Lieutenant Colonel
John Henry BRIDCUTT
DSO
Infantry
Died: 1st October 1918 - Age: 42

Commemorated:

1. Grave:Dadizeele New British CemeteryIII. E. 17.
2. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.117
3. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour44A GQS
    

Awards & Titles:

Distinguished Service Order
 

Family :

Husband of Mrs. J. H. Bridcutt, of 11, Dalmeny Avenue, Norbury, London.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles 

2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles were based at Tidworth with 7th Brigade, 3rd Division when war broke out in August 1914. They proceeded to France with the BEF, landing at Rouen on the 14th of August. They saw action in The Battle of Mons and the rearguard action at Solesmes, The Battle of Le Cateau, The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne, at La Bassee, Messines and the First Battle of Ypres. They took part in the Winter Operations of 1914-15, The First Attack on Bellewaarde and the Actions at Hooge. On the 18th of October 1915 they transferred with 7th Brigade to 25th Division. They were in action in defence of the German attack on Vimy Ridge in May 1916. They then moved to The Somme and joined the Battle just after the main attack, with 75th Brigade making a costly attack near Thiepval on the 3rd of July. The Division was in action at The Battle of Bazentin, The Battle of Pozieres and The Battle of the Ancre Heights. In 1917 they were in action at The Battle of Messines attacking between the Wulverghem-Messines and Wulverghem-Wytschaete roads. In the Third battle of Ypres were were in action during The Battle of Pilkem. On the 13th of November 1917 they transferred to 108th Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division, absorbing the 7th Battalion then on the 8th of February 1918 they transferred to 107th Brigade, still in 36th Division. They were in action on The Somme, in the Battles of the Lys and the Final Advance in Flanders. At the Armistice they were at Mouscron, north east of Tourcoing, where it remained and was demobilised by June 1919.

Action : The Final Advance in Flanders 

28 September - 11 November 1918. As the pressure mounted in other sectors the opportunity was seized to escape the confines of the Ypres Salient. Within five days the British Second Army had pushed the Germans back over the 1917 battlefield and were advancing on Courtrai. After action at Courtrai the advance continued into Belgium until the Armistice on 11th November.

Detail :

Lt COLONEL JOHN HENRY BRIDCUTT 2/ROYAL IRISH RIFLES Our first research record found John Bridcutt in July 1916 as Captain Adjudant of the 7th (Service) Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. In the Commanding Officer's battle report dated 2nd July 1916 he mentions Captain Bridcutt during the Battalion action on the First Day of the Somme: "This officer was my right hand man previous to and during the assault. He took five German prisoners single handed - organized and led two bombing parties against Montauban Avenue. He was tireless in seeing to the organisation of the strong points and arranging for the comfort of the men." The London Gazette on 4th June 1917, lists the award of the DSO Captain (temp. Major) John Henry Bridcutt, Royal Irish Rifles. In October 1918, John Bridcutt, now Lt Colonel and officer commanding 2nd Royal Irish Rifles was killed during operations at Ypres astride the Menin Road. In an attack launched at 06.15hrs on 10th October 1918 he was killed whilst trying to reorganise the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles following an attack in heavy mist that had lost direction. The History of the 36th (Ulster) Division refers to him as Lt Col Bridcott.

Rob Lovesey writes on Flickr: "The village of Dadizeele (now Dadizele) was in German hands for much of the First World War until reached by the 36th (Ulster) Division, and taken by the 9th (Scottish) Division, on 29 September 1918. Severe fighting followed on 1 October, at Hill 41, a little south of the village. Dadizeele New British Cemetery is in fact an extension of the communal cemetery. It was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from other burial grounds and from the battlefields of 1918, although there are a few 1914 graves in Plot VI, Row D. The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.

Lt Col John Henry Bridcutt - 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles was born in 1874 in Benson Oxfordshire; he enlisted at the age of 19 1st Bn Coldstream Guards and served with distinction during the Boer War where he was mentioned twice in Dispatches. In 1902 he returned to Britain married and was promoted to Garrison Sergeant Major London District.

In March 1914 he was Commissioned and again served his new Regiment 7th Bedfordshire Regiment with distinction. Capt Bridcutt acting as Adjutant to this Regiment was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for the organisation and preparedness of the 7th Bedfords for 1st Jul 1916.

Bridcutt continue to serve with the Bedfords, receiving a Mention in Dispatches in Jun 1916 and twice during 1917. Now Second in Command of the Regiment, Bridcutt was rewarded by promotion to Lt Col on 8th Aug 1917 and given Command of the 2nd Bn Royal Irish Rifles.

At 1355hrs on 30th Sep, the 107th Brigade, to which the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles belonged, received orders to order up and attempt to seize Klythoek. It was found to be impossible to advance owing to the devastating German machine gun fire and there being no British Artillery available to target the German positions. This attack frittered out and the men sought cover wherever they could from both the enemy fire and the elements until dawn and a further assault.

The Bn attacked at dawn through heavy wet mist (01 Oct 1918); A and C companies passing through D and C Coys but was unable to make any advance on account of machine gun fire from CLARBOROUGH HOUSE and WHEATLEY CORNER. The front Companies swept by this devastating machine gun fire, they soon lost direction in the heavy mist. Lt Col Bridcutt attempted to reorganise them, like he had so many times before, but was killed 150 yds North of CARTON HOUSE. The attack petered out, with the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles suffering about 183 Casualties.

Lt Col Bridcutt held his Lt Col for less than 2 months and was killed a little over a month away from the Armistice. He was buried in Dadezeele New British Cemetery plot III.E.17"

War Diary for the 2nd Bn: The Royal Irish Rifles records for the 1st October, when West of TERHAND: "The Battalion attacked at dawn., "A" and "C" Companines passing through "D" and "B" Companies - but was unable to make any advance on account of Machine Gun Fire from CLARBROUGH HOUSE and WHEATLEY CORNER. Lieut-Colon J.H. BRIDCUTT, D.S.O. was Killed 150 yds North of CARLTON HOUSE. The Battalion was then taken over by Captain G.B.J. SMYTH and was relieved by the 1st Battn, The Royal Irish Rifles when it marched to TERHAND into Brigade Reserve where Major J.D. McCALLUM, D.S.O. (15th Royal Irish Rifles) took command. The Battalion suffered about 183 Casualties."

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Comrades No. 2740 E.C.London

Initiated
Passed
Raised
11th January 1906
9th February 1906
10th April 1906
 

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2019-10-04 14:28:56