Grave marker after exhumation

Name on Vimy Memorial

Kamloops Cenotaph, British Columbia, Canada

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

Jacob Eales Barker was born in Leyburn in 1871 and at the time of the 1891 census was working as a labourer at Nimmo’s brewery in Castle Eden and lodging with the head cellarman, and not far away in Mill Hill, Castle Eden lived Richard Lane, the cooper, and his daughter Florence. Jacob and Florence married in April 1892, and William Sidney was born on 25th September. Jacob must have then been away from home as Florence and Will were living with her parents at the time of the 1901 census.

In 1903 Jacob and Florence left England for Canada and settled in Fernie, British Columbia where Jacob worked as a coal miner and Florence ran a rooming house for up to 50 miners at the time, and Horace and Fred were born there. Will remained in Castle Eden living with his grandparents until March 1908 when Jacob and Florence returned to England to collect him. Wanting a better life for the family Jacob took up the offer of the Canadian government for 160 acres of farm land around Kamloops and they named their farm in Beresford, Eden Vale, after their former home in Castle Eden, and a cousin of Jacob’s obtained and farmed the adjacent property in Beresford. Kate was born there in 1910.

Will joined the local militia, and on 9th November 1914 this man of “robust build” enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force at Victoria, British Columbia becoming Private 77500 of the 30th Battalion, CEF. The battalion, under the command of Lt-Col. S. Booth, embarked for Britain on 23rd February 1915, and was redesignated as the 30th Reserve Battalion, CEF on 18th April 1915 to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field. On 1st May 1915 William completed his pay-book will leaving everything to his aunt Ada Winifred (Winnie) Lane, an aunt who was the same age as him and with whom he had grown up in Castle Eden, and then he was off to France to join the 15th Battalion.

Aged just 22 Will was reported wounded on 31st May 1915 after the Battle of Festubert (one of over 2204 Canadian casualties); this was changed to missing on 24th June and on 7th September to presumed dead. The Canadian War Graves Register (Circumstances of Casualty) reads “previously reported missing, now for official purposes presumed to have died on 21st May. From information available it is believed that this soldier, while in a fort with about 12 others, was killed by the explosion of a “coal-box” shell, which fell among them”. (A coal box shell was an explosive shell which on bursting made a terrific noise and eliminated a heavy black cloud of gas).

Will’s pay and allowances were paid until January 1916 and a claim for 193 days money was made to reimburse the Army.

Private 77500s remains were missing for several years after he was killed. They were found about 1922 by a farmer. His watch, collar pins and "dog tags" survived. His name was originally listed on the Vimy Memorial, but he now has a War Grave, bearing an inscription requested by his mother Florence “Sleep on beloved, Thy warfare’s o’er”. He never got to see his youngest brother Ross.

His name does not appear on any local war memorial.

In Canada he is remembered on their Virtual War Memorial and in their Book of Remembrance, and on Kamloops Cenotaph, British Columbia.

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual Memorial
The CWGC entry for Private Barker