Pte
Alexander Barter
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1901 |
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Place of birth: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada |
General information
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Last known residence: 265 Southside, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador |
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Profession: Clerk |
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Religion: Methodist |
Army information
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Country: Newfoundland and Labrador |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 4001 |
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Enlistment date: 19/10/1917 |
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Enlistment place: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada |
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Units: — Royal Newfoundland Regiment, 1st Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 29/19/1918 |
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Place of death: Damp Farm, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 17 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: LIX Row: C Grave: 6 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Alexander Barter was born around 1901 in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He was the only son of James and Leah Barter. He had one sister, but she passed away in 1916, making him an only child. Before his enlistment in October 1917, he had already made two unsuccessful attempts to join the army. On 19 October, however, he was accepted into the ranks of the 1st Battalion, Royal Newfoundland Regiment.
On 28 September 1918, at 1:30 a.m., the battalion assembled east of Ypres to attack the German lines at Bellewaerde, Westhoek Ridge, and Polygon Wood. This was part of the final offensive in Belgium. After an artillery bombardment by Belgian and British batteries, the soldiers left their trenches at 5:30 a.m. The Belgians launched their attack simultaneously on the right of the Newfoundlanders. Half of the Newfoundlanders who left their trenches that day had never fought at the front before.
By 12:00 p.m., the objectives were captured with relatively few casualties. By 4:00 p.m., the entirety of Polygon Wood was taken, and the Newfoundlanders established a defensive position on the eastern edge of the forest. By the evening, the front fell quiet.
The following day, 29 September, at 5:30 a.m., orders were issued to continue the advance, with the Belgians on the left and the 36th Division on the right. The Belgians were tasked with capturing the village of Moorslede, while the 36th Division was ordered to take the hamlet of Ter Hand. The Newfoundlanders focused on the Keiberg Ridge.
By 7:00 a.m., they assembled between the south of Zonnebeke and the eastern side of Polygon Wood. At 9:15 a.m., the attack resumed. The Broodseinde Ridge was quickly captured. B Company advanced northeast of the crossroads at Broodseinde towards Celtic Wood.
East of Celtic Wood, there was a German gun, supported by multiple machine guns, firing on both the Newfoundlanders and the Belgians. Half a platoon of B Company flanked the machine guns from the south and disabled them along with the gun. This action allowed the Belgians to advance further north along the Keiberg Ridge. By 6:30 p.m., the Newfoundlanders had crossed the Keiberg Ridge and set up an outpost line just east of Strooiboomhoek. Both Moorslede and Dadizele were captured.
Early the following morning, before dawn, the Newfoundlanders regrouped just east of the Keiberg Ridge.
The total casualties of the Newfoundlanders after two days of fighting were: 9 killed, 92 wounded, 5 missing, and 38 sick. The 17-year-old Alexander was among the 5 missing, later declared killed in action. He was reburied after the war at Tyne Cot Cemetery, plot LIX, row C, grave 6.
On 28 September 1918, at 1:30 a.m., the battalion assembled east of Ypres to attack the German lines at Bellewaerde, Westhoek Ridge, and Polygon Wood. This was part of the final offensive in Belgium. After an artillery bombardment by Belgian and British batteries, the soldiers left their trenches at 5:30 a.m. The Belgians launched their attack simultaneously on the right of the Newfoundlanders. Half of the Newfoundlanders who left their trenches that day had never fought at the front before.
By 12:00 p.m., the objectives were captured with relatively few casualties. By 4:00 p.m., the entirety of Polygon Wood was taken, and the Newfoundlanders established a defensive position on the eastern edge of the forest. By the evening, the front fell quiet.
The following day, 29 September, at 5:30 a.m., orders were issued to continue the advance, with the Belgians on the left and the 36th Division on the right. The Belgians were tasked with capturing the village of Moorslede, while the 36th Division was ordered to take the hamlet of Ter Hand. The Newfoundlanders focused on the Keiberg Ridge.
By 7:00 a.m., they assembled between the south of Zonnebeke and the eastern side of Polygon Wood. At 9:15 a.m., the attack resumed. The Broodseinde Ridge was quickly captured. B Company advanced northeast of the crossroads at Broodseinde towards Celtic Wood.
East of Celtic Wood, there was a German gun, supported by multiple machine guns, firing on both the Newfoundlanders and the Belgians. Half a platoon of B Company flanked the machine guns from the south and disabled them along with the gun. This action allowed the Belgians to advance further north along the Keiberg Ridge. By 6:30 p.m., the Newfoundlanders had crossed the Keiberg Ridge and set up an outpost line just east of Strooiboomhoek. Both Moorslede and Dadizele were captured.
Early the following morning, before dawn, the Newfoundlanders regrouped just east of the Keiberg Ridge.
The total casualties of the Newfoundlanders after two days of fighting were: 9 killed, 92 wounded, 5 missing, and 38 sick. The 17-year-old Alexander was among the 5 missing, later declared killed in action. He was reburied after the war at Tyne Cot Cemetery, plot LIX, row C, grave 6.
Sources 3
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1 Battalion Royal Newfoundland Regiment war diary (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/1775/6). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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Newfoundland, Canada, Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1850-1949, Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador, Provincial Archives (Newfoundland & Labrador), Newfoundland, Canada. http://ancestry.com Sources used |
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Personnel Records of the First World War (Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa (LAC), Royal Newfoundland Regiment and Forestry Corps, RG38-A-2-e, Finding Aid 38-27, Reel T-18486, Volume 671). https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/search.aspx 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/4001 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=b74fbea9-0208-4afa-a74e-87fde4d6b5cc |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/222135 |
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The Canadian Virtual War Memorial https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/461853?Alexander%20Barter |