Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Charles Barker was the son of William James Barker, a commercial traveller and Mary Ann Barker née Bamford of 291 Radford Boulevard, Nottingham.

The date of death 1 January 1885 in http://mosman1914-1918.net/people/1748.html/ is in doubt-the only birth of a Charles Barker in Nottinghamshire was not recorded until the fourth quarter of 1885

Births Dec 1885  Barker Charles Nottingham 7b 320

His father was born in 1854 in Nottingham and his mother was born in 1857, also in Nottingham. They were married in 1876  in the Radford Registration district.  They  had the following children all born in Nottingham:

Margaret Ada b 1881,

Charles b 1885,

Thomas b 1887,

William b1891

Hilda b1894.

Charles's father William James died in Nottingham in 1893 aged 39.

In the 1911 census the family are living at 291 Radford Boulevard, Nottingham and are shown as Mary Ann Barker 54 years, a widow and housekeeper. She is living with her children , Margaret Ada 30 years a newsagent, Thomas 24 years a chair maker and Hilda 17 years a typist.

Age on arrival in Australia-25

Enlistment date-20 February 1915
Place of enlistment-Liverpool, New South Wales

Age at embarkation-29

A comrade serving in the same company, Pte. Stanley Tuckwell, saw him die. “I was in the same Company “C” 18th Battalion and in the same tent as Private Charles Barker, No. 821 “C” Company, 18th Battalion. We were in the same charge on 22 August, 1915 at Hill 60 and both fell together and I fell just beside him not three yards away. I asked him where he was hit and he said, “I am just about beat and am hit all over.” They played the Machine gun across again and he bid me good bye and then he gave a slight struggle and lay still and I am perfectly satisfied that he died then.”