James Joseph BARRETT

BARRETT, James Joseph

Service Number: 1200097
Enlisted: Not yet discovered
Last Rank: Corporal
Last Unit: 8th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (8RAR)
Born: Mossman, Queensland, Australia, 12 December 1945
Home Town: Inala, Brisbane, Queensland
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Soldier
Died: Killed in Action, South Vietnam, 28 February 1970, aged 24 years
Cemetery: Mount Gravatt Cemetery & Crematorium, Brisbane
Lawn cemetery, Mount Gravatt Lawn Cemetery, Mount Gravatt, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Memorials: Adelaide Pathway of Honour - 8th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Grafton Clarence Valley Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Kallangur Vietnam Veterans' Place, Mossman War Memorial, Port Douglas Memorial, Port Pirie Vietnam Veterans Honour Wall, Seymour Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk Roll of Honour
Show Relationships

Vietnam War Service

12 Feb 1966: Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), 1200097, 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR)
12 Feb 1966: Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Corporal, 1200097
6 Jun 1966: Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), 1200097, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR)
6 Jun 1966: Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Corporal, 1200097
14 Jan 1970: Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Corporal, 1200097, 8th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (8RAR)
14 Jan 1970: Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Corporal, 1200097

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

Biography

Formerly a member of the regular army with C Company 2RAR, L Cpl Barrett left Australia in early 1966 as a reinforcement to 1RAR, then on operations in Bien Hoa, South Vietnam. When 1RAR returned to Australia he completed the remainder of his 12 month tour of duty with C Company 6RAR. A popular soldier, he also took up the role of canteen manager. In January 1970 he returned to Vietnam with 8RAR. On 28 February 1970 during Operation Hammersley, L Cpl Barrett's platoon was involved in two mine incidents. An engineer party moving to neutralize a booby trap initiated an M16 mine, causing seven soldiers to be killed and thirteen wounded. While looking skyward to marshal a helicopter to evacuate the last casualties, L Cpl Barrett stepped just outside a cleared area, detonating a second mine. He was killed instantly, aged 24, and three others were wounded. One of the wounded later died.

Information from The Australian War Memorial

Read more...