William John BARRETT

BARRETT, William John

Service Numbers: 4865, 4665
Enlisted: 17 January 1916
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 21st Infantry Battalion
Born: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 October 1884
Home Town: Brunswick, Moreland, Victoria
Schooling: Brunswick East State School, Victoria, Australia
Occupation: Warehouseman
Died: Killed in Action, France, 24 December 1916, aged 32 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, City of Brunswick Honour Roll, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France)
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World War 1 Service

17 Jan 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private
4 Apr 1916: Involvement Private, 4865, 21st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: ''
4 Apr 1916: Embarked Private, 4865, 21st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Melbourne
24 Dec 1916: Involvement Private, 4665, 21st Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4665 awm_unit: 21st Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-12-24

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

William John Barrett was the eldest of four brothers to enlist for service in the First World War, two of whom 4431 Private James Benjamin Barrett, 60th Battalion and 1318 Private Alfred Ernest Barrett, 2nd Battalion were killed in France, on 19 July and 25 July 1916. All three brothers have no known graves.

Another brother, 3706 Frederick Albert Barrett 5th Battalion AIF, was sent home for 'family reasons' after his mother appealed by letter to Senator Pearce. He was only 16 years of age when he enlisted. 

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