Arras Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William James Barrett was the 3rd born of 5 sons and had an elder sister. His parents Richard Barrett and Mary Ann Mitchell, both born in Cornwall in 1844 and 1850 respectively, were married at Redruth, Cornwall in 1870. Frederick Barrett was born in 1871 at Cambourne, Cornwall, however, two years later they had migrated to Cornsay Colliery, County Durham, where their daughter Mary Ann was born in 1873, Richard Jnr 1876, William James in 1879 and John Pearce Barrett in 1881 whilst they were living at 123, Chadwick Street. Listed as head of the household was Michael Pearce Mitchell, Mary Ann’s younger brother along with his wife and new born daughter, Michael and Richard were employed as coal miners. By 1891 they and their children had moved to 265, Union Square and had a new born son Edward. Frederick (20) and Richard (15) had joined their father at the colliery, William (11) and John (9) were scholars, their cousin 21-year-old Margaret Hicks had joined the family from Cornwall. At the age of 21 William was still living with his parents also employed as a coal miner as was John (19), while Richard had left the pit and was employed as a rural postman.
William Barrett married in 1906 at South Shields to Alexandra Mary De Ferry born at Gosforth, Northumberland in 1885. In the census of 1911 they are listed as living at 71, Hedley Hill, Cornsay, with 2 children, William Edward (9) born 1902 and Frederick (3) 1907, their son Arthur was born in 1912 and Evelyn in 1914.
When war broke out with Germany in 1914 William left his employment as a coal miner to enlist at Durham where he was assigned to the Yorkshire Regiment as Private 16479 and posted to the 3rd Battalion for initial training. He departed with his regiment January 22nd 1915 landing in France where he was posted to the 2nd Yorkshire Regiment, 21st Brigade, 7th Division as part of the reinforcements to bring the battalion back to full strength after its heavy losses during 1914 at the First Battle of Ypres in Belgium. They participated during 1915 at Neuve Chapelle, Aubers Ridge, Festubert, Givenchy and the Battle of Loos, before participating during the Battles of the Somme in 1916.
In the absence of a military record it is impossible to follow his exact movements, however, he was again assigned to the 3rd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment in England which implies he was repatriated either suffering from wounds or illness and required retraining, he was also transferred as Private 4651 to the 3/5th Battalion Manchester Regiment also a training battalion stationed at Ripon and Scarborough in 1917. He returned to the Western Front as Private 201725 where he was posted to the 1/5th Battalion Manchester Regiment, which having been evacuated from Gallipoli to Egypt and transferred to France, was fighting on the Western Front as of March 2nd 1917.
The 1/5th Battalion Manchester Regiment entered the front line at Ephey, moving to Havrincourt before withdrawing to Albert for rest and training during July and August 1917. In September they were transferred to Belgium in action during the 3rd Battle of Ypres and moved to the coast of Nieuport by the end of the month at Givenchy. February 19th 1918 they transferred to the 126th Brigade still with the 42nd Division.
Private 201725 William James Barrett was killed in action, March 27th 1918, in the days following the First Battle of Bapaume, March 24th-25th 1918. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 34,833 names inscribed on the Arras Memorial within Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery, Arras, France, commemorating soldiers of the British, South African and New Zealand forces who died in the sector, primarily during the Battle of Arras, April 9th -May 16th 1917, and have no known grave. Private Barrett was 39 years of age.
His widow received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their children and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Mary Ann Barrett nee De Ferry never remarried, she died in 1938 in the district of Durham and laid to rest, February 16th, at New House, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
William James Barrett is remembered at at Cornsay on C116.01 at Quebec on Q2.06 and at Satley onS116.01
