Pte 17233 Thomas Barber

• Age: 28
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: II.D.30

Thomas Barber was born on 06th December 1887 at 27 Vaughan Street Toxteth to Liverpool born Dock Labourer Joseph Barber and his Liverpool born wife Ellen (nee Burke). They married in the June quarter of 1880 in Liverpool and had 2 sons and 6 daughters, Thomas was their fifth child. He was baptised on 09th December 1887 at St Patrick's R C Church Toxteth.  

On the 1891 Census it shows 4 year old Thomas and his parents Joseph aged 33, Margaret aged 32, and 5 siblings; Sarah 8, Elizabeth 7, Ellen 5, Bridget 3 and Mary Jane 3mths still at 27 Vaughan Street Toxteth. His younger sister Mary Jane who was born in January 1891 died later that year in the December quarter.  

His mother Ellen aged 33 died just after giving birth to another daughter Mary born in September 1892. 

The 1901 Census shows 14 year old (nephew) Thomas living with his mother's sister Bridget King at 257 Grafton Street Toxteth. Brother John aged 20 and a Dock Labourer, sisters Sarah 18 a laundress, Lizzie 17 a card box maker, Bridget 12 and Mary 8. 

1911 Census shows 24 year old Thomas as a time keeper for the Harrison Line living with his 2 sisters Sarah 28 a laundress, Mary 18, still all at Aunt Bridget's home at 257 Grafton Street Toxteth  

In 1914 his Father Joseph dies aged 54.

He enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17233 when he was killed in action on the 12th October 1916, aged 28, during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

17^th Bn War Diary:  Battle of Transloy Ridge –                                               

11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday.  Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.

12-10-16  - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak.  2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced.  Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful.  Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.

Casualties: 5 officers killed,  5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.

Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds:

“As the whistle blew, the 17^th Battalion left its trenches to move forward.  […]  As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire.  […]  Although their numbers had been depleted by the British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire.  As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.   The 17^th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets.  Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will.  It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners.  There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.”

Thomas now rests at Warlencourt British Cemetery, France.

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified.

Thomas is also commemorated on St Malachy’s R.C. Church, Toxteth.

We currently have no further information on Thomas Barber, if you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.