Medal & Mortality index
The Military Cross was instituted as a Decoration on December 28th, 1914, to
reward Distinguished Services rendered by Officers of certain ranks in the army
in time of war. Bars may be added for additional acts of gallantry. Since August
1st, 1918, it has, like the D.S.O., been awarded for "services in action" only.
Garratt, Lieut. O. D. M.C
Since the 1st July the Battalion had received some very valuable reinforcements
of officers which repaired the deficiencies caused by the battle, as follows :
On 6th August— 2/Lieut. O. D. Garratt, from the Reserve Battalion.
Battle of Ginchy, 5th~10th September
During the night the enemy's bombardment of the front Hne and Wedge Wood Valley
increased in intensity and two platoons of the l/4th Londons, under Lieuts.
Oldrey and Garratt, were ordered forward to reinforce the Scottish in Leuze
Wood. This advance was successfully accomplished, the platoons managing to get
through an unpleasantly heavy barrage with only one casualty. No enemy attack
materialised, and towards dawn, the hostile bombardment having subsided, the two
platoons rejoined the Battalion.
In the meantime the right platoon of B Company under 2/Lieut. Garratt, which, in
keeping touch with the Queen Victorias, had got ahead of the rest of the
Battalion, had evidently become deflected slightly to the right during its
advance and had dropped into the communication trench connecting Leuze Wood with
Bully Trench. Apparently somewhat confusing his direction in the total absence
of landmarks, Garratt moved along this trench and turned the corner to the left
along Bully Trench. Here he came in contact with a Bosche bombing party, and
attacking them vigorously pushed them back for some considerable distance, and
eventually constructed a temporary block in the trench, probably about the
centre of the Battalion's sector, i.e. about 200 yards short of the
Quadrilateral. In this bomb fighting the men of B Company displayed great
courage and dash, and their accurate throwing contributed largely to their
success. Among these gallant men Corpl. Udall was conspicuous, and for his
devotion to duty he was awarded the Military Medal.
During the advance of the assaulting companies of the Battalion from Bully
Trench to the advanced position in Beef, a somewhat determined attack was
delivered against B Company's block by a large party of the enemy led by an
officer. Fortunately the shallowness of the trench exposed the enemy's advance
and after a brisk exchange of bombs, in the course of which some loss was
inflicted on the attacking party, including the officer who was shot by Garratt,
the survivors surrendered with the exception of a few who fled pursued by the
fire of our men and the Rangers. Garratt was subsequently awarded the Military
Cross for his good work.
On the Battalion's left the Rangers, whose line of advance was dominated by the
Quadrilateral and a small spur running from it in a south-westerly direction,
had been faced with a withering machine-gun fire under which advance was utterly
impossible. Their left company was unable to make progress, and by 8.30 p.m. was
compelled to withdraw to its assembly positions in conjunction with the right
Brigade of the 16th Division who had also been unable to overcome the German
resistance. The right company of the Rangers pushed gallantly forward losing
heavily, but was finally brought to a stand in the vicinity of the temporary
block which was being held in Bully by Garratt. Here they were forced to take
such cover as shell craters afforded them, and to reply to the Bosche fire, in
which they were assisted by the party of B Company at the block. Under the
gathering darkness a good many of the Rangers were able to make their way into
Bully trench.
Darkness had now fallen, and the position of the companies in the advanced
trench was far from happy. Both flanks were in the air and heavy losses had been
suffered ; of the officers who had started with these companies, only four —
Cooper, McCormick, Quennell and Burford — were still standing. News from Garratt
showed that he was doubtful as to whether he could hold out against another
attack.
##
One or two changes occurred during this period among the officers of the
BattaHon, of which the most important was the assumption of the Adjutancy by
Lieut. W. J. Boutall on the evacuation to hospital of Capt. R. L. Herring, who
had occupied this trying position practically since the Battalion joined the
56th Division. 2/Lieut. Garratt assumed the duties of Assistant Adjutant almost
immediately afterwards. Capt. J. T. Sykes left the Battalion for attachment to
the Indian Army, and the signalling officer, Lieut. E. W. Monk, to join the
R.A.F. The latter's duties were taken over by 2/Lieut. S. J. Barkworth, M.M. In
addition to these 2/Lieut, A. C. Knight was evacuated to hospital.
The decorations awarded for services rendered between the 1st July and the 7th
October were :
M.C.— 2/Lieut. O. D. Garratt,
At St Vaast and Citerne the Battalion was joined by Capt. F. C. Grimwade, who
assumed the duties of second in command with the acting rank of Major, 2/Lieuts.
C. E. V. Richardson and P. Pyne. Capt. L. G. Rix also returned to the Battalion
from Brigade Transport Officer, and 2/Lieut. O. D. Garratt was appointed
Assistant Adjutant.
The Battalion remained in Arras until the 2nd May when, warning being received
that " zero " for the attack was fixed for 3.45 a.m., the following day it moved
at 4 p.m. to assembly in The Harp. In order to secure close co-operation between
the Brigades, 2/Lieut. O. D. Garratt was attached to the 169th Headquarters as
liaison officer.
THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI 1917 :
In the line the enemy's activity on the Battalion's front was slight and
confined to occasioned shelling and trench mortaring, of which tlie bulk
occurred at night. The sectors right and left of the Battalion came in for a
rather greater share of the enemy's hatred. The London Scottish on the right
were immediately opposed to a network of trenches sapped out from the Hindenburg
front line, known as the Queant Birdcage, and in this vicinity a certain degree
of bickering was always in progress, in the course of which IV Corps developed a
pleasing habit of discharging gas projectors — about 600 at a time — against the
Birdcage. The Bosche, however, did not retaliate. It should not, however, be
supposed that the Division had settled down for a prolonged rest in this quiet
sector. Day and night our excellent artillery were searching for — and finding —
the enemy's " weak spots," and up and down the sector No Man's Land was every
night the scene of very great patrolling activity. In this direction really
useful work was effected by the Battalion Scouts under Lieut. O. D. Garratt,
M.C., and Sergts. Housden and Hayes.
DEFENCE OF ARRAS, 1918 :
So far as the infantry in the line were concerned the period of suspense was
mainly characterised by very hard work on the defences and by particularly
active patrolling. Each front line post nightly pushed forward to the enemy wire
a listening patrol to give early warning of signs of the enemy's assembly for
attack. On the evening of the 12th March 2/Lieut. G. G. Lewis took a patrol into
the German trenches near Crucifix Corner, but found them unoccupied. The tour of
duty passed quietly, with the exception of a very severe bombardment with
mustard gas shells, which began at about 7 p.m. on the 15th March and continued
till about 8 a.m. the following morning. At the time this caused little damage,
but the heat of the sun later in the day accentuated the effects of the gas, and
Lieuts. A. Bath and O. D. Garratt, M.C., 2/Lieuts. G. W. Fisher, E. A. Ratcliffe
and 109 other ranks became casualties.
Military Cross
2/Lieut. O. D. Garratt ; London Gazette 4. 6.17
There are numerous mentions of O D Garratt in Army Lists, e.g. Major in the Pay
Corps in 1939 and 1945; and there is also a shipping passenger list from
Freetown to Plymouth in 1925 which lists an O D Garratt, Military aged 36;
putting his birth date as 1889.
The 1911 census places Oliver Douglas Garratt living in Leicester, an
Accountants Clerk with two brothers, and son of Edgar Charles Garratt &
Elizabeth.