2nd Lieut Aubrey Barnes

• Age: 20
• From: St Helens, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Friday 22nd March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

Aubrey Barnes was born in 1898 at the Union Head Public House Oldfield Street St. Helens Lancashire the son of Charles and Lucy Barnes (nee Dadge) who had married on the 19th May, 1888 at St Thomas, Eccleston.

The 1901 Census finds the family living at the Mill House Inn, Church Road, Rainford.

The father Charles aged 37 is a publican b.Knowsley, mother Lucy 40 b.Lathom, children Aubrey 3 b.Rainford and his siblings; Emma Dadge 20 b.St Helens, Berlin 12 b.Rainford, Colbert 9 b.Rainford, Horace 7 b.Rainford, Hilda 5 b.Rainford and George R. 1 b.Rainford.

By 1911 the family are still at the same address.

The father Charles now aged 47 is still employed as a publican, mother Lucy 50 (married 23 years 8 children), Aubrey is aged 13 at school, with his siblings; Colbert 19 a foundry pipe moulder, Horace 17 (crossed out), Hilda 15, George Reginald 11, and new additions William 9 b.Rainford and Gerald 7 b.Rainford.   

Prior to enlistment Aubrey was employed by Pilkingtons.

Aubrey enlisted in St Helens and was serving as Sergeant 1584 in the Royal Army Medical Corps when he received his commission. He was serving in the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as a Second-Lieutenant when he was killed in action on the 22nd March 1918 aged 20 during the German Spring Offensive. At the time of his death, the Battalion had been ordered to the defence of the area around Atilly, to try to counter the rapid German advance. At 6.30 am ’D’ Company was sent to help the 2/5th Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment to counter attack the Germans in the area of Holnon Wood, which it did successfully. Four hours later, the Battalion was ordered to move to a position know as Aviation Wood, to join the Headquarters of the 21st Brigade, but because of heavy shellfire, this move took four hours, and by the time the 17th Battalion had got there, the HQ and staff of the Brigade had gone. Then, as the Germans were making a strong attack at nearby Flesquires, the Battalion deployed around the wood. Eventually at 18.30 orders were received that all 30th Division troops had to withdraw to Ham, and the Battalion accordingly pulled back, reaching the town at around 21.30.

Second Lieutenant Barnes was killed during the course of the day, but probably because of the high level of military activity at the time, there is no mention of him personally in the Battalion War Diary. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

Soldiers Effects to father Charles but no pension record found

Aubrey is commemorated on the following memorials:

Rainford C of E School

All Saints Parish Church, Rainford

St Mark's War Memorial

Pilkingtons Roll of Honour

The Family Grave at St Helens Cemetery:-

In Loving Memory of

G.R.BARNES(REGGIE)

Who died Sept 24th 1916

Aged 16

Also

LIEUT A.BARNES K.L.R.

Who Was Killed In Action in France

22nd March 1918

Aged 20

Brother George Reginald died in 1916 but was not war related

The mother Lucy died aged 69 on 17th April, 1929 and the father Charles died in in 1945 aged 81.

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

Grateful thanks are extended to the St Helens Roll of Honour website for their kind permission to use the photograph of Aubrey.