Battery Quartermaster Sergeant William Henry Barnard Ox & Bucks Light Infantry, MCG and RA
The Man The Man William Henry Barnard was born on Friday 15th February 1895 in Norwich. He was quite possibly orphaned, becoming a Shoemaker.
He enlisted into the 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in about 1913 as a Private with service number 9611. He was mobilised at the beginning of World War I on 4th August 1914, entering France and posted to the Western Front on 14th August; as part of the British Expeditionary Force and coming under fire or operating within range of enemy mobile artillery in France or Belgium during the period up to 22nd November 1914.
William served during World War I, being wounded on 6th December 1914 and entitled to wear a wound stripe. He was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps on 4th January 1916 with service number 16007 and promoted to Lance Corporal. Having survived the war and was awarded the 1914 Star with clasp ‘5th Aug – 22 Nov 1914’, 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal.
William remained in the Army after the war and was promoted to Corporal. On 2nd October 1920 aged 24 at Christ Church, Newhaven, he married Ellen Edith Burgess. He was based at South Camp, Seaford.
In about 1933, aged 38 William either transferred from the regular army or re-enlisted into the Royal Artillery, Territorial Army with service number 7807724 and was promoted to Battery Quartermaster Sergeant.
Following the start of World War II on 3rd September 1939 he was once again mobilised, serving in one of the RE Coastal Regiments. In Army Order 180 of 1942 he was awarded the Efficiency Medal ‘Territorial’ followed by the first clasp in 1944 and remaining in the TA post war, with the second clasp awarded in List 17 of 30th June 1951, aged 56. At the end of the war, he was also awarded the Defence Medal and War Medal 1939-45.
No further detail is known about William’s later life.
The Story The medal group awarded to William Barnard were acquired, following some deliberation and hurried checking of Forces War Records online, from Alan Howlett at the Stratford Upon Avon Medal Fair on Sunday 30th October 2022.
The group were of interest because of the more unusual 1914 Star with clasp and Efficiency Medal with two clasps combination. The clasp however, although confirmed is a period tailors’ copy.
Apart from the medal index card and rolls, nothing could be found on Ancestry.UK to build a biography, despite Forces War Records, showing his date of birth. However, FWR once again proved very useful as Williams second EM(T) clasp and his WWI records showed a second initial ‘H’. This of course enabled a more detailed search to take place on Ancestry.UK.
One of the hits was a Marriage Register for William Henry Barnard, married in 1920 and shown as a Corporal in the Machine Gun Corps! This had to be the same man as William had transferred into the MGC during the latter part of World War I.
This enabled his basic details to be pieced together from Ancestry.UK, but it was simply impossible to find his death, as there were too many William H Barnards born in ‘about’ 1895. It was not even possible to take an educated guess as he had moved around in the Army and unusually, there were no family trees within Ancestry to confirm it.
However at least a partial biography and as William served during World War II his service records still exist and will likely reveal more information.
The group were of interest because of the more unusual 1914 Star with clasp and Efficiency Medal with two clasps combination. The clasp however, although confirmed is a period tailors’ copy.
Apart from the medal index card and rolls, nothing could be found on Ancestry.UK to build a biography, despite Forces War Records, showing his date of birth. However, FWR once again proved very useful as Williams second EM(T) clasp and his WWI records showed a second initial ‘H’. This of course enabled a more detailed search to take place on Ancestry.UK.
One of the hits was a Marriage Register for William Henry Barnard, married in 1920 and shown as a Corporal in the Machine Gun Corps! This had to be the same man as William had transferred into the MGC during the latter part of World War I.
This enabled his basic details to be pieced together from Ancestry.UK, but it was simply impossible to find his death, as there were too many William H Barnards born in ‘about’ 1895. It was not even possible to take an educated guess as he had moved around in the Army and unusually, there were no family trees within Ancestry to confirm it.
However at least a partial biography and as William served during World War II his service records still exist and will likely reveal more information.
Medal Details
- 1914 Star: 9611 PTE W.BARNARD 2/OXF:&BUCKS:L.I.
- 1914-18 British War Medal: 9611 PTE.W.BARNARD. OXF. & BUCKS. L.I.
- Victory Medal: 9611 PTE.W.BARNARD. OXF. & BUCKS. L.I.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
- Efficiency Medal 'Territorial': 7807724. B.Q.M.SJT. W.BARNARD. R.A.
Return to: The Collection
Go to Previous Page: John William BALSHAW
Go to Next Page: Barry Roy BARNES
Go to Previous Page: John William BALSHAW
Go to Next Page: Barry Roy BARNES
This page last updated 16 Nov 22
325