The AIF Project

William Owen BARBER

Regimental number540
Place of birthBallarat, Victoria
SchoolMaldon State School, Victoria
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationLabourer
AddressMain Street, Maldon, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation19
Height5' 5.5"
Weight146 lbs
Next of kinFather, W T Barber, Main Street, Maldon, Victoria
Previous military serviceServed in the Citizen Military Forces.
Enlistment date16 November 1914
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll16 November 1914
Place of enlistmentCastlemaine, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name8th Light Horse Regiment, C Squadron
AWM Embarkation Roll number10/13/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board Transport A16 Star of Victoria on 25 February 1915
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll8th Light Horse Regiment
Other details from Roll of Honour CircularLanded at Gallipoli, 3 May 1915; remained there until the evacuation. Returned to Egypt; wounded in the first attack on Gaza; was in fighting at Beersheba and Jaffa; killed in action, Mussalabeh, 19 July 1918.
FateKilled in Action 19 July 1918
Place of death or woundingMussallabeh, Palestine
Age at death21.9
Age at death from cemetery records21
Place of burialJerusalem War Cemetery (Row H, Grave No. 53), Palestine
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
6
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Commemorated in Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Maldon, Victoria. Inscription beneath memorial window depicting St George reads: 'Pro Deo et Patria 1914 1919'. Parents: William Thomas and Mary Ellen Barber, 38 Stuart Street, Malvern, Victoria, Australia. Native of Ballarat, Victoria
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Palestine

Embarked Alexandria for Gallipoli, 16 May 1915.

Admitted to hospital, Anzac, 18 July 1915; admitted to 1st Australian Stationary Hospital, Mudros Bay, 18 July 1915; transferred to 24th Casualty Clearing Station, 25 July 1915; transferred to Class 'B', 9 August 1915; admitted to Anzac Advanced Base, Mudros Bay, 5 December 1915; transferred to unit and returned to duty, 7 December 1915.

Embarked Mudros, 24 December 1915; disembarked Alexandria, Egypt, 27 December 1915 (general Gallipoli evacuation).

Admitted to 1st Auxiliary Hospital, Heliopolis, 13 January 1916 (tonsillitis); transferred to Australian and New Zealand Convalescent Camp, Helouan, Cairo, 29 January 1916; discharged to unit, 16 February 1916; returned to duty, Heliopolis, 17 February 1916.

Taken on strength, 3rd Light Horse Reserve Regiment, 6 March 1916.

Admitted to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital, Heliopolis, 16 March 1916 (influenza); transferred to 3rd Australian General Hospital, 4 April 1916 (contusion, thigh); discharged to Base Details, Tel-el-Kebir, 21 April 1916; returned to duty, 27 April 1916.

Transferred to 3rd Double Squadron, 23 June 1916; taken on strength, 3rd Double Squadron, Serapeum, 6 July 1916.

Found guilty, 28 August 1916 of knowingly receiving money that had been stolen from a Regimental Institute: sentenced to 4 months Imprisonment with hard labour.

Discharged from Detention Barracks, Cairo, 8 December 1916; taken on strength, 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment, Moascar, 10 December 1916.

Detached to Imperial School of Instruction, Zietoun, 7 February 1917; passed as Gunner; returned to unit, 17 February 1917.

Transferred to 8th Light Horse Regiment, 8 March 1917; taken on strength, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Abu Shunnar, 9 March 1917.

Wounded in action, 19 April 1917; admitted to 6th Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance, Tel-el-Jemmi, 20 April 1917 (gun shot wound, right foot); transferred to 53rd Casualty Clearing Station, Deir-el-Belah, 21 April 1917; to 26th Casualty Clearing Station, 25 April 1917; to 24th Stationary Hospital, Kantara, 26 April 1917; to 14th Australian General Hospital, Abbassia, 27 April 1917; discharged to 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment, Moascar, 20 May 1917.

Transferred to 8th Light Horse Regiment, 9 July 1917; taken on strength, 11 July 1917.

To Rest Camp, Port Said, 19 January 1918; returned to unit, 2 February 1918.

To hospital, 18 February 1918 (sick); admitted to 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance, 19 February 1918 (laryngitis); transferred to 74th Casualty Clearing Station, 19 February 1918; to 43rd Stationary Hospital, 24 February 1918; to 44th Stationary Hospital, Kantara, 25 February 1918; to 14th Australian General Hospital, Port Said, 1 March 1918; to Rest Camp, Port Said, 15 March 1918; discharged to 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment, 10 April 1918.

Transferred to 8th Light Horse Regiment, 9 May 1918; taken on strength, 16 May 1918.

Killed in action, Mussalabeh, Palestine, 19 July 1918.

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, BARBER William Owen

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