Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Herbert Bartlam (Williscroft being his true family name) but aka Bartleham and Rose, a shepherd, born on the 13th July 1865 in Rugeley, Staffordshire and his wife Silva Bartlam (nee Yates, married on the 12th November 1885 in St. Giles’s Church, Barlestone, Leicestershire), born in the January quarter of 1866 in Barlestone, and baptised on the 24th February 1866 in St. Giles’s Church, Barlestone. Frederick James Robert was born in the January quarter of 1895 in Osbaston, Leicestershire, his siblings were John, born in the January quarter of 1886 in Barlestone, Herbert Francis, born in the April quarter of 1889 in Barlestone and Percy William, born on the 6th May 1892 in Osbaston, in March 1901 the family home was at Osbaston. In April 1911 Frederick was absent from the family home at Newbold Verdon, Leicestershire, residing there was his father, a farm labourer, his mother and siblings, Herbert, a farm labourer, William a below ground colliery pony driver, Leonard, born on the 16th May 1903 and Elizabeth Nora, born in the January quarter of 1906, the latter two siblings were both born in Osbaston, meanwhile, Frederick was employed as a farm waggoner and was residing as a boarder at Cow Pastures, Market Bosworth, Leicestershire. Frederick also had one other sibling, Thomas who was born, and died in the January quarter of 1897 in Osbaston. Frederick’s father died on the 8th July 1915 in Leicester, aged 49. Frederick’s mother married William Baxter in the October quarter of 1922 in the Market Bosworth, Leicestershire district.
NOTE: Frederick’s father was born in Rugeley, Staffordshire on the 13th July 1865 and was officially recorded with the surname Williscroft, his mother being Harriet Williscroft, Harriet married William Bartlam on the 21st May 1866 in St. Mary the Virgin Church, Colton, Staffordshire. William Bartlam died on the 28th April 1868 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire aged, 30. Harriet remarried James Rose, and James died on the 16th April 1877 in Nailstone, Leicestershire. In consequence of his mother’s three marriages, Herbert has used various surnames during periods of his life, however I have retained the surname of Bartlam in order not to create confusion to any future family researcher.
Frederick’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted into the Leicestershire Regiment, Territorial Force, being allotted the service number 2561, and was posted as a Private to that Regiment’s Depot for training, subsequently being posted to the 1/5th Battalion. It was with this Battalion that he first entered the theatre of war when he disembarked at Le Havre, France on the 28th February 1915. Nothing further is known of his military service until he was officially recorded as having been killed in action on the 13th October 1915, his body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Loos Memorial to the Missing, France. Frederick was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Frederick’s mother was awarded a weekly Army Pension of twelve shillings and sixpence for life, to commence on the 18th July 1918.
The War Diary records: 13 Oct-15 - At 6.00am Battalion in place in RESERVE trench. At 12.00 noon bombardment of enemy trench FOSSE 8 commenced. At 1.00pm smoke and gas turned on until 1.50pm. At 2.00pm assault. 5th Battalion LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT and 4th Battalion LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT advanced in lines of platoon at 50 paces distance against HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT. 4th Battalion LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT attacked from 2nd line followed by the MONMOUTHSHIRE REGIMENT. REDOUBT captured but lines checked and stopped by machine gun fire from MAD POINT, MADAGASCAR, and SOUTH FACE, also heavy rifle fire FOSSE and DUMP TRENCH. First two lines as almost all Company officers became casualties. REDOUBT and half of NORTH FACE was held – LITTLE WILLIE and BIG WILLIE still in enemy hands. At 3.00pm “B” Company sent up to reinforce centre and left of REDOUBT followed by “A” and part of “D” Companies. Machine guns in position along original front line now held by “C” Company and parts of other regiments. Considerable progress made along LITTLE WILLIE by grenade party under Lieutenant C. H. F. WOLLASTON. Ground lost again owing to lack of grenades. At 5.30pm ground now held consisted of front face of REDOUBT and up to LITTLE WILLIE and point 60. Remainder of REDOUBT untenable by either side. 138th Brigade relieved gradually by 139th Brigade. 138th Brigade hold original front line trench. Many of “A” and “B” Companies still remained in the REDOUBT during the whole of next day.
An account of the events of the 12th and 13th October 1915.
On the 12th October 1915 the Battalion marched the ten miles from the village of Hesdigneul to the Redoubt in “fighting order”, with great coats rolled and strapped to their backs. They arrived at 10.00pm at Vermelles, and the following eight hours were spent packed solid in communication trenches. Each soldier carried six sandbags and every third a shovel. As you could imagine, none of them slept and the lucky ones had a drink before our artillery opened up at noon on the 13th October. The enemy artillery responded fifteen minutes later, and at 1.00pm we released chlorine gas, and disastrously for us an enemy shell shattered some containers in our frontline. At 2.00pm our troops, many wearing gas helmets went “over the top” and bayonet charged the enemy positions. Terrific machine gun fire tore into them and a shrapnel barrage added to the heavy casualties. Hours passed and furious hand to hand fighting took place and repeated bayonet charges drove the enemy back, who in turn counter attacked. After darkness fell Lance Corporal Clayson of the 1st/5th Battalion saved many lives by dragging wounded back to our trenches, and Captain Barton spent hours in No Man’s land giving morphine and water to the dying. When food and drink was brought up during the night the men had their first meal for twenty-four hours, but still no sleep. The morning of the fourteenth was very misty and this became smog as the Germans continued to use shrapnel and gas shells throughout the day. It was at 8.00am on the fifteenth that the relief was completed and buses took most of our troops back to Hesdigneul. The 1st/5th Battalion lost four officers, six wounded, two gassed and thirty-five men killed, one hundred and thirty-two wounded and twenty-two gassed.
On Wednesday, December 8th, 1915, The Leicester Mail published the following article under the heading. – OSBASTON MAN KILLED. – Private Frederick Bartram, 1/5th Leicester’s, is reported as having been killed in the great charge on October 13th. He was a native of Osbaston, where his mother lives. His father died on July 8th last. Fred was one of the first 50 Territorials to leave Coalville.
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Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday December 10th, 1915

One of the Coalville Fifty - Local Territorial Killed

Information has reached us from the relatives of Pte. Frederick Bartlam, No. 2561, of the 1/5th Leicestershire Territorials, to the effect that this soldier was killed in action in the great battle on October 13th. He was a native of Osbastone, where his widowed mother now resides, his father having died on July 8th last. Pte. Bartlam was well-known in Coalville, being one of the first 50 territorials to leave the town and was very popular with all his associates.

Coalville Times article – Friday April 23rd, 1920

CADEBY WAR MEMORIAL

Sir Thomas Cope, of Osbaston Hall, has unveiled, and the Rector (the Rev. J. Stewart Borrowdale) has dedicated a war memorial, which has been placed in the church by the villagers of Cadeby and Osbaston, in memory of the men from the two villages who lost their lives in the war. The memorial is of white marble, and has been erected on the north wall of the church at a cost of £15/18/0. It bears the following names:

William Hadland, Leicestershire Regiment; Frederick B. Bartlam, Leicestershire Regiment; Wm. E. Parry, Leicestershire Regiment; Albert Arthur Unwin, Leicestershire Regiment; Wm. J. Pallett, Leicestershire Regiment; Chas. Ball, Hawke Battalion, N.D.; and Geo. Pallett, Lincolnshire Regiment.

Research undertaken and submitted by Andy Murby 10/09/2017