to his RN record, was his eighteenth birthday. ('Boy' time did not count toward the 12 years). He was rated Boy 1st Class on 28 May 1902 (HMS Minotaur), Ordinary Seaman on 15 January 1904 (HMS Exmouth) and Able Seaman in April 1906 (HMS Prince of Wales). Leonard served in HMS Britannia (King Edward VII-class pre-dreadnought battleship) from 15 October 1912 to 21 November 1918 then for administrative purposes assigned to Victory I until 13 February 1919 when he was discharged from the Royal Navy on demobilization. Leonard's service document was noted 'Run [deserted] 31/1/12 Hecla [served 19-31 January 1912] Portsmouth. Recovered and sentence per W.[Warrant]12357 of 10 July 12 to 28 days detention (Victory W8.4722).' Also that he was 'wounded in action (slightly gassed) 9 November 18. NP1365.18' Note: HMS Britannia was torpedoed by German submarine (UB-50, Oblt Heinrich Kukat) off Cape Trafalgar on 9 November 1918. The ship was disabled and sank less than three hours later, allowing time to rescue most of the ship's company although 50 died. There is no record of this on Leonard's service document. Leonard returned to live in Nottingham, married and died in 1949. CWGC additional information: 'Husband of Mrs. M. E. Buxton (formerly Bacon), of 11, St. Cecilia Terrace, Peas Hill Rd., Nottingham.' Nottingham Evening Post, 20 September 1915. Photograph with caption: ‘Trooper B W Bacon. 1/1st South Notts Hussars, 31, Sherbrooke Road, Carrington. Wounded and missing Aug. 22nd’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Roll of Honour’, 8 July 1916: ‘Trooper BW Bacon, South Notts. Hussars, killed August 22nd, 1915. Sorrowing wife, children, and mother.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his widow was his sole legatee and received payments for herself and their children. WW1 Pension Ledgers: named Eleanor Mabel and her three children, Bernard Victor, Stella and Bertram Wilfred, residence Nottingham. Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths’, 16 September 1935: ‘Buxton Anne, late Sherbrooke-road, Carrington, died September 15th. Funeral arrangements later.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Acknowledgements’, 19 September 1935: ‘The Family of the late Anne Bacon wish to thank all friends for their kind sympathy and floral tributes; also the nurses in the County Hospital.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
