BARLEY, Archie Reginald
| Service Number: | 1788 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 March 1916, Charters Towers, Queenland |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 44th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Southampton, England, 15 October 1896 |
| Home Town: | Hughenden, Flinders, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Stockman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Messines, Belgium, 4 June 1917, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Strand Military Cemetery, Ploegsteert, Wallonie, Belgium Strand Military Cemetery Plot V111, Row G, Grave 4 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Charters Towers, Queenland | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1788, 41st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Boorara embarkation_ship_number: A42 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Aug 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1788, 41st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Boorara, Brisbane | |
| 4 Jun 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1788, 44th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1788 awm_unit: 44th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-06-04 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Archie Barley and his brother Ron Barley were identical 19-year twin old brothers, who emigrated to Australia from England and took up jobs as stockmen, at Hughenden west of Charters Towers in Queensland. The Barley twins enlisted together in March 1916 and were given consecutive regimental numbers of 1787 and 1788 in the 41st Battalion AIF.
They left Australia together and disembarked in Plymouth England 13 October 1916, transferred to the 44th Battalion 27 October 1916, and were sent overseas to France, from their place of birth, Southhampton, England on the 25 November 1916.
On 4 June 1917 the 44th Battalion was engaged in raids on German trenches at Catacombs, Hill 63 and Ploegsteert near Messines. They succeeded in entering the enemy lines, inflicting heavy casualties and capturing four soldiers of the 9th Bavarian Infantry Regiment. The Barley brothers became two of the Battalion’s 22 casualties that day.
Archie Reginald Barley was wounded very badly whilst on the raid and his brother stayed with him and spent the night out with him in No Man's Land in a failed attempt to keep him alive.
From the Red Cross Files
“There were two twin brothers of this name in the same company who were inseparable. One got wounded in a shell hole, the other brother got back and went out again to him and stayed with him all night. The brother in the shell hole died and his brother got wounded and a patrol brought him in. It was impossible to tell one from the other.”-827 Private J. Ramsden 44th Battalion.
“There were twin brothers of the name of Barley in my platoon. They were very much alike, and hard to distinguish from one another. They were both with me on the afternoon of 4 June 1917 on a raid. One of them got hit going over: the other went on and later he found his brother lying in a shell hole in “no man’s land”. He stayed with him and covered his body with his coat. The brother was badly wounded as he was getting back into our trench and went to hospital.” 695 Sgt. M. McGregor 44th Battalion.
“Archie Barley was hit by a shell which carried away part of his side. His brother stayed with him until he died and then in the dark returned almost clothesless, having used his shirt for bandages and his tunic for covering. When he returned, he was taken to a D/S wounded and Sgt. Panton who told me this says he was in a pitiful state, almost demented with grief and beyond giving particulars.” 869 Pte. H Everington M.I.D. 44th Battalion.
Archie Barley’s body was found 10 days later after the attacks on Messines had captured the German trench lines. His remains were originally buried in amongst the German wire, east of an overturned German concrete dugout, south of the mine crater, WSW of Messines Belgium, by a Chaplain J. E. N. Osborne of the 35th Battalion. He was later moved to the Strand Military Cemetery Ploegsteert, Belgium.
Biography
44 Battalion
Rank - Private
Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
Son of Ronald and Annie Barley, 67 The Portway, West Ham, London, England. Brother of 1787 Pte Ronald Ernest BARLEY, 44th Bn, returned to Australia, 25 August 1917
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