No.6146152, Private, Albert Robert BARBER
Aged 28
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Albert Robert BARBER, (Risbridge Q3-1915 4A:1550), son of Albert and Alice BARBER (née PASK ). Brother of Muriel I BARBER. None of them have so far been identified in the 1939 register.
As a teenager growing up in Haverhill, Bob would have attended the Council School and we can see from the photo that he was member of the Scouts. Bob's grandson and Sandra's son Daniel Evans kindly provided cherished family photographs to the Haverhill Family History Group for their tribute to his grandfather.
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| Bob left Haverhill, moving to London where he met and married dressmaker Olive Alice Piper [5-2-1922] (Brentford Q1-1940) from 44 Carlisle Avenue, Acton in January 1940. In 1939 she was with her parents at 44 Carlisle Avenue, Acton, Middlesex. Their daughter Sandra was born in 1945, never to know her father. Her address is given by CWGC as of East Acton, London (No.21 St Andrew's Road, from probate records). She later married John J PUGH (Kensington Q1-1948) |
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Bob enlisted in East Acton, joining the East Surrey Regiment (TA). He was posted to the Infantry Training Centre on 13th June 1940. After completing initial training he joined 2/6th Battalion on 9th October 1940. On 21st June 1943, he transferred to the 8th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry before being transferred once more on 5th September 1943, this time to 2nd Battalion, Kings Shropshire Light Infantry. His military records tell us he was 5ft 7ins tall with brown hair and brown eyes. His religion was noted as being Congregationalist. From the time that Bob joined the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry in September 1943 until March 1944 the battalion was constantly on the move from one training area in Scotland to another. At the end of March 1944, the battalion moved to a camp near Haywards Heath that was one of the multitude set up for the concentration of the troops prior to D Day. The 2nd Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry sailed for Normandy from Newhaven at 2pm on 5th June. There was a strong westerly wind and a grey sky. The voyage proved uneventful but it was not an easy landing in 4 to 5 ft of water and a heavy swell. Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry landed on Sword beach near Hermanville shortly after 10am on 6th June 1944. Some did not live to step foot on the Normandy beaches, perishing through mines or gunfire on their landing craft or drowning in the water. Bob, however, did and he was one of the men of the Shropshire regiment who distinguished themselves on that epic day. Their job was to advance inland on the back of Sherman tanks of the Staffordshire Yeomanry but there was a logjam on the invasion beaches and the tanks did not turn up so the Shropshires walked, following the D60 road to take part in the capture of Caen. Military diaries for the battalion indicate that on 14th July, the battalion moved out of CAEN and crossed the River Orne to the woodlands near RANVILLE. Over the next two days they were part of a large concentration of allied troops preparing to launch a major attack on German positions beyond CAEN. 2 KSLI, with the Staffs. Yeomanry [tanks] were to attack LIROSE, LEQUAI, MANNEVILLE and CUILLERVILLE - clearing each village before moving on to the next, as resistance dictated. 2 KSLI would initially be carried forward on the tanks. The attack went in at 9.30 am on the 18th, the first objective being LIROSE. The battalion, now dismounted from tanks, experienced heavy firing from LIROSE village, which turned out to be strongly held and defended, but the village was captured by 2 KSLI with some casualties. As the advance to the next objective began, very heavy opposition was experienced from German troops concealed in nearby woodlands in front of MANNEVILLE. The battalion advance was halted by the strength of enemy resistance from these woodlands, and they suffered very heavy casualties from machine gun fire whilst trying to clear the woods. The 2 KSLI attack was then called off, the battalion being halted along the railway line, where they waited while reinforcements were brought forward to continue the attack which took MANNEVILLE that evening.The battalion spent the night dug in along the railway line and on the 19th moved into the chateau at MANNEVILLE. Casualties amounted to at least 17 Other Ranks (and several officers) killed and many more wounded on that day. Bob was one of those who died from his wounds. |
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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