Name
Maurice Barnes
1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/04/1917
34
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
14041
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Battalion
'D' Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 5
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
St Mary the Virgin Church Plaque, Clothall, Not on the Baldock memorials
Pre War
Maurice's birth was registered in 1890 (baptised 6 April 1890) in Clothall, Herts, the son of Arthur and Eliza Barnes, (nee Turner) and one of six children, although three had died in infancy, including his elder brother Arthur George (named after his father and paternal grandfather) who was baptised on 18 August 1887 at Weston.
His parents had married on 29 June 1886 at Clothall and on the 1891 Census the family were living at Hickman’s Hill, Clothall where his father was working as an agricultural labourer.
In 1891 the family were living at Hickman’s Hill, Clothall where they remained in all the census detailed below. Present were both parents: Arthur (38) and Eliza (36), with Arthur working as a farm labourer. The only child recorded was Morris (Maurice) at 1.
By 1901 Maurice an elder sibling, Ada (12) was recorded – she had been absent in 1891 as she had been living with an Aunt and Uncle in Weston, and Herbert, (born 1892)., and a new sibling was present Herbert (9). Arthur was now working as a cattleman on a farm.
By 1911 Arthur, now 58, was recorded as a stockman. The only children present were Maurice and Herbert – both farm labourers. The men in the family worked for Clothall Bury Farm and their weekly wage is recorded in the farm wages book, (kindly loaned from Simon Holtom) - the last entry for Maurice is 29 August 1914. The census recorded they had been married for 26 years with 6 children, of whom 3 had died. We believe one of those was named Arthur George who died in 1888.
On the 1911 census Maurice (aged 21) and Herbert (aged 19) were still at home and working as farm labourers like their father. The men in the family worked for Clothall Bury Farm and their weekly wage is recorded in the farm wages book. (Kindly loaned from Simon Holtom) The last entry for Maurice is 29 August 1914.
Wartime Service
Simon Holtom’s story (see link below) is that his mother remembers an ‘unusual (in those days) motor vehicle drove into the village and all the boys who were of the right age followed that soldier’s car into Weston to enlist’. Maurice enlisted in Weston as Private 14041 in the Bedfordshire Regiment and according to his medals entitlement card he went into the 1st Battalion. After training he went over to France on 12 May 1915.
The 1st Battalion war diary states:
In 1915 his battalion was heavily engaged during the Battle of Ypres 1915 (also known as the Second Battle of Ypres) in April and May, where they fought at Hill 60 during the initial capture and subsequent defence that saw them lose so heavily that they were effectively rebuilt twice during the fighting.
12 May 1915 - in dugouts near Hill 60. Bedfordshire Regt. moved to dugouts nearer the firing line. Lt. Colonel Griffith D.S.O. [Charles Richard GRIFFITH, CMG, DSO] took over temporary command of 15th Bde. Draft of 30 men arrived & posted to Companies. (This could be when Maurice arrived although normally date to France indicate Port landing).
5 Apr 1916 Lt. Rex [Ernest Alfred REX] & 3 O.R. wounded by one of our Rifle Grenades. Maurice received a wound to the thigh and was admitted to 14 Field Ambulance on 5 April 1916 with a wound to his right thigh and on the same day was transferred to 42 Casualty Clearing Station. At that time he was recorded as 27, had been enlisted for 1 year and 8 months and had served in the field for 11 months.
At some point he was transferred into D Company of the 4th Battalion to provide experience when they were deployed to the Front Line. His Service records have not survived which would have given more details. (60% of WW1 service records were lost in the enemy bombing in WW2.)
War diary extract of 4th Battalion:
22 Apr 1917 - front line facing Gavrelle, Battalion moved to front line and occupied assembly trenches in front of GAVRELLE 189th Brigade on our right 7/R.F. on our left. Objective of Battalion - right boundary main road through GAVRELLE to the far side of the village. Left boundary GAVRELLE-OPPY system of trenches 200 yards North of GAVRELLE.
23 Apr 1917 [The Battle of Arras - the Second Battle of the Scarpe] Attacked at 4.45 A.M. captured village & reached objective. Shelled very heavily during the day and counter-attacked in the afternoon. Casualties - Killed 2/Lt Mulligan [Sidney Gerald MULLIGAN], 2/Lt Muir [Horace Wellesly MUIR] Wounded Capt Berry [Douglas H. BERRY], 2/Lts Primrose-Wells [James Bowen PRIMROSE-WELLS], Bridges [William Robert BRIDGES], LEWIS, THOMAS, Hunt [Frank HUNT], Knapp [Erling KNAPP, DSO]. Capt. Mills [Stephen Douglas MILLS, MC], 2/Lt North [Henry James NORTH], Brodie [Henry Ross BRODIE], Fishwick [Henry Charles FISHWICK], Morrish [Cyril George MORRISH]. O.Rs. 260.
Maurice was one of the O.R. [other ranks] Casualties. He was posted missing and was sometime before his death was presumed. His family had contacted the British Red Cross & Order of St John Enquiry List on 20 July 1917, presumably inh the hope that he was a prisoner of war.
Eventually his death was presumed as to have been 23 April 1917. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £12 and pay owing of £6 2s 10d. She also received a pension of 5 shillings a week.
Brother to Herbert Henry Barnes who served with the Bedfordshire Regiment Reg. No. 4/6748 and survived the war.
N.B. Maurice's age at death is shown as 34 by CWGC which would suggest a birth date of c.1883, however investigation of the census, birth registration and baptismal records suggests a date of c.1890.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson, Simon Holtom
