Pte 21975 Harold Barker

• Age: 26
• From: Formby
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Harold Barker was born in Formby in 1889, the son of Samuel Barker and his wife Martha Jane (nee Hughes). His father was from Bradford in Yorkshire, and his mother was born in Liverpool. They married on the 01st May 1877 at St Mary's Church, Walton and had four surviving children; Harold was the youngest, he had a sister Hannah Florence, born in 1877, and brothers Joseph Edward 1880, and Albert 1884.

At the time of the 1891 census the family is living in Elson Road, Formby.  His parents are both 36, his father living on his own means.  Joseph is 11, Albert 6, and Harold 1 year old. His sister Florence is with relatives in West Kirby, Cheshire.

The 1901 census finds Albert, 16, and Harold, 11, in Grange, West Kirby, pupils at Calday Hill Grammar School (however, Harold's name is not on the school memorial).

His father is still at “Silverdale”, Elson Road with Florence, 23, and Joseph, 21, an apprentice fitter.  They have visitors, Wilson and Maria Fortune from Bradford. His mother is visiting the Vestey family in Hertfordshire.

Harold married Dorothy Ellsum at Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire on 29th August 1910 no occupation stated.  He and his wife had three children, Thomas Duncan Norman (b 1911), Freda Daphne (b1914) and Ronald (b 1915).   

In 1911 Harold and Dorothy are at 8 Elson Road, living with his father Samuel, 56, a builder/employer, and his brother Joseph, 31, a mechanical engineer.  Harold is 21, a joiner in the building trade.  Dorothy, born in Lincolnshire, is 20.  His mother is not in the household.  His brother Albert, newly married, is visiting his in-laws, the Lavender family in Duke Street, Southport.  

He enlisted in Southport on 25th August 1914 as Private 10090, Western Cavalry. He gives his age as 25 years and 60 days, and his occupation as joiner.  He is described as being 5’ 5 and a half inches tall, and weighing 130 lbs, with a light complexion, blue eyes, and fair hair.  He  gives his religion as C of E and as next of kin his wife Dorothy at 8 Elson Road.

He was posted to 2nd Reserve Cavalry on 03rd September 1914.

On 05th November 1914 he put in a request to transfer to the 1st King’s Liverpool Regiment “to serve with older brother”, but was instead transferred to the 17th Bn. K.L.R. on 20th November 1914 as Private 21975.

His service record shows his character as Unsatisfactory, with multiple disciplinary infractions whilst training -

26/06/1915 3 days Confined to Barracks for absence from midnight until 9 a.m.

03/07/1915 3 days C.B. absent from midnight to midnight

05/07/1915 4 days Field Punishment No.2 for breaking out of barracks whilst a defaulter and remaining absent 2 days

16/08/1915 10 days C.B. absent without leave for two days until apprehended by Civil Police at Southport

21/08/1915 10 days F.P. No.2 for breaking out of barracks whilst a defaulter and remaining absent 8 hours, returning to barracks drunk

On 23rd August 1915 he received 10 days Field Punishment No.2 for absence and missing draft to Grantham.

He was posted to the 17th Bn K.L.R. and joined his battalion at Grantham on 03rd September, moving to Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain two days later, on the 5th.  At the end of September Dorothy provided her husband’s address: C Company, 12th Platoon, 17th Bn, No.8 Camp, Lark Hill, Salisbury Plain.

Two further disciplinary infractions (unfortunately illegible) were recorded whilst at Larkhill, on 19/10/1915 and 23/10/1915.

Harold did not ship to France with his battalion on 7th November 1915 but was returned to Knowsley, posted to the 21st (Reserve) Bn., incurring further punishments - 

05/12/1915 2 days C.B. breaking out of barracks when on fatigue

28/12/1915 2 days C.B. absent 6 hours 

01/01/1916 3  days C.B. absent one day

16/02/1916 2 days C.B. for 2 days’ absence 

27/02/1916 10 days C.B for one day’s absence and missing fatigue

12/03/1916 3 days C.B. improper conduct and absence from barrack room fatigue

On 4th April 1916 he was attached to Messrs. Fleming & Ferguson Ltd. (shipbuilders), in Paisley, Scotland, to work on a minesweeper commissioned by the Admiralty.  

The great recruitment of men in 1914 led to lack of manpower in crucial industries, contributing to the shell crisis and other shortages.  It was not uncommon for men possessing suitable trades to be seconded to industry to maintain war production.  It is probable that Harold’s joinery skills were needed in the shipyard.

He started work at Phoenix Works on the minesweeper Lingfield on 5th April, his home address c/o Du(nlop?), 1 Caledonia Place, Paisley. 

He was dismissed on 09th May, as work on the mine sweeper was nearly finished, and on 11th May 1916 was instructed to rejoin his unit at Raven Meols Camp in Formby.

Again, whilst in Formby, on 25/05/1916 he was awarded 7 days’ C.B. for one day’s absence.

On 31st May 1916 he was posted to the 4th K.L.R. (B.E.F.) and embarked at Southampton.  The next day he was admitted to No.2 General Hospital at Le Havre with hammer toes.  He was sent to Convalescent Camp on 19th June and to 24 Infantry Base Depot at Etaples on 18th July 1916. 

He was posted to the 20th Bn K.L.R. on 2nd August 1916 and joined his unit in the field  on 4th August.

