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Pte. William Barrett
British Army 6th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry
from:Bristol
(d.23rd April 1916)
William Barrett is my great grandfather. He worked as a glass blower in a bottle factory in Bristol, before joining up in August 1914. Serving as Private 10241 of the 6th (Service) Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, his unit sailed to France on 21st May 1915. He was wounded at the Second Battle of Bellewaarde, a diversionary attack to the east of Ypres for the larger offensive at Loos between 25th and 28th September 1915.
William was evacuated back to the UK and on recovery was re-deployed to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment, Pte 16207. The Battalion he was to have joined was already besieged at Kut Al Amara in Mesopotamia (Iraq). William was part of a group of reinforcements attempting to break through and relieve the British forces trapped in Kut. The last attempt to break through the Turkish lines was the Battle of Sanniyat. British artillery had failed to keep the Turkish troops away from their lines, who were able to fire directly into the advancing British forces struggling over open and flooded ground. Their attack failed with terrible losses. Kut surrendered on 22nd April 1916.
William died from wounds on 23rd of April 1916, leaving his wife Sarah and daughter (my grandmother) Florence aged 6.
