Joe BARRACLOUGH MM

Badge Number: S5983, Sub Branch: Disabled
S5983

BARRACLOUGH, Joe

Service Number: 1132
Enlisted: 14 August 1915
Last Rank: Sergeant
Last Unit: 43rd Infantry Battalion
Born: Yorkshire, England, November 1875
Home Town: Adelaide, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Sleeper Cutter
Died: 8 September 1953, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: AIF Cemetery, West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia
Section: KO, Road: 8, Site No: 49
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World War 1 Service

14 Aug 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1132, 43rd Infantry Battalion
9 Jun 1916: Involvement Sergeant, 1132, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: ''
9 Jun 1916: Embarked Sergeant, 1132, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide
4 Feb 1917: Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1132, 43rd Infantry Battalion, GSW shoulder
1 Jun 1917: Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1132, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Warneton, GSW head
28 Sep 1917: Honoured Military Medal, Warneton, Awarded for actions performed at Warneton on 31 July 1917.
11 Jun 1918: Discharged AIF WW1

Help us honour Joe Barraclough's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College

**Life before war**

Joe Barraclough was born in November 1875, in Yorkshire England. He was single and it appears he possibly had no family living in Australia, due to the fact that his next of kin was listed as his sister Alice Barraclough, who lived in England. Before enlisting for war, Joe lived on Hindley Street in Adelaide and worked as a Sleeper Cutter (creating axes and tools). It is interesting to try and gather an understanding of what Joe looked like as it states that he had tattoos on his upper chest, but they described him as having a fresh complexion. Joe was exactly 6ft tall, had brown hair and blue eyes.

 

**Life in service**

On the 14 of August, 1915 Joe Barraclough enlisted for war in Adelaide, South Australia at the age of 40 years and 10 months old. Almost 10 months after enlisting for war, Joe embarked on the 43rd Battalion, 9/6/1916. His role when he embarked for war was a sergeant, meaning he carried some responsibilities for his colleagues.

 

Throughout the war, Joe stayed with the 43rd Battalion most of the time. Joe was wounded on the battlefield on the 4/2/1917, in the shoulder. He spent a few weeks in hospital before he was deemed healthy to re-join the 43rd Battalion on the 23/2/1917.

At the battle of Warneton, on 31/7/1917, Joe Barraclough both performed the actions which won him the Military Medal, and was badly wounded in the head. These wounds were severe enough for him to be returned to Australia for medical discharged. Joe left England in late November 1917,

After looking through and reading Joe’s medical report, it is clear that he was very wounded during war. Interestingly enough, on the 10/1/1918 Joe disembarked from the 43rd Battalion. However, it wasn’t until the 11/8/1918 that Joe was formally handed his discharge notice by the Australian Military Forces, stating that he was medically unfit to continue serving in World War I.

 

**After the war**

After 2 years 332 days, 1 year and 216 days of those spent abroad serving in war, Joe was finally discharged and sent home to Australia. Throughout Joe’s years serving in war, he was wounded numerous times and spent many days in hospital recovering. Little is known of Joe's later life.

Sadly, Joe Barraclough died on the 8th of September 1953 and was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery, which still remains today.

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