Charles Barker

Charles Barker was born in 1886 in Nottingham and was the son of the late William James Barker, a commercial traveller, and Mary Ann Barker née Bamford of 291 Radford Boulevard Nottingham. His father was born in 1854 in Nottingham and his mother Mary Ann Bamford was born in 1857 also in Nottingham. They were married in 1876 (Radford registration district) and they went on to have the following children who were all born in Nottingham: Margaret Ada b1881, Charles b1886, Thomas b1887, William b1891 and Hilda b1894. Charles's father, William James, died in Nottingham in 1893 aged 39. In the 1911 census the family was living at 291 Radford Boulevard, Nottingham and shown as Mary Ann Barker 54 yrs a widow and housekeeper, and her children Margaret Ada 30 yrs a newsagent, Thomas 24 yrs a chair maker and Hilda 17 yrs a typist.

Private Charles Barker, “C” Company, 18th Battalion Australian Imperial Force, was killed in action at Hill 60, Suvla, on 22nd August 1915. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial, Turkey (Galipolli), Panel 60. CWGC - History of the Lone Pine Memorial (extract): 'The eight month campaign in Gallipoli was fought by Commonwealth and French forces in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war, to relieve the deadlock of the Western Front in France and Belgium, and to open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea. 'The Allies landed on the peninsula on 25-26 April 1915; the 29th Division at Cape Helles in the south and the Australian and New Zealand Corps north of Gaba Tepe on the west coast, an area soon known as Anzac. On 6 August, further landings were made at Suvla, just north of Anzac, and the climax of the campaign came in early August when simultaneous assaults were launched on all three fronts. 'Lone Pine was a strategically important plateau in the southern part of Anzac which was briefly in the hands of Australian forces following the landings on 25 April. It became a Turkish strong point from May to July, when it was known by them as 'Kanli Sirt' (Bloody Ridge). 'The Australians pushed mines towards the plateau from the end of May to the beginning of August and on the afternoon of 6 August, after mine explosions and bombardment from land and sea, the position was stormed by the 1st Australian Brigade. By 10 August, the Turkish counter-attacks had failed and the position was consolidated. It was held by the 1st Australian Division until 12 September, and then by the 2nd, until the evacuation of the peninsula in December. 'The LONE PINE MEMORIAL stands on the site of the fiercest fighting at Lone Pine and overlooks the whole front line of May 1915. It commemorates more than 4,900 Australian and New Zealand servicemen who died in the Anzac area - the New Zealanders prior to the fighting in August 1915 - whose graves are not known. Others named on the memorial died at sea and were buried in Gallipoli waters.'

A comrade serving in the same company, Pte. Stanley Tuckwell, saw him die. “I was in the same Company “C” 18th Battalion and in the same tent as Private Charles Barker, No. 821 “C” Company, 18th Battalion. We were in the same charge on 22 August, 1915 at Hill 60 and both fell together and I fell just beside him not three yards away. I asked him where he was hit and he said, “I am just about beat and am hit all over.” They played the Machine gun across again and he bid me good bye and then he gave a slight struggle and lay still and I am perfectly satisfied that he died then.” Above extract is from Charles Barker's army service record, courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918