Name
Bertram Barker
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/07/1916
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
14807
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 2C
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
He was born in Hitchin around 1888, the son of George and Charlotte Barker of 19, Cannon's Gardens, Hitchin
The census reveals the following:
In 1891 the family were living at 28 Hitchin Hill, George working as a plate layer on the railway. Their children were: Charlotte (16), Annie (11), George (9), Harry (6), Bertie (4) and Ernest (1).
In 1901 they had moved to 1 Blackhorse Lane, Hitchin, George senior was a railway labourer. Charlotte (junior) was missing from the list of children, but the rest previously listed were present. George (junior) working a bricklayer and Harry and Bert rose growers labourers.
Then in 1911, George and Charlotte were recorded as married for 40 years, had 12 children, but 4 had died. They were living at 19 Cannons Cottages, Cannons Gardens, Hitchin and the census listed their children present at this time as: Harry (25), Bert (23), Ernest (21). There were also 3 boarders. The eldest 3 brothers were all employed as rose gardeners.
Bertram lived and enlisted in Hitchin. He was in the army by the 19th September 1914.
Wartime Service
His Regimental Number was 14807 in the 1st Battalion of the Bedfordshires and Bertram arrived overseas on 9 April 1915. His medal card records that he was in the 2nd Battalion but as the CWGC records the 1st the following should be correct.
On the 26th July 1916 at 9.00pm orders were received to attack Longueval at dawn. Four miles had to be covered to the assembly position in the pitch dark with gas shells falling thickly. The assembly position was also being heavily shelled. The Bedfords moved to take the 2nd and 3rd objectives and found the trenches full of men from the Norfolks. The shellfire was extremely heavy and shelter almost impossible to find. Trench mortars, guns, ammunition and men were buried in the mass of exploding shells and debris. The remnants of two companies returned to the old German second line. There were several cases of men going temporarily mad. Longueval was reduced from a village to a smoking ruin in a few hours. The leapfrog system of advance with the Norfolks had created appalling congestion so that the follow-up troops were unable to find cover.
He has no known grave, but is remembered on Pier and Face 2C of the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing in France.
Additional Information
He was killed in action in France on the same day as Private B.D. Day. His brother George was also killed.
After his death his father received a war gratuity of £8 10s od.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
