BARKER, Frederick

Frederick Barker was born in Dudley and lived at 1 Cross Street, Woodside. He enlisted in Newport, Monmouthshire, in the South Wales Borderers and this was probably because employment had taken him to South Wales. He joined the 2nd Battalion who were in China in 1914 and returned to Britain to join the 29th Division. They landed on Gallipoli on the 25th April 1915 and experienced harsh conditions and little success in the next eight months in the difficult struggle against the Turks. They were evacuated in early 1916 and went to the Western Front. They were stationed at Beaumont Hamel for the first day of the Somme on the 1st July. The Borderers were in the front line on this tragic day and lost heavily in the attack on well defended enemy positions. Among those killed in action was Sergeant Frederick Barker. He is buried in Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel, (II D 10) and commemorated on the Dudley and Woodside Memorials.