F. G. Barrett
This is a tentative identification. There is only one F. G. Barrett in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database. No corroborating evidence for a link to Stockwell or nearby areas.
Stockwell War Memorial
William Charles Barnsley
W. C. Barnsley
Service no. 55016
Driver, Royal Field Artillery”B”, Bty. 103rd Bde.
Killed in action aged around 32 on 22 June 1917
Husband of Mrs. E. Barnsley, of 11 Mostyn Road, Brixton, London.
Remembered at Woods Cemetery, Belgium and on Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9
Brother of James Foster Barnsley
Information from the 1911 census
William Barnsley lived at 11 Glyn Street, Kennington (just by the Royal Vauxhall Tavern) in 1911. William, 26, was married to Emma Barnsley, 24. Their children were
Rose Barnsley, 5
William Barnsley, 2
Ada Barnsley, 4 months
All were born in Vauxhall.
William Charles Barnsley’s parents and siblings lived in 5 rooms at 10 Henry Street (no longer in existence), Vauxhall, London SW8. William Luke Barnsley, 49, was a cloth shrinker from Marylebone, London. Elizabeth Barnsley, 49, was born in Soho. The couple had had 13 children, 7 of whom survived.
Sarah E. Barnsley, 28, a perfumer, born in Holborn
Alice M. Barnsley, 24, a dressmaker, born in Holborn
James F. Barnsley, 21, a tailor’s packer, born in St Pancras (remembered on the war memorial)
Ada C. Barnsley, 20, a perfumer, born in St Pancras
Rose B. Barnsley, 15, a dressmaker, born in Lambeth
Ernest B. Barnsley, 10, born in Lambeth
Information from the 1901 census
In 1901 William Barnsley was a 16-year-old errand boy living at 6 Catherine Street, Vauxhall. His father, William L. Barnsley, 39, was a cloth worker born in Marylebone; his mother, Elizabeth M. Barnsley, 39, was born in Soho. The children on the census were
Sarah E. Barnsley, 19, perfumery stock keeper, born in Holborn
William C. Barnsley, 16, born in Holborn
Alice M. Barnsley, 14, an errand girl, born in Holborn
James F. Barnsley, 12, born in St Pancras
Ada B. Barnsley, 11, born in St Pancras
Rose B. Barnsley, 5, born in Lambeth
Ernest B. Barnsley, 1 month, born in Lambeth
James Foster Barnsley
J. F. Barnsley
Service no. 34448
Private, Essex Regiment, 2nd Battalion
Killed in action age 27 on 1 May 1917
Husband of Susannah Maria Barnsley, of 74 Meadow Road, Clapham, London.
Remembered at Feuchy British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France and at Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9
Brother of William Charles Barnsley
Information from the 1911 census
James Foster Barnsley lived with his parents and siblings in 5 rooms at 10 Henry Street (no longer existing), Vauxhall, London SW8. William Luke Barnsley, 49, was a cloth shrinker from Marylebone, London. Elizabeth Barnsley, 49, was born in Soho. The couple had had 13 children, 7 of whom survived.
Sarah E. Barnsley, 28, a perfumer, born in Holborn
Alice M. Barnsley, 24, a dressmaker, born in Holborn
James F. Barnsley, 21, a tailor’s packer, born in St Pancras
Ada C. Barnsley, 20, a perfumer, born in St Pancras
Rose B. Barnsley, 15, a dressmaker, born in Lambeth
Ernest B. Barnsley, 10, born in Lambeth
London Marriages and Banns
Susannah Maria Hurst married James Foster Barnsley at St Mark’s Church, Kennington on 3 October 1915. James gave his address as 47 Meadow Road. He was 26, Susanna 28.
Theodore Grace Barnes
T. G. Barnes
Apprentice, Mercantile Marine, S.S. Belgian Prince (Newcastle)
Died age 17 on 31 July 1917
Son of Ernest Henry and Alice Barnes, of 44 Kay Rd., Stockwell, London.
