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Lt. John Barker MC.
British Army 107th Coy. Machine Gun Corps
from:Dunsby, Lincs
My Dad, John Barker was born in 1895 at Barrowby, he grew up the youngest son of a country vicar and served 1 year each in the Officer Training Corps first at Brighton College and then Worksop College. Dad enlisted in the Territorial Force (no 2860) on 5th Feb 1915. I am not sure but think it was established he had been in the OTC so, on 23rd Feb 1915, he was appointed 2nd Lt in Worcestershire Regiment. Sometime later he was transferred to 107 MGC (he got in a bit of trouble during his initial training and am not sure if his reward was a transfer to the suicide club!).
He arrived in France in late June 1916 just missing the first days of the Somme. I have some information that he was awarded his MC from action on 3 March 1917 and have the citation from the London Gazette of 11 May 1917. Apart from that I know little about the circumstances that lead to his MC. The War Diary of 107th MGC for that day says it is quiet. I have also read that was the day a German Camouflet exploded at Spanbroekmolen near the 107th MGC. Was this the rescuing referred to in his citation?
Dad was taken prisoner on the 1st day of the German Spring Offensive. He never said much about his experiences but one day he told me that as POWs they were so hungry two of his fellow prisoners fought over a dead sparrow!
Dad also served as an Auxiliary Cadet with the infamous K Company in 1921-2 but was invalided out with a gun shot wound (barrack room incident). Like many families a great tragedy for Dad was that his eldest son (my half-brother) Thomas Roy lost his life over Belgium on 12 May 1940 trying to stop the German advance (Sgt Observer of 150 Sqn). Any additional info on Dad would be appreciated.
