Name
Frederick Alan Barrett
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/04/1916
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Cheshire Regiment
8th Bn., attached to the 9th Bn. Leicestershire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BASRA MEMORIAL
Panel 14 and 62.
Iraq
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Sawbridgeworth Town Memorial, Great St Mary’s Church Memorial, Sawbridgeworth
Pre War
Frederick was born on the 9th October 1893, in Bexley, Kent. the son of Arthur P and Catherine M Barrett. He was Baptised on the 12th November 1893, at the Church of St John The Evangelist, Bexley, Kent.
The 1901 census recorded Frederick as 7, living with his parents, brother, Arthur, and 2 sisters, at 2, Park Hill, Village, Bexley, Kent. By the 1911 census Frederick, then aged 17, was using his middle name Alan, living with his parents, brother and 2 sisters at The Drive, London Road, Sawbridgeworth, Herts. His Occupation is given as an insurance agent.
Wartime Service
The records are somewhat contradictory, but Frederick Barrett (or much more likely, someone with the same name) may have served initially in France as a Corporal with the 19th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). Service No PS/49. This man served in France from 14th November 1915 to 20th March 1916, with the rank of Corporal.
'Our' man was definitely commissioned into the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment( 27 January 1915), but was attached to the 9th Battalion Cheshire Regiment.
In 1915, the 9th Battalion Cheshire Regiment was at Gallipoli, and Frederick Barrett must have been with them. On 12 February 1916, the Battalion arrived at Basra in Mesopotamia (Iraq) as a part of the Tigris Corps. They were fighting the Ottoman Turkish army there in an attempt to relieve the British forces besieged at Kut al Amara. Despite numerous clashes, including the Battle of Wadi, the Tigris Corps could not break through and Kut al Amara surrendered at the end of April 1916.
The Battalion war diary for the 19th (City of London Regiment) Royal Fusiliers, for the 20th March 1916 reads: “The 3rd batch of 50 men left for Cadet training at No4 Cadet Battalion, 9 Alfred Street, Oxford. They were all Corporals.” Frederick was Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on the 6th July 1916 His Medal Card reads: “2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment attached to the 9th Battalion Cheshire Regiment. Rank 2nd Lieutenant”. This is different to the CWGC record. Frederick died in Mesopotamia and he is Commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq.
Additional Information
His Brother Arthur was Killed in Action on the 1st October 1917 and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Stuart Osborne, Douglas Coe