Remembered at Tower Hill Memorial, London EC3 and Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9
SS Belgian Prince
MaritimeQuest has an account of the shocking fate of the crew of the SS Belgian Prince, a cargo ship built in 1901, which was attacked by a U-boat on 31 July 1917. The crew were ordered to stand on the top of the submarine, which then dived, drowning all but three.
The following is an article published in the Melbourne Argus (Australia), on Tuesday 7 August 1917:
“COLD-BLOODED MURDER”!
S.S. Belgian Prince Crime.
The British Admiralty confirms the story told by the few survivors of the British steamer Belgian Prince of the hideous cruelty of the submarine crew that destroyed their vessel.
The Belgian Prince was torpedoed on July 31, and the crew abandoned her in two boats, which the Germans smashed with axes. They deprived the crew of their lifebelts and left the men on the deck of the submarine, taking the captain below. Then the submarine was submerged without warning while 43 men were standing on the deck. All were drowned except three, who had secretly retained their lifebelts. They were picked up later, having been in the water for 11 hours.
The Admiralty’s account concludes: ‘”The men’s affidavits support the story of the details of this atrocious outrage. It was a cold-blooded murder equalling, if not transcending, the worst crimes that our enemies have committed against humanity.”
Information from the 1911 census
In 1911 Theodore Grace Barnes was 11 and living with his family in three rooms at 44 Kay Road, Stockwell, London SW9. His father, Ernest Henry Barnes, 50, was a compositor, born in St Peter Park, compositor. Alice Barnes, 46, was from Camberwell. They had five children, all born in Stockwell:
Thomas Barnes, 15, a boot clicker
Frederick Barnes, 14, an electrical engineer
Theodore Barnes, 11
William Barnes, 9,
Alice Barnes, 5
Albert Herbert Robert Barnes
A. H. R. Barnes
(aka Herbert Robert Albert Barnes)
Service no. 721131
Private, London Regiment, 24th Battalion
Enlisted at Kennington
Died of wounds at age 20 on 18 September 1918
Remembered at Epehy Wood Farm Cemetery, Epehy, Somme, France and at Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9
Information from the Barnes Family website
Mike Barnes, who runs the Barnes Family History website, tells how he searched for Herbert Robert Albert Barnes, his first cousin twice removed, after his father showed him a letter written by his Aunt Violet in 1996. In the letter Aunt Violet told of two brothers, one of whom died in the First World War of a stomach wound. The letter identified him only as ‘Bob’.
After a lot of digging around in the 1901 census and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database, Mike found that ‘Bob’ was Herbert Robert Albert Barnes of the 24th Battalion, London Regiment. He is listed as Albert Herbert Robert.
Herbert Robert Albert Barnes was born on 26 January 1898 and was therefore only 16 when war broke out in 1914. He probably enlisted soon after his 18th birthday. His medal card shows his original 4-digit service number and the later 6-digit service number. Re-numbering took place late 1916, early 1917 and this fits with an enlistment early in 1916.
The 24th Battalion was of the Territorial Force (hence the 4-digit service number) and was split into three:
The 1/24th was formed in August 1914 at 71 New Street, Kennington Park Road and landed at Le Havre on the 16 March 1915.
The 2/24th was formed in Lambeth, in August 1914, moved to St Albans in March 1915, then to Braintree, May 1915 then onto Sutton Veny in January 1916.
The 2/24th landed at Le Havre in the June of 1916. In November 1916 the 60th (2/2nd London) Division, of which the battalion was a part, moved to Salonika via Marseilles and Malta. The transfer was completed on Christmas Day 1916. On the 2nd July 1918 the battalion moved to Egypt to take part in the Palestine campaign and in the May of that year returned to France, going via Taranto (30 July). The 60th Division was reformed in mid-1918 as a division of the Indian Army with many of its battalions, including the 2/24th transferred to the 198th Brigade 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division on the 15th July 1918. The 2/24th was then transferred to the 173rd Brigade, 58th (2/1st London) Division on the 11th September 1918 in readiness to take part in the Battle of Epehy on the 18th September. Read about the preparation for the battle and the account of the battle from the battalion War Diary.
Herbert Robert Albert Barnes died on the 18 September 1918 and is buried in the Epehy Wood Farm Cemetery in grave II.B.20. He was 20.
