S6322 / 6322
BARNES, Benjamin Stewart
| Service Number: | 112 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 August 1914, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Field Ambulance |
| Born: | Torrensville, South Australia, 1 June 1891 |
| Home Town: | Mile End, City of West Torrens, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Currie Street School and Thebarton Public School |
| Occupation: | Iron moulder/Porter (S.A.R.) |
| Died: | Natural causes, Springbank, South Australia, 20 September 1963, aged 72 years |
| Cemetery: |
West Terrace Cemetery (AIF Section) Section: KO, Road: 1A, Site No: 32 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards, S.A. Railway Goods Dept. Mile End Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 112, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 112, 3rd Field Ambulance, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Medic embarkation_ship_number: A7 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 112, 3rd Field Ambulance, HMAT Medic, Adelaide | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 112, 3rd Field Ambulance, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 28 Aug 1918: | Discharged AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 112, 3rd Field Ambulance |
Help us honour Benjamin Stewart Barnes's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Son of Edward David BARNES and Isabella nee HUNT
Biography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Benjamin Stewart Barnes was born in Torrensville Adelaide on the 1st of June 1890. He was the sixth of fourteen children born to Edward David Barnes and Isabella Hunt. He went to Currie Street school for his primary years to then moved to Thebarton Public School for High School. Before enlisting Barnes worked as an Iron Molder, and as a Porter with the South Australian Railways.
At the age of twenty-four, on the nineteenth of August 1914 Barnes enlisted into the war. His enlistment papers stated that he followed the religious denomination of the Church of England and described him as five feet and 11 and a quarter inch tall, weighing just 152 pounds and a complexion of fair skin, light brown eyes and hair. You could tell Barnes apart with the distinctive features of a straight (lineal) scar on the right foot across the toes and vaccination markings (likely three small scars)
Barnes was single and his next of kin was his father E.D. Barnes. He was officially signed off to go to war on the 23rd of august 1914 by his commanding officer, F. Godsonith the Deputy Assistant Adjutant General in Mitchamville referred to the Mitcham army camp in South Australia.
With no previous military service on his record other than the short training camp in Adelaide, he and his brother Pte Clarence Walter Barnes embarked from Adelaide, South Australia with their unit, on board the transport A7 Medic on the 20th of October 1914 to land in Egypt for training to go towards serving in Gallipoli.
During Gallipoli, Barnes served with the 3rd Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps, where his role as a Private meant working as a stretcher bearer or medical orderly. He would have been responsible for carrying the wounded, providing basic treatment, and assisting with their evacuation from the battlefield. During the time he served in Gallipoli, during July of 1915, Barnes faced punishment for disobeying an order, being sentenced to 48 hours Field Punishment No. 2.
Only just two months later Benjamin was admitted to hospital with influenza and then soon discharged a week later to only be back to the hospital a month later due to diarrhoea. Soon he was admitted to hospital once more with bronchitis the following month. He rejoined his unit a Gallipoli 8th December 1915 and was evacuated with all the other Australians within a couple of weeks
Benjamin embarked from Alexandria 27th December 1915. After further training he proceeded to France 27th March 1916. In April of 1916, he was detached at Marseilles to take charge in passing out Medical Kits. By July of that year, Benjamin was sent to England with the Anzac Base details, but the following month returning to France where he was posted to the Etaples base and soon rejoined his unit in the 3rd Field Ambulance. His service then continued steadily, and in June of 1917 was then promoted the rank of Lance Corporal while in France. He returned to England in February 1918.
In February 1918, he was transferred to Headquarters AIF in England for transport duty to Australia. He returned to Australia leaving England 13th March 1918. He was discharged 28th August 1918
He passed away at the age of 73 due to natural causes on the 20th of September of 1963 at Daw Park and was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery in the location, Row 1A, Site Number 32.
Following his death Benjamin's sister Mrs. Myrtle Hellier, his next of kin wrote a letter addressed towards the Central Army Records Office, in an effort to honour Benjamin greatly for his World War one service at Gallipoli, applying to receive his commemorative medallion which was stamped OK - 6 JUL 1967 indicating that this request was approved.
Reference list-
https://ident.familysearch.org/en/identity/login/?state=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q291-6RG4?lang%3Den\
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156431281/benjamin-stewart-barnes
Click images to start slideshow.