CSM
Robert Barr
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1886 |
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Place of birth: Ballydown, Banbridge, County Down, Ireland, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Reilly Street, Banbridge, County Down, Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Profession: French Polisher |
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Religion: Church of Ireland |
Army information
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Country: Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Company Serjeant Major |
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Service number: 26 |
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Enlistment place: Banbridge, County Down, Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Irish Rifles, 13th Bn. (1st County Down) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 16/08/1917 |
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Place of death: Somme - Wiesengut, Saint-Julien, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 31 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XXX Row: C Grave: 11 |
Distinctions and medals 3
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British War Medal Medal |
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Distinguished Conduct Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Robert Barr was born in Ballydown, just outside Banbridge, County Down, in Northern Ireland. In 1911, Robert lived in Banbridge with his wife Sarah and their two daughters. He worked as a French polisher – a craftsman specialised in the high-gloss finishing of wooden furniture. Drawn into the turmoil of the war, he was eventually assigned to the 13th Battalion (1st County Down), Royal Irish Rifles, part of the 108th Brigade within the 36th (Ulster) Division.
On 16 August 1917, the division took up positions just south of the village of Sint-Juliaan. The 108th Brigade advanced on the right, alongside the 109th Brigade on the left. The 16th (Irish) Division was positioned to their right. The 13th Royal Irish Rifles and the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers led the attack, with the 12th in support and the 11th in reserve.
At 4:45 a.m., the assault began behind a creeping barrage. But the boggy terrain made progress difficult. Waterlogged craters and flooded trenches turned the battlefield into a quagmire. The leading troops came under intense machine-gun and rifle fire from German bunkers at Somme Farm. Although they managed to pass it, they could not hold it, forcing the companies to dig in nearby.
Support troops and reserves were sent forward but were heavily pinned down by fire from Gallipoli, Hindu Cottage, and Aisne Farm on the right, and Pond Farm and Hindu Cottage on the left. Within an hour, the battalion had to withdraw. A second assault, supported by headquarters personnel, was also repelled by fierce crossfire. Disorganized and depleted, the brigade fell back to its original positions. Officers regrouped the remaining men and worked to stabilize the line. The next day, the 108th Brigade was relieved.
The attack was a complete failure. The two Irish divisions gained almost no ground. No further assaults were attempted that day.
Company Serjeant Major Robert Barr, aged 31, recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, was killed in action on 16 August 1917. He was initially buried near Somme Farm. After the war, he was reinterred at Tyne Cot Cemetery: Plot XXX, Row C, Grave 11.
On 16 August 1917, the division took up positions just south of the village of Sint-Juliaan. The 108th Brigade advanced on the right, alongside the 109th Brigade on the left. The 16th (Irish) Division was positioned to their right. The 13th Royal Irish Rifles and the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers led the attack, with the 12th in support and the 11th in reserve.
At 4:45 a.m., the assault began behind a creeping barrage. But the boggy terrain made progress difficult. Waterlogged craters and flooded trenches turned the battlefield into a quagmire. The leading troops came under intense machine-gun and rifle fire from German bunkers at Somme Farm. Although they managed to pass it, they could not hold it, forcing the companies to dig in nearby.
Support troops and reserves were sent forward but were heavily pinned down by fire from Gallipoli, Hindu Cottage, and Aisne Farm on the right, and Pond Farm and Hindu Cottage on the left. Within an hour, the battalion had to withdraw. A second assault, supported by headquarters personnel, was also repelled by fierce crossfire. Disorganized and depleted, the brigade fell back to its original positions. Officers regrouped the remaining men and worked to stabilize the line. The next day, the 108th Brigade was relieved.
The attack was a complete failure. The two Irish divisions gained almost no ground. No further assaults were attempted that day.
Company Serjeant Major Robert Barr, aged 31, recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, was killed in action on 16 August 1917. He was initially buried near Somme Farm. After the war, he was reinterred at Tyne Cot Cemetery: Plot XXX, Row C, Grave 11.
Sources 3
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13 Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2506/3). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census of Ireland 1901/1911 (The National Archives of Ireland, Dublin (NAI)). https://www.nationalarchives.ie/ Sources used |
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McCarthy Chris., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account (London, Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018) 52-55. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461841 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=d5c5bb3d-0e01-42a7-a729-89517f3220ed |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/211063 |