Information from the 1911 census
In 1911 Herbert Albert Robert Barnes, then 14, was living in 4 rooms at 31 Cobbett Street, South Lambeth (it runs off Dorset Road) with his father, Thomas George Barnes, 46, a cellerman from Reading, Berkshire, mother, Annie Barnes, 48, from Belfast, Ireland (this was before Irish Independence and the creation of the Six Counties), and a brother, Thomas Charles Barnes, 21, a butcher. There were two other children, not on this census return.
Frank Barlow
F. Barlow
Service no. 6507
Private, London Regiment (London Scottish), 2nd/14th Battalion
Died in an accident on 17 February 1917, aged 21
Son of Moses and Frances Barlow, of 20, St Stephen’s Terrace, Albert Square, Clapham Road, London.
Remembered at Salonika (Lembet Road) Military Cemetery, Greece, and at Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9
British Army WWI Service Records 1914-1920
Frank Barlow was buried 10 yards from the road at Katerini, near Thessaloniki, Greece. On 17 February 1917 he fell down a precipice and fractured his skull. He was killed instantaneously, according to a witness at the Council of Enquiry in the Field held by Lieutenant Colonel R. J. L. Ogilby on the same day.
The platoon had been told to make their way down a sharp slope east of the camp and up a hill on the other side. “I came to the edge of a cliff with a drop of about 90 feet to a stream below,” said R. C. Hone. “I told the men to get round the best way they could.” They split in two and he tried to cross the stream but fell in and lost his stick. “I called to the others to catch the stick as it went by,” he continued. But then he noticed the body of Private Barlow. “The last time I saw Pte. Barlow was about a quarter of the way down […] when I noticed he was carrying a signalling flag. Serjeant Souter “saw something in the water, which I first thought was an animal. On looking down I found it was a London Scottish man.” They hauled the body out.
No one had seen him fall. “Pte. Barlow was in front of me,” said Private Keech. “I had to drop out for a few minutes and did not see him any more. I had noticed that he was using his signalling flag as a walking stick.”
Barlow was examined by a Captain J. D. Stubbs, of the Royal Army Medical Corps and pronounced dead.
The conclusion was clear: “The court, having considered the evidence [are of the] opinion that the death of 6507 Pte. Frank Barlow was caused by an accident in performance of his duties and that no blame can be attached to any person concerned.”
There is no record that Barlow’s family saw the witness statements or received any further explanation of the death of their son’s death. Three months after the accident, his effects (matchbox, spectacles, pipe, wristwatch, scissors, knife, key, pouch, air pillow, books, compass, cup, dictionary, diaries, wallet and sundries) were sent to his mother at 20 St. Stephen’s Terrace, South Lambeth. She duly completed the paperwork but wrote on 23 Mary 1917: “I have not received my son’s pay book or will. I have had a copy of the latter sent from the War Office, but I should like his own handwriting.”
Barlow served in France for two months before he was sent to Salonika in November 1916. He had enlisted in the London Scottish on 24 January 1916 at Buckingham Gate, London, where he was described as having “good” physical development. He was 5 feet 8 inches, with a 35-inch chest (which he could expand 4 inches). His papers do not include his civilian ocupation, but the 1911 census shows that he was at that time a 14-year-old part-time student and office boy. He lived with his family at 20 St Stephen’s Terrace, SW8, where they occupied five rooms. His father, Moses Barlow, 52, was a mechanical engineer (working in boiler making), from Reading, Berkshire. His mother, Frances Barlow, 43, was born in Chelsea. There was a brother, George, who also later served in the Army.
Information from the 1911 census
In 1911 Frank Barlow was a 14-year-old part-time student and office boy, living in 5 rooms with his family at 20 St Stephen’s Terrace, SW8. His father, Moses Barlow, 52, was a mechanical engineer (working in boiler making), from Reading, Berkshire. His mother, Frances Barlow, 43, was born in Chelsea. Others on the census return were
George Barlow, 13
Miriam Barlow, 8
Both were born in Lambeth
A nephew, Richard Barnes, 18, a motor engineer from Sunbury, Middlesex, lived with the family.