No.36318, Corporal, Harry BARBER
Aged 20
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Harry Barber was born in Chedburgh (Thingoe Q2-1897 4A:785), baptised in All Saints, Chedburgh on 27th June 1897, son of George and
Harriet BARBER (née HURRELL)
1901 census... Aged 3, he was at Kennett End, with his father George BARBER [32] a labourer born in Chedburgh; his mother Harriet [38] born in Wickhambrook; brother George,[14] a labourer born Wickhambrook, brother Arthur [12] a labourer born Wickhambrook, sister Eliza [10] born Chedburgh, brother Fred [7] born Chedburgh and sister Alice [2] born Chedburgh. 1911 census... Aged 17, a house boy-domestic, he was still at Kennett End with his parents, brother Fred (labourer) and sister Alice. His parents later moved to Barrow Green, Barrow, Bury St.Edmunds, but by 1918, according to the pension card, they had moved back to Kennet, to Landwades Farm. |
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He enlisted in Newmarket. The 11th Royal Fusiliers were part of 54th Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division and arrived in France in July 1915. On October 1917 towards the end of the 3rd Ypres battle (just before 2nd Passendaele) the Fusiliers were in the Houthulst Forest area, north of Ypres. Contemporary accounts do not speak highly of it. The soldiers were "acting the part of submarines" one person put it. Another said that one should imagine a swamp, criss-crossed in all directions by streams, then drop millions of explosive shells in it over three years and then, in full battle order, in the pouring rain, attempt to run around the craters, dodging bullets and mortar. On the 23rd October the 11th Fusiliers had 14 killed of whom only 5 have identified graves. |
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