George William Barker
- Family History
- Military History
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George William Barker was born in 1895 at Caunton and was the son of Thomas a farm labourer and Mary Elizabeth Barker (née Lord) of Caunton, Newark. His father Thomas was born in 1857 at Caunton and his mother Mary Elizabeth Lord was born in 1857 at Boothby, Lincolnshire. They were married in 1881 (Southwell registration district). They went on to have nine children, sadly one died in infancy or early childhood. Their children were Joseph Henry b1884, Alice Lavinia b1885, Annie Elizabeth b1886, Lilly b1889, Frances b1891, Martha b1893, George William b1895, Nellie b1897 and Florence b1900. All were born in Caunton. In the 1911 census his parents were living at Caunton and shown as Thomas 56 yrs a farm labourer, his wife Mary Elizabeth 56 yrs and their daughter Florence 10 yrs of age. George William 17 yrs had left the family home and was recorded on the census as a farm servant living with John Jackson 73 yrs, a farmer, and his wife and son, at Norwell Woodhouse.
Private George William Barker enlisted on 5th October 1914 at Newark giving his age as 20 yrs and 183 days. He was a farm labourer and living at Caunton with his father Thomas, his next of kin. He served with the 1/8th battalion Sherwood Foresters Regiment. George landed in France on 2nd March 1915 and the battalion was deployed to the Ypres Salient from June and in August particularly the battalion suffered 'incessant shelling, trench mortars and rifle grenades.' (History of the 1/8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters 1914-1919, Capt. WCC Weetman). On 10th August 1915 George suffered severe shell and gunshot wounds to his neck and both legs. He was admitted to 24 General Hospital, Etaples, France, on the same day and died of his wounds on 19th September 1915, aged 21. He was buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France (grave ref. IV. F. 6). CWGC - History of Etaples Military Cemetery (extract): 'During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the northern or the southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven general, one stationary, four Red Cross hospitals and a convalescent depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. convalescent depot remained. The cemetery contains 10,771 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915.'
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