Name
Willliam Henry Barrett
23 Dec 1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/10/1918
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
45935
Durham Light Infantry
13th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BEAUREVOIR BRITISH CEMETERY
D. 23.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Tring memorials, Not on the Aston Abbots memorial, Not on the Aylesbury memorial
Pre War
William Henry Barrett was born in Aston Abbots, Bucks on 23 Dec 1892 (baptised on 12 Feb 1893 in Aston Abbots) to John Barret, farm labourer, and Louisa (nee Blencowe).
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, Aston Abbots, Bucks.
William’s father died in 1895.
On the 1901 Census the family of widowed mother Louisa, Emily, (monitress elementary school), Nellie, Margaret, Lily M, William H and George (born 1896) were living at Royal Oak Yard, Aston Abbots.
William’s mother married William Russell in 1907 and on the 1911 Census they were living in Aston Abbots with the Barrett siblings: Nellie, George Barrett, William H and visitor George T Cross (born 1857)
Wartime Service
William enlisted on 1 Feb 1915 for Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment) (“Green Howards”) as Private 20266, giving his address as Nunthorpe, Yorkshire and occupation farm worker. He was trained at Richmond and posted to 3 Battalion on 1 May 15.
William went to France to join 10th (Service) Battalion in Oct 1915. The Battalion were part of 62 Brigade, 21 Division and took part in the Battle of Loos (25 Sep- Oct 1915) and in 1916 the Battles of the Somme (Albert 1- 13 Jul), (Bazentin 14-17 Jul). William was wounded to lower jaw on 12 Jul 1916, he was treated at 65 Field Ambulance on 13 Jul and 45 Casualty Clearing Station on 14 Jul returning to Infantry Base Depot on 19 Jul. He was attached to 13th (Service) Battalion ,Durham Light Infantry on 20 Jul and was transferred to that Battalion on 13 Sep 1916. That Battalion were part of 68 Brigade, 23 Division and took part in Battles of the Somme in Late 1916, and switching to the Ypres Sector Battles of 3rd Ypres (Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Passchendaele,) before being transferred to the Italian Front in Dec 1917. They returned to France to be part of 74 Brigade 25 Division and took part in fighting at Beaurevoir (3-7 Oct 1918). It was in this last action the William was killed on 8 Oct 1918.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £21 10s and arrears of 25 16s 7d was paid to his mother.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
