Robert Barker served in the Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment (2/6th Battalion, “A” Company), number 265297, he was killed in action in “France and Flanders” and is commemorated at the Arras Memorial cemetery. This memorial commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7th August 1918 (the eve of the Advance to Victory) and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917.
Robert’s parents (Thomas Barker and Alice Frankland) had 10 children, 2 of whom died. In 1901 there were Sam Ellen (24), Margaret Ann (21), Mary Jane (16); Alice does not appear in the 1901 census although Ann Frankland (Sister-in-law) is there. She was also living with them in 1891 when they lived at 2a Club Houses, off Newmarket Street (demolished in 1958). They all lived there in 1881 too, with William Frankland (Ann and Alice’s father) recorded as head of the household; in 1871 they lived at 11 Club Houses.
Robert lived at 5 Wellington Street at the time of the 1901 and 1911 censuses and was a “Reacher in For Loomer” (at aged 14) in the latter. In 1911 there were Emily Alice (29), John (24), Annie (21), Ethel (19) and Robert (14).
The history of 2/6th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (2nd West Riding), 62nd Division
On 31 August 1914 the War Office issued instructions for all units of the Territorial Force to form a reserve unit. The men who had agreed to serve overseas were separated from the rest. Those left as ‘home service only’ were formed into ‘second line’ units, which would be this reserve. They were joined by many new recruits from September 1914 onward. The 2/6th battalion was formed at Skipton in Craven in September 1914.
The ‘first line’ 49th (West Riding) Division went to France in April 1915.
The units of the ‘second line’, the 2nd West Riding Division, remained at home for quite some time. Along with other ‘second line’ Divisions suffered it greatly from lack of equipment of all sorts, and training was inevitably affected. The Division also continually supplied drafts of men to the ‘first line’, which delayed things terribly.
In March 1915 Divisional HQ moved to Matlock Bath and the various units gradually moved to the Matlock, Derby, Belper, Nottingham and Bakewell areas. Two months later moves were made to Thoresby Park, Babworth Park, Welbeck Park, Southwell and Beverley. A further move in October 1915 saw all units concentrated in the area of Retford, then quickly going to Newcastle and in early 1916 to Salisbury Plain. Yet another move was made in June 1916, with the Division going to Lowestoft, Wangford, Flixton Park, Bungay and Somerleytown.
The Division was inspected by King George V on 26 July 1916. The units made a final move to Bedford, Wellingborough and Northampton in October 1916, where orders were received to embark for France.
The Divisional Ammunition Column sailed from Avonmouth for Rouen on 30 December 1916; the rest crossed from Southampton to Le Havre from 5 January 1917 and by 18 January concentration was completed in Third Army area between the rivers Canche and Authie. The 2/6th battalion landed in France in January 1917.
The Division then remained on the Western Front in France and Flanders for the rest of the war and took part in the following engagements in 1917 up to Robert’s death:
- The Operations on the Ancre ( 15 February – 13 March)
- The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line (14 – 19 March)
- The first attack on Bullecourt (part of the Arras offensive) (11 April)
- The German attack on Lagnicourt (part of the Arras offensive) (15 April)
- The Battle of Bullecourt (part of the flanking operations round Arras) (3 – 17 May)
First Battle of Bullecourt
Bullecourt, a village in northern France, was one of several villages to be heavily fortified and incorporated into the defences of the Hindenburg Line in 1917.
In March 1917, the German army had withdrawn to the Hindenburg Line in order to shorten their front and thus make their positions easier to defend. This move was rapidly followed up by the British and empire forces, and they launched an offensive around Arras in early April 1917.
After the initial assault around Bullecourt failed to penetrate the German lines, British commanders made preparations for a second attempt. British artillery began an intense bombardment of the village, which by 20 April had been virtually destroyed. Although the infantry assault was planned for 20 April, it was pushed back a number of times and finally set for the early morning of 3 May. At 03:45, elements of the 2nd Division attacked east of Bullecourt village, intending to pierce the Hindenburg Line and capture Hendecourt-lès-Cagnicourt, while British troops from the 62nd Division attacked Bullecourt, which was finally taken by the British 7th Division and despite determined effort by the Germans was held by the British 62nd Division. German resistance was fierce and when the offensive was called off on 17 May, few of the initial objectives had been met. The Australians were in possession of much of the German trench system between Bullecourt and Riencourt-lès-Cagnicourt but had been unable to capture Hendecourt. To the west, British troops managed to push the Germans out of Bullecourt but incurred considerable losses, failing also to advance north-east to Hendecourt. More at http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=m9CkAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&dq=isbn%3A9780850525687&pg=PA70#v=onepage&q=2/5&f=false page 69
The following appeared in the West Yorkshire Pioneer on 29th June 1917:
SKIPTON SOLDIERS MISSING
The following Skipton men are officially reported as missing – Corporal A. Hebden, Private H. Lambert, Private T. Read, Private E. Robinson. Sergeant A. C. Smith, and Private R. Barker, all of whom are attached to the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment.