Bernard Oliver Criddle

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

Somerset couple John Milton Leigh Criddle, a solicitor, and his wife Bessie (nee Skinner), married in Somerset in 1871 and then moved to live and work in Newcastle, where their children were born. Bertram Oliver was their fifth child, born on 19th October 1878 in Elswick, after Horace, Edith, Winnifred and Percy, and after him came young Sidney born in 1880.

Having been an apprentice on the Isle of Wight and worked as a commercial traveller, aged 21 Bertram enlisted with the Imperial Yeomanry on 1st January 1900 as Private 3148 in 14 Company and within four weeks was in South Africa, where he spent seven months fighting in the Second Boer War at Cape Colony and in the Orange Free State. He had signed up for one year only and was discharged at his own request on Christmas Eve.

By April 1901 Bertram was a farm pupil with the Hayman family in Milverton, Somerset, and having gained some farming experience a year later he emigrated to Canada, arriving in Nova Scotia on 18th April before travelling west to Broadview, Saskatchewan, where he applied for a Homestead Grant to start his own farm. In 1904 he married local girl Amy Nina Boultbee, originally from Cheshire, she had arrived in Canada with her family when she was just four years old in 1889, and they settled to farm life in Cotham. Their first child Cyril died in infancy in 1907, but he was followed by John, Lawrence and Kenneth William.

Leaving the farm in the capable hands of his wife and sons on 7th January 1916 Bert enlisted with the Broadview Detachment of the CEF becoming Private 1009387, but it was noted that he suffered from varicose veins, which would normally have precluded him from any overseas service. Posted to 229th (South Saskatchewan) Battalion in Moose Jaw in March 1916 he was then transferred the following month to 217th (Qu’Appelle) Battalion at Moosomin, where he was first promoted Sergeant and in July Company Quarter Master Sergeant.

Almost a year later he arrived in England with Saskatchewan Regiment Reinforcement Draft, arriving in Liverpool on 9th June 1917 and a posting to camp at Bramshott, Hampshire, where reverting to the rank of Private he was posted to the 19th Reserve Battalion. At his medical in July he was classified as B2, due varicose veins, this meant he was fit for permanent base duty only. Attached to 15th Reserve Battalion from October, in February 1918 he was posted to the Canadian Railway Troops depot at Purfleet and the following month proceeded to France to join 10CRT. Having arrived in France he was posted to the Base Depot, eventually ending up with a labour battalion, and then a month before the Armistice he was posted to the Canadian Army Service Corps and promoted to Corporal.

February 1919 saw Corporal Criddle return to England, where he was posted to the 12th Reserve Battalion, returning to Canada at the end of March for demobilisation in Regina, Saskatchewan on 10th April.

The 1921 Canadian census shows that Butch, as he was now known, had returned to his farm at Broadview and was living there with his wife Nina, sons John, Lawrence and Kenneth and one-year-old daughter Winnifred. He was to remain on the farm with his older sons until his death on 2nd May 1944. He is buried in Cotham Cemetery, Grayson, Saskatchewan.

Bertram Oliver Criddle is remembered in Newcastle upon Tyne on NUT159

He is listed in NUT236 for his service in South Africa.