BARBER, Albert


No.8660, Private, Albert BARBER
Aged 21


2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
formerly 10142 Bedfordshire Regiment
Lost at Sea on 17th November 1915


Albert Barber was born in Rede (4th qtr 1894 Thingoe 4a:767), son of Robert and Keziah Sarah BARBER(née CHALLIS)

1901 census...Aged 5, he was at Queens Road, Chedburgh with his father Robert BARBER [37] farm labourer born Chedburgh; his mother Sarah [34] born Wickhambrook; brothers James [14] farm labourer, Robert [8] born Rede, Ephraim [4] born Rede and Jonathan [1] born Chedburgh.

1911 census...Aged 15, a blacksmith, he was at The Green, Depden, with his parents; brothers Robert (farm labourer), Ephraim [school}, Jonathan, Harold [9] born Chedburgh, sister Sarah [5] born Depden; grandmother Mary Ann Challis [84] and a boarder, Edward BARBER [28].
His mother had lost 3 of her 10 children.

On the pension card his mother was at Depden Green.

His brother Robert died from a long illness in 1923, too late for CWGC see here


He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds.


After the outbreak of WWI, the SS Anglia was commandeered for war service by the Admiralty, and refitted as an auxiliary hospital ship, known as H.M.H.S. Anglia, and under the command of Captain Lionel J. Manning.
On November 17th 1915, the Anglia was returning to Dover from Boulogne, and was loaded with 390 injured officers and soldiers, and their doctors and nurses. In addition, there were 56 crew on board. They were not to know that the German submarine UC-5 had been laying mines in the English Channel.
At around 12:30 pm, one mile east of Folkestone Gate, H.M.H.S. Anglia struck a mine and quickly began to sink. The Royal Navy ship H.M.S. Hazard raced to her aid. It took the Anglia just 15 minutes to sink, and during that time many acts of bravery were witnessed. The total loss of life is not truly known, but estimates vary between 120 and 164 personnel, including 25 of her crew, who were either killed by the explosion, or by drowning.
One of the rescue ships was also sunk by a mine during the rescue attempt.
Presumably Albert had been wounded and was on his way back to "Blighty".



photo CWGC

Albert Barber is commmeorated on the Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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