Lt
Percy Louis Barber
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 03/04/1893 |
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Place of birth: Southport, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Picton, Ontario, Canada |
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Profession: Teacher |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Lieutenant |
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Service number: / |
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Enlistment date: 06/02/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Brockville, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 21st Bn. (Eastern Ontario) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 03/11/1917 |
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Place of death: Southwest of Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 24 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: I Row: C Grave: 28 |
Points of interest 5
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of wounding | ||
| #5 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Percy Louis Barber was born on April 3, 1893, in Southport, Lancashire, United Kingdom. He was the son of Reverend F. Louis Barber. Before the war, he moved to Canada with his father and settled in Picton, Ontario. There, he studied to become a teacher at the University of Toronto. After graduating, he taught at Hill Croft, Toronto, and Prince Edward County Schools. On February 6, 1916, he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Brockville. He was initially assigned to the 38th Battalion, then transferred to the 59th Battalion, and eventually to the 21st Battalion for active frontline service.
During the final phase of the Battle of Passchendaele, the Canadians were also thrown into the fight. On the night of November 2 to 3, it was the turn of the 21st Battalion to move to the frontline. They were to take positions northeast of Crest Farm and on the edge of Passchendaele. There, they relieved the 72nd Battalion Canadian Infantry and held the frontline for 48 hours.
Shortly after their arrival on the frontline on November 3, at 4:15 a.m., an officer patrol departed from the Zonneke-Passchendaele Road. They followed the road toward Passchendaele and observed German troop movements about 230 meters from their frontline. Fifty-five minutes later, German stormtroopers attacked the Canadian frontline. The Canadians were initially pushed back, but a counterattack ensured that the lost positions were regained. At around 5:40 a.m., another German counterattack was launched, which was repelled by rifle and machine gun fire. On the night of November 4 to 5, the 21st Battalion was withdrawn from the frontline.
During the 48 hours on the frontline, the battalion suffered 44 killed and 89 wounded. Lieutenant Percy Louis Barber was wounded at the age of 24 by a German sniper when returning from a patrol. He succumbed to his wounds and was buried at the forward aid post located in the Tyne Cot Bunker, which is now Tyne Cot Cemetery. There, he still rests in Plot 1, Row C, Grave 28.
During the final phase of the Battle of Passchendaele, the Canadians were also thrown into the fight. On the night of November 2 to 3, it was the turn of the 21st Battalion to move to the frontline. They were to take positions northeast of Crest Farm and on the edge of Passchendaele. There, they relieved the 72nd Battalion Canadian Infantry and held the frontline for 48 hours.
Shortly after their arrival on the frontline on November 3, at 4:15 a.m., an officer patrol departed from the Zonneke-Passchendaele Road. They followed the road toward Passchendaele and observed German troop movements about 230 meters from their frontline. Fifty-five minutes later, German stormtroopers attacked the Canadian frontline. The Canadians were initially pushed back, but a counterattack ensured that the lost positions were regained. At around 5:40 a.m., another German counterattack was launched, which was repelled by rifle and machine gun fire. On the night of November 4 to 5, the 21st Battalion was withdrawn from the frontline.
During the 48 hours on the frontline, the battalion suffered 44 killed and 89 wounded. Lieutenant Percy Louis Barber was wounded at the age of 24 by a German sniper when returning from a patrol. He succumbed to his wounds and was buried at the forward aid post located in the Tyne Cot Bunker, which is now Tyne Cot Cemetery. There, he still rests in Plot 1, Row C, Grave 28.
Sources 5
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Personnel Records of the First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC) RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 421 - 26). http://bac-lac.gc.ca Sources used |
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Personnel Records of the First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC) RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 421 - 26 Item Number: 24017). https://library-archives.canada.ca/ Sources used |
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War diaries - 2nd Canadian Division - General Staff (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (RG9-III-D-3, Volume number: 4846, Microfilm reel number: T-1928, File number: 112). http://bac-lac.gc.ca Sources used |
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War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Death (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG150, 1992-93/314; Volume number: 149). http://bac-lac.gc.ca Sources used |
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War Graves Registry: Commonwealth War Graves (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), RG150, 1992-1993/314, volume: 43). http://bac-lac.gc.ca Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461819 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=2ae97d20-a0dd-4e1e-ab59-47b3a78a0b78 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5558190 |
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The Canadian Virtual War Memorial https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/461819 |