Sidney Bartley

This story and photos are shared by the Trust with kind permission from Mavis Williams, Researcher.

Sidney Bartley was born on the 13th October 1924, in the Stoke-on-Trent Registration District, Staffordshire, the son of Joseph & Lucy Bartley, (née Moran) who had married in the same Registration District in the March quarter of 1913. Sidney's father had enlisted in 1915 and after serving for a short while with 2nd North Midland Brigade, Royal Field Artillery he was transferred to Shelton Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., for Civil Employment. He was disembodied with effect in December 1918.

We see the young couple for the first time on the 1921 census, which was taken on the 19th of June 1921. Joseph was working as a Roller’s Assistant (Ironworker) at the Shelton Iron Steel & Coal Company Ltd and they were living at 73, Brook Street, Hanley, Staffordshire. The family had grown as they now had three children: Lucy Bartley, 7 years and 7 months old; William Bartley 4 years and 2 months old; and George Bartley, 1 Years and 11 months old. They also had a married couple living with them as boarders.

We next see the family on the 1939 National Register, which was taken on the 29th of September 1939, where we find the family at the same address as in 1921. We discover that Joseph and Lucy had had four more children: Albert, born in 1922; Sidney, born in 1924; Joseph, born in 1927; and Dennis, born in 1929. Sidney was employed as a Drum Painter for Waltons Oil Works.

Sadly, I have no information on Sidney Bartley, neither his early or teen years. Sidney joined the forces in January 1943 according to the North Staffordshire Sentinel of 8th July 1944 which published an article reporting on his death in action. He was to find himself fighting on D-Day and laid down his life for our freedom. He was a crew member on LCT 317, 11 LCT Flotilla who were assigned to land men and materials on Nan White and Nan Red sectors, Juno Beach on D-Day. He was recorded as having been killed at sea in the Naval Registers reports of death. He has no known place of burial so he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial to the Missing, Kent.

The family were to suffered another casualty as Sidney's older brother, Albert, was serving with the 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. He was killed in action in Burma on the 16th March 1945. He was first buried in Mandalay War Cemetery before being reinterred in Taukkyan War Cemetery, Rangoon.