Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Richard Cyril Barlow (9 September 1889 - 24 April 1983) was an Australian soldier, teacher and Methodist minister. He is well known for being a teacher at Sydney Technical High School. As a member of the 3rd Field Ambulance in the Australian Imperial Force and beloved by many as a Methodist minister.

Richard Cyril Barlow was born in Tuckombil, Lismore, New South Wales, on 9th September 1889 (1). At some point in time his family would move to Teven, a small village in Ballina shire located on the far north coast of NSW. He was the youngest of three known children born to Richard Barlow and Mrs Barlow. Richard Barlow was a prominent businessman in Ballina shire (2). Richard Cyril Barlow spent most of his childhood in Teven, attending Alstonville Public school and later on moving to Sydney to attend the University of Sydney and the Sydney Teachers college in 1910 (3). Barlow liked learning about art, history and philosophy and had an extended interest in teaching as whilst he was earning his Bachelor of Arts degree, Barlow would earn honors in History and Philosophy and also teach at Sydney Technical High School from 1910. Barlow earned his Bachelor Of Arts Degree in 1914 and would continue to teach at Sydney Technical High School until his enlistment in 1915 (4). 

Richard Cyril Barlow enlisted on April 24 1915, signing the oath after his medical on the 9th May 1915; as a part of the 14th Reinforcements for the 2nd Australian General hospital (5). Barlow was described in his attestation papers as a 25 year old man with a ruddy complexion and brown hair and brown eyes weighing in at about 132 pounds at 5 foot 5 and a half inches with Methodist as his religious denomination (6). He would spend 9 months training in Liverpool, during this time he would find the love of his life Nellie Maude. They would go on to marry each other on the 4th of December 1915 (7).

Barlow embarked from Australia to Egypt on 16 February 1916 with the 14th Reinforcements leaving behind his wife, parents and siblings. Barlow stayed in Egypt for a relatively short amount of time before embarking to France on 29th March 1916, aboard the HMAT Ballarat A70.

He arrived in Marseilles, France in 3rd April 1916 . It is assumed that during his time in Egypt and France as a part of the 2nd Australian General Hospital Barlow would not have been a part of any battles or skirmishes, he would have spent most of his time caring for the sick and wounded, this is due to a lack of battle records based around the 2nd Australian General Hospital. On 8 May 1917 he was transferred to the 3rd Field Ambulance, 1st division as reinforcements for the allies in the 2nd Battle of Bullecourt (8). 

Barlow was appointed and was appointed Acting Sergeant on 11 May 1916 and Corporal on 27 March 1917. He spent time on Furlough in England from 8th September to 20th September 1917. He would fall ill on March 24 1918 before recovering on an unknown date, soon Barlow would fall ill again from Trench fever on 29 April 1918, he would be transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary hospital until his full recovery on 14 May where he would be transferred back to the 3rd Field Ambulance.

Barlow returned to Australia in August 1919 with the rank of Warrant officer and was discharged a few days later.  (9).

Back in Australia Barlow worked as a teacher, Methodist minister and clergyman. He worked as a teacher in Mudgee High school from 1920 - 18 December 1925. He spent the rest of his career working as a Methodist minister in South Cessnock from 19 December 1925 - 28 April 1932 and in Beecroft from 29 April 1932 to retirement (10).

He retired to 131 Shaftesbury Road, Eastwood with his wife Nellie Maude permanently until passing away peacefully in Sydney due to natural causes on 24 April 1983 at the age of 93. He is remembered through Alstonville Public Schools Great War honour board, Mudgee Methodist Church Honour Roll, Parramatta NSW Public School Teachers Who Served Abroad Honour Roll and the STHS WW1 Roll of Honour (11).

References

44477, A. (2013) Lives of the first World War, Imperial War Museums. Available at: https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7350240 (Accessed: 01 August 2024). 
council, B. shire (2007) Peopling australia - ballina shire council, PEOPLING AUSTRALIA. Available at: https://ballina.nsw.gov.au/files/Part_Three_-_Thematic_History.pdf (Accessed: 01 August 2024). 
Author, U. (2013) View record, HEURIST. Available at: https://heurist-usyd.cloud.edu.au/heurist/viewers/record/renderRecordData.php?db=ExpertNation&recID=2383  (Accessed: 04 August 2024). 
Memorial, V. (no date) Richard Cyril Barlow, Virtual War Memorial | Richard Cyril BARLOW. Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/367639 (Accessed: 04 August 2024). 
Memorial, V. (no date) Richard Cyril Barlow, Virtual War Memorial | Richard Cyril BARLOW. Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/367639 (Accessed: 04 August 2024). 
View Digital Image (no date) Digital copy of Attestation papers and service records. Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3049694   (Accessed: 04 August 2024). 
Fairfax, V. (no date) Engagements. - the sydney morning herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) - 4 dec 1915, Trove. Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15629088 (Accessed: 04 August 2024). 
3rd Field Ambulance (no date) Virtual War Memorial | 3rd Field Ambulance. Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/294  (Accessed: 04 August 2024). 
Devlin, R. (2024) WW1 Honour board name list, Google Accounts. Available at: https://classroom.google.com/c/NjQ4NTk4NTE5Njgx/a/Njk1MzM4OTU4OTI3/details  (Accessed: 04 August 2024). 
Author, U. (2013) View record, HEURIST. Available at: https://heurist-usyd.cloud.edu.au/heurist/viewers/record/renderRecordData.php?db=ExpertNation&recID=2383  (Accessed: 04 August 2024). 
Memorial, V. (no date) Richard Cyril Barlow, Virtual War Memorial | Richard Cyril BARLOW. Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/367639 (Accessed: 04 August 2024).
Bibliography

Ken Stevenson, Research on Google Drive
https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/367639, VWMA personal details
https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=13684 , UNSW AIF project records
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=3049694&isAv=N, NAA records
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2161004\, Nominal roll 
https://www.warmemorialsregister.nsw.gov.au/private-richard-cyril-barlow-1, NSW war memorial register
https://www.hdae.org/graduate/barlow-richard-cyril/, HDAE records
https://heurist-usyd.cloud.edu.au/heurist/viewers/record/renderRecordData.php?db=ExpertNation&recID=2383, heurist records
https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7350240, IWM records
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/93565287, Newspaper article on death of father
 https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3049694 ,NAA service records and attestation paper
https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/294,Details of Barlow’s unit
https://ballina.nsw.gov.au/files/Part_Three_-_Thematic_History.pdf Ballina shire thematic history pdf
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15629088 Marriage