Frederick Barnes



Village memories: Top of Sheepridge, Heath End Road (picture from SWOP website)

No picture available


CORPORAL S/40793 1ST/4TH BATTALION GORDON HIGHLANDERS
DIED 25TH MAY 1918 AGED 22YRS
REMEMBERED WITH HONOUR HAMBURG CEMETERY
GRAVE REF IV.F.11

Frederick Barnes was born in 1896 in South Hackney, London. He was the son of Charles & Alice nee Warbis who married in Hackney on 9th October 1886. In 1901 the family were living in Hackney at 90, Sidney Road. There are 6 children listed. From the 1911 Census we can see that the family were living in Sheepridge, Little Marlow and that the couple had been married for 24yrs and had seven children, of whom one had died. Charles was an electrician and had been born in London. Frederick’s siblings listed here were William, a book keeper aged 18yrs, Walter aged 14yrs , a “lay boy “and mill board worker, and Alice aged 12yrs who was a scholar. Frederick now aged 15yrs was also a “lay boy”. There were also two boarders at the house. Two other brothers were George and Charles. The last known address was 2, Folley’s Row, Heath End.
Frederick enlisted in London.
The Gordon Highlanders saw action on the Western Front in WW1. They landed at Havre in early 1915. During 1916 the Battalion was engaged in the First & Second Battles of the Scarpe, the Battle of Pilkem Ridge, the Battle of Menin Road bridge, the capture of Bourlon Wood all part of the Cambrai Operations.
During early 1918 they were engaged in many Battles including the Battle of St Quentin in March 1918 , the Battle of Estaires, and the Battle of Hazebrouck. Frederick was captured and became a prisoner of War. An article in the South Bucks Free Press on 7th June 1918 mentions this.
His resting place in Hamburg Cemetery in Germany suggests he died there. The cemetery was used for the burial of over 300 Allied servicemen who died as prisoners of war and in 1923 all graves of commonwealth servicemen who died in Germany were brought together in 4 permanent cemeteries. Hamburg was one of these.
Frederick’s Medal Index Card also records another service no 26589.

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