About Bricky Bartlett

John was born in Liverpool, Lancashire in 1884 to Alexander & Jane Bartlett. Jack left Liverpool when he was 18 years old, traveling by steamship Suevic to Albany.

Broome Connection

John’s uncle, John Barnes, was in Broome pearling and Bartlett made his way north to work for him as a clerk. Bricky eventually invested in the luggers Diana, Marguerite Ethel and Maisie along with his uncle. They survived the 1908 cyclone that destroyed so many other luggers.  His mother and two sisters emigrated to WA after his father passed away.

War Service

John enlisted early in the war effort, in November 1915. He was assigned to the 16th Battalion, 14th Reinforcement which embarked at Fremantle per Miltiades and arrived at Suez in March 1916. The battalion remained in Egypt while the AIF underwent expansion and reorganisation.  John’s unit was sent to the Western Front in June 1916. Here the 16th Battalion were engaged in bloody trench warfare, including the Battle of Pozieres in the Somme Valley. John was killed in action on the 30th August and was buried at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Picardie, in France.

Enlistment Details

Newspaper Articles

Other Online Resources

View John Bartlett at the Australian Archives
View John Bartlett at the Australian War Memorial