James Edward Bartram
Born in Addlestone, James Edward Bartram was the son of Mrs F Bartram of 42 Windsor Street, Chertsey. A member of the Chertsey Boys Brigade and the Brooklands Own Cadets, James was also a cousin of Percival and George Cranston who are named on this memorial.
James enlisted in the East Surrey Regiment at Kingston-on-Thames as Private 7562 and was serving as part of the 7th Battalion when in October 1915 he was wounded. Whilst wounded, James wrote a post card to his mother informing her he was in a hospital in Eastliegh, Hampshire suffering with an injured arm and telling her about his cousin. He wrote "I am now at Eastleigh expecting soon to be shifted nearer home. My wound is not dangerous, but I think George stopped a pretty big packet. I must say if it had not been for him I think we would all have been “land owners”. He deserves no end of praise as his arm with his bombs was as straight as a die. I think he went straight on to London on a stretcher. He was alongside me in the thick of it and when I got wounded we shook hands and I told him to take care and not take so many risks. I believe we were insane at the time. My wound is in the muscle of my right arm – only a burst an inch deep. I received it near the Hulluch Quarry, near Loos, and a warm place it is. Eastleigh is a nice place, we are getting very good food here and lots of it and – spring beds! everything for comfort and we are very thankful! for it. I have the German helmet still".
Having recovered from his arm injury, James returned to France and it was there on the 13th August 1916 that he was killed in action near Ovillers-La-Boisselle on the Somme. James was only 20 when he died and is buried in Pozieres British Cemetery.
James's grave
James enlisted in the East Surrey Regiment at Kingston-on-Thames as Private 7562 and was serving as part of the 7th Battalion when in October 1915 he was wounded. Whilst wounded, James wrote a post card to his mother informing her he was in a hospital in Eastliegh, Hampshire suffering with an injured arm and telling her about his cousin. He wrote "I am now at Eastleigh expecting soon to be shifted nearer home. My wound is not dangerous, but I think George stopped a pretty big packet. I must say if it had not been for him I think we would all have been “land owners”. He deserves no end of praise as his arm with his bombs was as straight as a die. I think he went straight on to London on a stretcher. He was alongside me in the thick of it and when I got wounded we shook hands and I told him to take care and not take so many risks. I believe we were insane at the time. My wound is in the muscle of my right arm – only a burst an inch deep. I received it near the Hulluch Quarry, near Loos, and a warm place it is. Eastleigh is a nice place, we are getting very good food here and lots of it and – spring beds! everything for comfort and we are very thankful! for it. I have the German helmet still".
Having recovered from his arm injury, James returned to France and it was there on the 13th August 1916 that he was killed in action near Ovillers-La-Boisselle on the Somme. James was only 20 when he died and is buried in Pozieres British Cemetery.
James's grave