Name
George Barker
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
24/04/1917
34
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
29236
Essex Regiment
13th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
AUBIGNY COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
II. D. 34.
France
Headstone Inscription
Shall we forget him, never. God bind our hearts together until we meet again
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
He was born first quarter of 1882 and baptised on May 18th, 1883, to George and Charlotte Barker.
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.
George was absent from the above census record. He married Elizabeth circa October 1906 and in the 1911 census they were living at 15 Sunnyside, Hitchin, with George working as a bricklayer. They had 3 children: Alfred George (b December 1904) and Bert (b April 1907). Later another son Ernest was born in May 1912.
Before joining up was employed by Mr G.W. Souster, the builder of Letchworth and officially recorded as born, living and enlisting in Hitchin.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in January 1916 and went to France in the following December. Initially he was in the Royal Engineers but was later moved to the 13th Battalion of the Essex Regiment and was allocated Regimental Number 29236. The Battalion was part of 6th Brigade of the 2nd Division of XIII Corps in the 1st Army. He fought on the Somme and at Ypres and was later wounded in Arras. Records state that he died at a base hospital in France, though it is more probable to have been at one of the four Casualty Clearing Stations in the Aubigny area at that time.
His injuries were probably sustained during the First Battle of the Scarpe or the attacks in the vicinity of Vimy Ridge between the 9th and 14th April 1917.
He is buried in Plot 2, Row D, Grave 34 in the Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension in France.
He left a widow and three children, the eldest being 12 and the youngest only five.
Additional Information
His pension records address was 15, Sunnyside, Hitchin and his wife received a grant of £3 (probably the war gratuity) paid 12 May 1917 and a pension of 26s 3s granted 30 October 1917. She ordered his headstone inscription, which reads: “SHALL WE FORGET HIM, NEVER GOD BIND OUR HEARTS TOGETHER UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN”
She remarried becoming Elizabeth Darton.
His brother Bert Barker was also killed.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
