No. 9041, Private, William Louis BARRETT
Aged 31


7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Monday 3rd July 1916


Born in Q1-1884 in Newmarket [3b:532a], eldest son of William and Harriet BARRETT (née COATES) of Zurich Cottage, Granby Street, Newmarket.

1891 census... William [7] was at Zurich Cottage, Granby Street, Newmarket, with his parents William [39], an upholsterer, born Newmarket; mother Harriet [33], born Dullingham; and brother Ernest [5]; sisters Harriet [2]and Elizabeth [1]. All the children were born in Newmarket.

1901 census... William, now 17, was a barman for Albert Ruse at the Marquis of Granby, Granby Street, Newmarket. His widower father was at 23 Lowther Street, (mother Harriet having died in 1895) with brother Ernest; sisters Harriet and Elizabeth and Grandmother Eliza Barrett.

1911 census... William was now, like his father, an upholsterer, living at 23 Lowther Street with his father and brother Ernest who was also an upholsterer.

The pension card has his father living in St Mary's Square, Newmarket.


He enlisted in Bury St Edmunds
His battalion were part of the 12th Division during the Battle of the Somme which started in July 1st 1916.( A terrible day in British history when almost 20,000 British soldiers were killed.
On July 3rd the battalion, under the command of Major GH Henty, took part in the frontal attack on Ovillers. In this operation the 12th Div. attacked on a two brigade front, the 35th on the right, with the 5th Berkshire (right) and 7th Suffolk (left)in the front line. The 37th Brigade was on the left. The battalion attacked in 8 successive waves, the leading ones starting ten minutes before zero hour, which had been fixed for 3.15 am. The first 4 waves penetrated as far as the enemy's third line, some of them getting into the village itself; but owing to the darkness the succeeding waves lost touch, enabling the Germans to surge in and cut them off. At the 3rd line of resistance, after very severe fighting, the attack was brought to a standstill, the battalion losing very heavily. All the company commanders were killed, Major Henty and Lts Bowen,Taylor and Hood being the only officers to come through untouched. Casualties amounted to 470 of all ranks. On record with CWGC there are 159 of the 7th Battalion killed that day. mostly either buried in Ovillers Cemetery or named on the Thiepval Memorial. Thus, at the battle of Albert, this battalion was almost destroyed. The remnants stayed in the trenches till July 8th

Two other Newmarket men of the 7th Battalion were killed this day Frank Aley and Walter Leonard
Three Exning men of the Battalion also fell that day Edward Dicker and Ernest Hobbs and William Pitches



No known grave - William is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France Ref: pier and face 1C and 2A
and is also commemorated on the Roll of Honour in St Mary's Church, Newmarket

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


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