ARTHUR ALAN BARRETT

A report from David Hickman 14 May 2012

Concerning Arthur Alan Barrett ~1892 to 1930

I have recently found that Arthur Alan Barrett must have been an uncle (by marriage) I had. I think he died at the age of about 38 and was buried on the 4th. March 1930.

He was married to Margaret Joan Hickman. This was one of those things that had a veil drawn over his death and not talked about, particularly to the younger members of the family.

I have a feeling he may have committed suicide. This may have been covered up in some way as I believe it was still illegal in those days to do so.

He would have been 22 at the outbreak of WW1 so we have tried to research A Barrett from the National Roll of the Great War.

There was an A. Barrett, Battery-Sergt Major. RFA.

He played a prominent part in many engagements including the Battles of Ypres, the Somme, Arras, Paschendale and Cambrai.

There was also an A. Barrett, Pte, 7th. Royal Fusiliers. At the outbreak of war, he was serving on the 'Oceanic' which foundered off the Orkney Islands, Oct 1914.

He was then transferred to the 'Cawdor Castle' which conveyed troops to India and the Dardanelles.

In June 1915 he returned home, joined the army and was drafted to France the following year. There he took part in many engagements and was taken prisoner in May 1916 at Vimy Ridge.

He was held captive in Germany for two years and 8 months, during which time he suffered many terrible hardships.

He was released in Dec. 1918 and returned home and was demobilised in March 1919, holding the Mercantile Marine War Medal and the General Service and Victory Medals.

If he was either one of these two heroes, he could have well been traumatised by what he went through, what he saw, suffered and endured.

This an uneducated guess on my part on what may have contributed to his death. Anyway, A.A. Barrett was buried at Newtown cemetery.

Margaret Joan Hickman married again to a J Hutchison and lived in New Zealand for a while. There were no children.

Sources:as above