Captain Geoffrey de Gruchy Barkas
1st Battalion, London Regiment
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Military
Cross
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1914-15
Star
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Geoffrey de Gruchy Barkas served throughout
much of the First World War, firstly during the Gallipoli
campaign in 1915, where his Battalion was in action
in the area around Suvla Bay, and later in France, where
his courage and leadership during later stages of the
Battle of the Somme were recognised through the award
of a Military Cross.
Channel Islands Great War Study Group
member Barrie Bertram has been in touch to say that
Geoffrey de Gruchy Barkas was born in Richmond upon
Thames, to Jersey-born parents, and that his family
would like to learn more about the Jersey descendants.
'Geoffrey's father was Albert Atkin Barkas
who was born on 21 August, 1861 at 27 Roseville Street,
St Helier, and he married Geoffrey's mother, Anna Julia
de Gruchy on 15 September, 1888,' said Mr Bertram.
'Anna, known as Nina, was born on 13 August
1863 at 42 Roseville Street, St Helier, and her parents
were Joshua de Gruchy born 1834 at Trinity, Jersey and
Jane Deslandes who was born in 1833 in St. Helier. 'Anna
had one sister and two brothers from that marriage,
Mary J de Gruchy born 1856, Joshua B de Gruchy born
1865 and Alfred N de Gruchy born 1866, all in St Helier.
Alfred, an Old Victorian, later became a doctor and
died of heart failure on Christmas Day, 1915, while
serving on the SS Intaba, a vessel that had been requisitioned
by the government as a troopship.'
With the end of the Great War, along with
several million others, Geoffrey was demobilised. He
embarked on a career in the British film-making industry
and went onto work alongside many of the British stars
in the next 15 or so years.
'Two films are worth mentioning,' said
Mr Bertram, 'the first being an adaption of Ernest Raymond's
book "Tell England", which Geoffrey co-directed
with Anthony Asquith. Recounting the story of young
men leaving public school and going straight into the
army with commissions, this film presented a highly
realistic and accurate view of the landings and subsequent
actions at Gallipoli and clearly drew upon his own experiences
there.
'The second film was "Wings Over
Everest", this time co-directed with Ivor Montague.
It was for this film that both directors were awarded
an Oscar in 1936.
'The Second World War found Geoffrey in
khaki once more, and in a role that would make use of
skills that he had acquired in the film industry,' continued
Mr Bertram.
'Now a Lieutenant Colonel, he played an
important part in the desert war in North Africa leading
British efforts in the use of camouflage to deceive
Rommel's intelligence during the retreat from Libya
to El Alamein.
'This deception enabled the British to
minimise their casualties, hide their weak spots, and
build-up their forces for their counter-attack during
the second battle of El Alamein.'
In his book 'From Aintree to Alamein'
Geoffrey told the story behind Churchill's words in
the House of Commons, when announcing the victory of
the Battle of Alamein, he said: 'By a marvellous system
of camouflage complete tactical surprise was achieved
in the desert'.
Mr Bertram added: 'Geoffrey's book presented
the Middle East campaigns of 1941-42 through his eyes
and those of his companions as it described how this
remarkable feat of deception was accomplished, covering
the exhilarating onrush to Benghazi with Wavell's Army,
Rommel's first break-through, the siege and relief of
Tobruk, the headlong retreat to Alamein and, finally,
Alamein itself. For his efforts he was made an OBE.'
Courtesy of the Jersey
Evening Post
19/03/2010