Africa Star : Flying Officer H R Bartlett, RAAF

Africa Star. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

Flying Officer Hallett Robinson Bartlett was living in Australia when he enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in early 1941. He left Australia on 31 May arriving at his destination of Cairo, Egypt on 5 July. At the end of July Bartlett was posted to the 253rd Wing Headquarters (HQ), located at Ma'aten Bagush, as a cipher and security officer.

Bartlett's unit was disbanded late in 1941 and was reformed into the Advanced Air HQ. Some of its staff arrived in Tobruk on 11 December, soon after the siege had been lifted and a day after the airfield had become operational. In Tobruk Bartlett and his unit were warned of booby traps left behind the Germans. Anything from weapons to food had been used as a lure for unsuspecting Allied soldiers.

On the morning of 13 December 1941, Bartlett and a group of fellow airmen were looking for serviceable lorries. Bartlett had secured two vehicles and was about 15 kilometres outside of the perimeter of Tobruk. His party had stopped to inspect another lorry when one of the airmen noticed a German machine gun. Before Bartlett could warn the man not to pick it up there was an explosion which injured a number of men, including Bartlett, who was left unconscious.

After coming to he noticed that the lorry they had been riding in had been shot up by the Germans. After having has wounds dressed in the field by the Germans Bartlett was taken to a German field hospital where he was treated for over 20 wounds he received. By 1600 on 13 December he had been transferred back to the British forces by his captors. He was taken to the 62nd General Hospital in Tobruk, then evacuated to Alexandria on the hospital ship 'Somersetshire' on 16 December 1941.

Bartlett spent time in the 19th General Hospital and then was moved to the 15th Scottish Hospital on 7 March 1942. A medical board on 20 March recommended six months light duties and on 6 May he was repatriated to Australia.

In September 1942 Bartlett was transferred to the RAAF early September. For eighteen months he was in and out of hospital as his wounds would not heal properly. Bartlett was restricted to light duties and was eventually discharged in February 1945.