Pte
Harry Barber
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1879 |
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Place of birth: Horningsham, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Midhurst, Chichester, Sussex, England, United Kingdom |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Verenigd Koninkrijk |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: G/50456 |
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Enlistment place: Chichester, Sussex, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Middlesex Regiment, 1st Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 24/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Glencorse Wood, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 38 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XLIV Row: B Grave: 14 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Harry Barber was born in 1879 in Horningsham, Wiltshire, United Kingdom. He was the son of Hannah and Joseph Barber. On 27 February 1907, he married Jeannie Purves. Before the war, he worked in Cowdray Park, Sussex, as a servant. During the First World War, he enlisted in Chichester, Sussex, and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own).
In September 1917, the men of the 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment were in the region around Ypres. The Battle of Passchendaele had been ongoing for over a month. On 26 September, the battalion was set to take part in the Battle of Polygon Wood, which was part of the Battle of Passchendaele.
On 24 September, around 6:30 pm, the battalion left Railway Dugouts near Zillebeke Lake towards the front line, running from the Reutelbeek to the southern corner of Polygon Wood. There, they were to relieve the men of the 8th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment. The front line consisted mainly of short sections of trenches dug between shell craters. In the early evening, German shelling was light, but its intensity increased as the evening progressed. The relief was slow due to the difficult terrain and the fact that guides to the front line went the wrong way. Around 11:40 pm, D Company reported that their relief had been successful. Finally, by around 4:30 am the next morning, all companies were in position. During the relief, a shell landed among the men of B Company, resulting in one dead and ten wounded.
Harry Barber died on 24 September 1917 at the age of 38 near Glencorse Wood. He was reburied after the war at Tyne Cot Cemetery, plot XLIV, row B, grave 14.
In September 1917, the men of the 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment were in the region around Ypres. The Battle of Passchendaele had been ongoing for over a month. On 26 September, the battalion was set to take part in the Battle of Polygon Wood, which was part of the Battle of Passchendaele.
On 24 September, around 6:30 pm, the battalion left Railway Dugouts near Zillebeke Lake towards the front line, running from the Reutelbeek to the southern corner of Polygon Wood. There, they were to relieve the men of the 8th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment. The front line consisted mainly of short sections of trenches dug between shell craters. In the early evening, German shelling was light, but its intensity increased as the evening progressed. The relief was slow due to the difficult terrain and the fact that guides to the front line went the wrong way. Around 11:40 pm, D Company reported that their relief had been successful. Finally, by around 4:30 am the next morning, all companies were in position. During the relief, a shell landed among the men of B Company, resulting in one dead and ten wounded.
Harry Barber died on 24 September 1917 at the age of 38 near Glencorse Wood. He was reburied after the war at Tyne Cot Cemetery, plot XLIV, row B, grave 14.
Sources 6
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1 Battalion Middlesex Regiment war diary (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2426/1). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG11). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). http://Ancestry.com Sources used |
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Essex, England, Church of England Marriages, 1754-1937. (D/P 15/1/7) http://essexarchivesonline.co.uk Sources used |
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UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919, His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO), 1921. http://Ancestry.com Sources used |
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Wiltshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1922 http://ancestry.com Sources used |
More information 2
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461817 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/174220 |