Wing Commander Pilot, RAF
Born: August 1st 1912
Died: August 22nd 1941
Age at Death: 29
Killed in active service, August 22nd 1941
Medals / honours: Distinguished Flying Cross
House Prefect 1929
School Prefect 1930
Head of House 1931
Head of School 1931
1st 15 1930-1932
Running 8 1931-1932.
Father: A.E, Bartlett, Bank Manager
Address: Lloyds Bank, Bath
John was born on the Isle of Wight on 1 August 1912 to Arthur Bartlett, a bank manager, and his wife Maud (née King). At the College he captained the athletics team, played fives, and was a stalwart of the 1st XV. He was clearly a fearless player, because the College magazine records that he suffered several injuries. This sporting grit doubtless helped in his rise to Head of School.
After College he joined the RAF on a Short Service Commission, which ended in March 1939. However, he swiftly re-enlisted when war came, flying bombers, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, and surviving two narrow escapes: one when he was hit by flak but still managed a safe landing, and one when he ran out of fuel off Margate when returning from a mission – Bartlett and his crew rowed ashore in a dinghy.
By August 1941 he was an acting wing commander and a member of 255 Squadron at RAF Coltishall in Norfolk. That month, his Bristol Beaufighter crashed on its final approach to the airfield, killing Bartlett and a fellow crew member. He is buried at the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey.
To mark Remembrance in 2023, a Brighton College family visited the Brookwood Military Cemetery, and found John’s grave.
