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Private R-14212 Henry Roland Barnes
1st Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps
Local Information:
Henry Barnes was born in Buttermere, Wiltshire enlisting at Newbury on the 21st June 1915, age 19 years. His address on enlistment was shown as 'Royal Oak' Bagshot, near Hungerford, and his trade was listed as a Labourer. After he joined the Army his mother moved to No 2 the Croft in Hungerford.
(Phil Wood (War Memorials of West Berkshire website), kindly contacted the Virtual Museum (July 2011) saying that his name in the CWGC records is spelt Barns. He also points out that the framed scroll of honour in the Town Hall has the name spelt Barns).
He joined the Kings Royal Rifle Corps and carried out his initial training at Winchester. He embarked at Southampton on the 31st March 1916, landing at Rouen the following day, joining the 1st Battalion in the front line on the 25th April 1916. On the 3rd August 1916 he was wounded in action having received a gunshot wound to his neck and left arm. After recovering from these wounds he returned to his battalion in the front line on the 10th September 1916. He was killed in action on the 3rd May 1917.
Photo Gallery:
Kings Royal Rifle Corps Badge
- Kings Royal Rifle Corps Badge.
[Note – The war memorial shows him as a Private. It should have read 'Rifleman'].
Regimental Information:
Battalion War diary for the 2nd May 1917:
"Battalion in the Sugar Factory, Bailleul. Operation orders were received that the battalion was to attack left of Oppy, on the morning of the 3rd May 1917. The battalion moved into the support line, 500 yards south of Sucrerie."
Battalion War diary for the 3rd May 1917:
"At 1.30am the enemy put down an extremely heavy barrage on our front line. This lasted one hour. It was repeated for half an hour at 3.00am and again at 3.44am. At Zero the garrisons of B and C posts went out after the assaulting waves. The men of 'B' Company who got into Oppy Trench were soon counterattacked and driven out. The sniping from Oppy Wood was most heavy and it was impossible to get to any post but B post, from 6.00am."
Casualties Officers 1 wounded ORs 13 killed, 37 wounded, 9 missing". [Rifleman Barnes was one of those killed].
The Canal Wharf, 2011