Harold was killed in action on the 12th October 1916, aged 21, during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

According to the 20^th Bn War Diary, on 10th October 1916 the battalion marched from Dernancourt via Mametz to Bazentin Le Grand where it bivouacked for the night. The next day the battalion moved up to site for assembly trenches, arriving about 11 p.m., where it dug in two good trenches, Nos.1 and 2 Coys front and Nos.3 and 4 Coys in rear.

From the War Diary:

Near Eaucourt L’Abbaye.  12/10/1916. The 4^th British and 6^th French armies continued the attack. Zero 2.5 p.m.  The whole XVth Corps attacked […]  The attack of 89^th Inf Bde was carried out with 2^nd Bn Bedf Regt on right, 17^th Bn KLR on left, 20^th Bn KLR in support, 19^th Bn KLR in reserve.  Battalions attacked in four waves. On the departure of the attacking battalions Nos. 1 and 2 companies advanced, each in two waves, to garrison the front line trench vacated by 2^nd Bn Bedf Regt on right and 17^th KLR on left. On Nos 1 and 2 Coys vacating front assembly trench, it was occupied by two platoons of Nos. 3 and 4 Coys respectively, from rear assembly trench. As the assaulting waves left their trenches they were met by intense machine gun fire, especially on our left. The enemy also opened heavy barrages on our front support and assembly trenches. […] Capt. H. Beckett, commanding No.1 company, reached the front line with few casualties, but Lieut R.D. Paterson leading No.2 company was killed. His company also had few casualties. The assaulting battalions were held up by very heavy machine gun fire, and made little progress.  […] At 4.20 p.m. two platoons, No.4 Coy, under Cpl Brighouse, were sent up to reinforce the left, and No.3 Coy under Cpl Sutton followed at 4.45 p.m.  Battalion HQ moved up to front line at 4.55 and remaining two platoons of No.4 Coy moved up to join Cpl Brighouse. 

Casualties during action: 

Officers – Killed Lieut. R.D. Paterson, 2^nd Lieut G.L. Grennan, Wounded – 2^nd Lieuts A.E. Griffin, L.E. Mclean Hayes, C. Buttemer, Wounded Cpl g. Brighouse.

Other Ranks killed – 20. 

His death was reported in the Southport Visiter dated 11th November 1916:

Pte Harold Barker of the King's L/Pool Regt, husband of Mrs Barker formerly of Pinfold Lane, Ainsdale, now of 3 Virginia St, Southport, has been reported killed in action. Joining the forces at the outbreak of war, he went to France in the early part of this year. He was 26 years of age and a joiner before enlisting. He joined the Queen's Bays first of all and was subsequently drafted to the K.L.R. 

It was also reported in the Liverpool Post & Mercury on 16th November 1916:

“Private Harold Barker (K.L.R.) Virginia Street, Southport, formerly of Pinfold Lane, Ainsdale, previously reported missing, now reported killed.”

Harold's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, France.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01^st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

Dorothy requested details of Harold’s death, writing to the Pension Office in  December 1916, “I have heard from a fellow out of the same reg’t, he was killed at Billon Wood north of Bray.”

In February 1917 Messrs. Pearce, Jones & Co., Solicitors, 32 John Street, Bedford Row, London wrote on Dorothy’s behalf to the O/C 20th Bn. K.L.R.:  “May we ask if it is possible to obtain any information from the officers or men in his Platoon respecting Harold Barker No.21975 No.3 Company 9th Platoon who was reported missing in (October last?).  It is of vital interest to his wife and children and also other persons to prove whether he is alive or dead and we thought it probable that some information ought be obtained from the other men of his platoon as to his fate.”

A note in his record states that details regarding his death were not available. 

Harold is also commemorated on the Formby Civic Memorial, Southport Civic Memorial and Holy Trinity C. of E. Church, Formby.

Sadly, Harold's death was not the only grievous loss that the family endured as his brother Joseph Edward Barker died in India in 1918 whilst serving with the 1st Garrison Battalion of the Manchester Regiment. Joseph was formerly Private 15867 of the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment (see his own biography on this site), he died (likely from disease) on 04th July 1918 in Fyzabad aged 38. He is commemorated on the Delhi Memorial (India Gate), India

Joseph is commemorated on the Formby Civic Memorial, and at Holy Trinity C. of E. Church, Formby.

His mother died, aged 65, in Waterloo on the 13th June 1920.  

In 1920 Dorothy provided information on Harold’s living relatives:  She and the children were living at Moss Nook, Burscough Bridge;  His brother Albert was living at home with his parents at 8 Elson Road, Formby;  Florence was married and living in Scotland, address unknown (it appears she had emigrated to Canada).

Dorothy received Harold’s Army pay and a War Gratuity of £9.  She was awarded a pension of £1-6s-3d a week for herself and three children from May 1917 (living at the time at 20 Stanley Street, Southport).

Dorothy had a daughter Desna Simpson Barker in 1918, and remarried to Thomas Bridge in 1924. 

His father died, aged 74, in Birkdale on the 31st January 1929 

In 1939 Dorothy is living at 28 Moss Lane, Ormskirk, with her husband and their three children.  Living with them is son Ronald, 24, a dealer in eggs and agricultural products.   Eldest son Thomas is married and living in Southport, working as a bricklayer.  Daughter Freda is married and living in Ormskirk. 

Dorothy died in 1972 aged 81.

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