BARNES, George James Edward
| Service Number: | 3021 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 13th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Newtown, New South Wales, Australia, 1897 |
| Home Town: | Glebe, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Glebe Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 12 December 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Westhof Farm Cemetery Plot II, Row D, Grave 10 Headstone Inscription "THY WILL BE DONE", Westhof Farm Cemetery, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Glebe Roll of Honor, Glebe Superior Public School WWI Memorial, Glebe War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 3021, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 3021, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Sydney | |
| 31 Mar 1917: | Wounded 3021, Near Gendecourt, he was accidently wounded in right thigh. He was a driver in a team drawing a wagon, and a wheel went over a Mills grenade. | |
| 12 Dec 1917: | Involvement Driver, 3021, 13th Field Artillery Brigade, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3021 awm_unit: 13th Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Driver awm_died_date: 1917-12-12 | |
| 12 Dec 1917: | Involvement 3021, Killed in Action. Nieuwkerke, Heuvelland, Belgium |
Help us honour George James Edward Barnes's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Daryl Jones
Son of Adolphus William and Sarah Ann BARNES, of 18 Talford Street, Glebe, Sydney, New South Wales.
Biography contributed by Heather Stevens
From the Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files:
Informant Driver W S Souter No. 2825: 'He was killed by a bomb from an aeroplane: and was killed outright. A number of others were killed by the same bomb. I did not see him after he was killed but I saw his grave. Some of the boys buried him on the spot. His name was on a cross over the grave. He came from the Glebe: Glebe Point. I hope to see his people shortly. He was on the waggon line at the time of his death.'
Informant Gunner B C Field No. 2820: 'I met Barnes in Egypt. He stood about 5ft 7in, was dark, and clean shaved - he was in the 51st Battery with me. On 12th December 1917 we were at the waggon lines at Neuve Eglise, Barnes was with us. Some bombs came over and dropped amongst us, wounding 20 and killing 7 out of our Battery. I was wounded - Barnes was killed outright. I was told this by my brother E.G.Field who was in the same Battery. He told me that the men who were killed (including Barnes) were buried close to the Casualty Clearing Station. Barnes was a good fellow - and was well liked.' In another interview he added some more detail: 'On 12/12/17 the Battery was at Neuve Eglise, the guns being in action. A portion of the Battery, including Barnes and Informant were in the Waggon lines on the Battery on parade when 5 or 6 German aeroplanes came over and dropped a number of bombs with the result that in the 51st Battery alone, 7 were killed and about 20 were wounded. The total casualties amongst all the units concerned were 70 killed and 70 wounded, in addition to 30 horses killed or wounded.'