BARROW, John William
| Service Number: | 517 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 August 1914, An original member of C Company |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Kamarooka, Victoria, Australia, 1892 |
| Home Town: | Wahgunyah, Indigo, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Corowa Public School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Motor mechanic |
| Died: | Killed in action, Bullecourt, France, 5 May 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Rutherglen St. Stephen's Anglican Church Great War Memorial Reredos, Rutherglen War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Wahgunyah War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 517, 3rd Infantry Battalion, An original member of C Company | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 517, 3rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 517, 3rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney | |
| 5 May 1917: | Involvement Sergeant, 517, 3rd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 517 awm_unit: 3 Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1917-05-05 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
John William Barrow was the son of Edward and Emily Barrow, of Wahgunyah, Victoria. He was known as ‘Will’ to his family and friends.
His younger brother, 1007 Pte. Edward Victor Barrow 3rd Battalion AIF was killed in action near Mouquet Farm on 17 August 1916, aged 18.
John was among the first Australians to enlist during August 1914 and was an original member of the 3rd Battalion. He had the fine physique of all the original Anzacs, standing over six feet tall and weighing twelve and half stone.
He served through much of the Gallipoli campaign until he was evacuated to Mudros with bronchitis during October 1915.
He was promoted to Corporal then Sergeant during the heavy fighting in 1916. ‘Will’ Barrow was reported as killed in action on 5 May 1917.
The Albury Banner reported in June 1917, “This afternoon the Rev. Mr. Watt Anglican clergyman of Rutherglen, had a painful mission to Corowa. Amongst the spectators at the fancy dress football match was Mrs. Barrow, of Wahgunyah who only a few months earlier learnt of the death in action of one of her sons at the front. The reverend gentleman had been requested by the defence authorities to advise Mrs. Barrow of the death of another son, William. The news came as a great shock to Mrs. Barrow, who was asked to go across to Oeding's Hotel, whither the
Reverend gentleman was in waiting. The deceased young man was well known throughout this district, having been associated with a motor garage for some time previous to enlisting. For a time, he was in business on his own account at Oaklands NSW.”
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