The Old Wellingtonian Lodge is sad to announce the passing of our friend and brother Major (rtd) Robert Anthony Bartlett of the Middlesex Regt (later the Queen’s) yesterday, 7 June 2021.
Bob was a true gentleman, a friend renowned for his great humour, fine company and inimitable ritual style.
Born in 1940 He was in the Picton from the Michelmas Term of 1954. He overlapped with several of the current members of the Lodge – he was a year behind JRB and a few years ahead of Peter Gibbs and John Edwards.
He was a good athlete, representing College in the VIII from the First Block (the photograph below shows him in his first year in the College team) and was the Secretary in his last year. His 51.8 second 440 yards at Ifley Road was notable in 1958 as was his retention of the Faringdon Cup for College at the Berkshire Championships. He also matched the College record of 10.1 seconds over 100 yards.
Having also been Secretary of the Boys’ Games Committee, a Corporal in the Corps, as well as a Dormitory Prefect it is perhaps unsurprising that he left Wellington to go “over the hill” to Sandhurst in 1959 as part of the September ’59 Intake XXVII. He was one of fifteen OWs in that Intake and became JUO. In 1961 he was commissioned into the Middlesex Regiment, being promoted Lieutenant in 1963 and Captain in 1967 by which time the Regiment had become the Queen’s. He retired as a Major in 1992.
He joined to Lodge in 2006, being proposed by his great friend Chris Collins, and was installed as Master in 2012.
He shall be much missed.
Requiescite in pace
(Courtesy of Wellington College Archive)