Name
William Barker
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/07/1920
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
M2/138995
Royal Army Service Corps
Mechanical Transport
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HITCHIN CEMETERY
SE. CL. XXVII. B.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Hitchin memorials
Pre War
He was born in Hitchin around 1897 and was the son of William and Emily Barker (nee Swain). They had married 12 March 1897 at St Jude’s Church, Peckham: Springhall Street, Southwark. Although they were born in Hitchin and Baldock respectively, the marriage register records them both as living bin Peckham.
By 1901 William (29) and Emily (26) were living at 5 St Andrew’s Place, Hitchin and William working as a railway engineer’s labourer and William (junior) had been born. Also present was another son Charlie (1).
In 1911 the family were living at 4 Telegraph Place, Hitchin. William (senior) now a railway labourer – brickwork. Another son had been born; Son Cyril Barker (8) and William junior at 14 seems to have also been working on the railway.
The census confirmed his parent had been married for 14 years, had 3 children all of whom were. Living.
Wartime Service
His Corps Number was M2/138995 and he was in the Motor Transport Section. As he was awarded both WW1 Service medals he would have either entered a theatre of war, or rendered approved service overseas between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918 However at the time of his death (20/7/1920) he may have been serving locally. He died of pulmonary phthisis and was buried in Hitchin Cemetery and the Grave reference given is SE.BCL.XXVll.
It should be noted that although Armistice Day was the 11th November 1918, the ‘Termination of the Present War (Definition) Act’ specified that the Great War would officially cease when the Order in Council declared that the war had ended. This was made declaring the 31st August 1921 to be that date. It was therefore decided that Commonwealth personnel who died within the period 4th August 1914 and 31st August 1921 would be classified as casualties of the 1914-1918 War.
Additional Information
CWGC suggest that his parents were living at 2 Telegraph Hill, Hitchin when he died, but that could be a typographical error as the early census and a pension card gives no. 4.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines, Jonty Wild
